Search Results for: performance

December 6, 2018

Groundbreaking study links productivity to air quality

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, News, Wellbeing

A new study of UK indoor office environments has found a direct correlation between the quality of the air in offices and its effect on workplace productivity. The two-year research initiative, backed by facilities company EMCOR and carried out by academics at Oxford Brookes University and LCMB Building Performance found that workers were able to work up to 60 percent faster in lower CO2 concentrations. It revealed that an increased intake of CO2 can lead to poor decision making, slower reaction times and increased tiredness among employees. Currently, UK productivity is 26.2 percent lower than Germany based on GDP per hour worked – and 22.8 percent less than France. Yet despite ten years of tactics to help close the gap, this is the first time environmental factors have been considered. More →

December 5, 2018

The war for talent is over and we need to face up to new opportunities and challenges

by David Corcoran • Comment, Workplace

The ‘War for Talent’ is a concept which has dominated the industry for the last twenty years and has shaped how many organisations view talent acquisition around the world. But perhaps this war is already over. As initially reported by McKinsey & Company in 1998, the war for talent explored the challenges businesses face when attracting, retaining and developing talent. While talent acquisition is a fundamental foundation for any business looking to grow, after twenty years, recent studies have reported a seismic shift from this ‘War for Talent’ to a ‘War for Skills.’

December 5, 2018

Firms and employees need to do more to address climate change

by Mark Eltringham • Environment, News

A new report claims to have found a lack of commitment amongst UK businesses to address their impact on the environment and contribution to climate change, with only 10 percent having set a carbon reduction target, while just under half of companies (49 percent) use even the most basic sustainability measures, such as recycling bins for office waste.

December 5, 2018

Government policy is making life increasingly difficult for freelancers

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Freelancers expect government policy to drive their businesses and the economy into decline over the next year, a report from IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed) claims. This quarter, amid widespread speculation about Budget announcements that would harm the self-employed, freelancers’ confidence in their annual business performance dropped nine points, sliding into negative territory. Their confidence in the wider economy – which was already in deep negative territory – fell another two points to near-record lows.

December 4, 2018

Core Innovation Hub secures funding to transform the way buildings are designed, built and managed

by Neil Franklin • Architecture, Facilities management, News, Property, Workplace design

An alliance of experts specialising in digital, manufacturing, building performance standards and construction technology has been awarded leadership of a new national Hub to drive innovation and technological advances in the UK construction and infrastructure sectors. Following a nationwide competition, Innovate UK has awarded £72 million to the Transforming Construction Alliance to deliver a national Core Innovation Hub, a key element of the Transforming Construction programme. The alliance brings together the specialist expertise of the MTC (Manufacturing Technology Centre), BRE (Building Research Establishment) and the CDBB (University of Cambridge Centre for Digital Built Britain).

November 29, 2018

OECD, UN Environment and World Bank call for a radical shift in infrastructure thinking

by Mark Eltringham • Cities, Environment, News

The OECD, UN Environment and World Bank Group have this week called on leaders of G20 countries to do more to enable a radical shift of investment into low-carbon, climate-resilient infrastructure as a way to limit the impact of climate change. Delivering a new report, Financing Climate Futures: Rethinking Infrastructure, to the G20 at its Summit in Buenos Aires, the three International Organisations said governments need to adopt a more transformative agenda on low-carbon, climate-resilient investments if they are to meet the Paris Agreement goal of cutting CO₂emissions to net zero in the second half of the century and build resilience to climate change.

November 29, 2018

UKGBC launches new industry task group on net zero carbon buildings

by Sara Bean • Architecture, Environment, Facilities management, News, Property

A new task group spearheaded by the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) being launched which will develop an industry-led definition for net zero carbon buildings. The task group brings together over thirty experts from across the building value chain and is being supported by 12 leading industry bodies. Following the recent IPCC report and the Paris Climate Agreement, worldwide attention has switched to achieving “net zero emissions” to escape the worst impacts of climate change. To answer this, a global campaign is being led by the World Green Building Council – calling for all new buildings to be net zero carbon in operation by 2030 and all existing buildings to achieve this standard by 2050. Its aim is to build industry consensus on a definition for net zero carbon buildings, which can then be used to advise project designs, planning requirements and building regulations.

November 28, 2018

Line up of speakers announced for Workplace Trends: Research Spring Summit

by Maggie Procopi • Events, Facilities management, News, Technology, Workplace design

The research-driven Workplace Trends Spring Summit returns for 2019. We have two sessions with invited guest speakers, our keynote and the after lunch debate. Following a recent Call for Abstracts and a blind peer review by our two moderators for the day, Nigel Oseland (Workplace Unlimited) and Mark Eltringham (Workplace Insight), the remaining sessions have now been filled with the highest ranked submissions.

November 28, 2018

Employers to prioritise career development, wellbeing and flexibility

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

The majority of employers (97 percent) are planning to maintain or increase how much they spend on employee benefits over the next two years, according to new research published today by the CIPD and LCP. In the latest ‘Reward management’ report, released today, 8 in 10 employers (81 percent) said they intend to spend the same amount on employee benefits over the next two years as they currently do, while 16 percent plan to increase their investment to address staff wellbeing and career development.

November 28, 2018

New report puts the case for FM contribution to sustainability

by Sara Bean • Environment, Facilities management, News

A new report has been published which argues that FM has the power, and responsibility to contribute towards social, economic and political betterment, but to do so the sector needs to be more explicit in the value it offers. Sustainability in facilities management: A Holistic View’ from Active Workplace Solutions claims to explore sustainability within the built environment, analyses how the facilities management (FM) sector can impact wider environmental, social and economic goals and build a holistic strategic picture of sustainability. More →

November 25, 2018

Mental health problems are rife across Europe

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Greater efforts to promote mental health and improve early diagnosis and treatment of those with mental illness would improve the lives of millions of Europeans and contribute to stronger economic and employment conditions, according to a new joint OECD/European Commission report. Health at a Glance: Europe 2018 says that mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety disorders and alcohol and drug use disorders, affect more than one in six people across the European Union in any given year. Besides the impact on people’s well-being, the report estimates the total costs of mental ill-health at over EUR 600 billion – or more than 4 percent of GDP – across the 28 EU countries.

November 21, 2018

UK on target to reach one million women working in STEM fields by 2020

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

According to new research by WISE, the campaign for gender balance in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the UK is on track to have one million women working in core STEM roles by 2020. The research shows that there are over 900,000 women working in STEM currently and an estimated 200,000 women with STEM qualifications will reach working age within the next 2 years. The news was announced at WISE 2018 Awards presented by the Patron of WISE, HRH, The Princess Royal.