Search Results for: workplace

Portland House is London’s latest major offices to homes conversion

by • Architecture, Products, Property, Technology

Portland HouseLand Securities is the latest developer to announce a major office to flats conversion in the wake of the Government’s change to the relevant parts of the planning system that make it easier to change the use of buildings. The firm has submitted plans to convert the 29 floors of Portland House in Victoria into 206 flats along with ground floor retail units. Land Securities is one of the first firms to take advantage of the new planning rules which have been the subject of much criticism by organisations such as the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) as well as local authorities throughout London who have almost unanimously sought exemptions.

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Time to mothball facilities management’s stuffed shirts

by • Comment, Facilities management

Stuffed ShirtMuch hand-wringing and angst in the world of Facilities/Workplace Management at the moment. The usual existential paranoia about relevancy and the need for a seat at the top table; the search for differentiation when pretty much the whole industry does the same things in the same way; hoping to standardise as much as possible under the guise of best practice and looking for ways that add value that won’t put a further pinch on already tight margins. As ever, new legislative and regulatory frameworks will keep the talking heads occupied and BIM (and other new tools) will continue to keep the cash tills ringing at software companies.

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Disabled employees twice as likely to be abused at work

by • Knowledge, News, Workplace

BullyingEmployees with disabilities are twice as likely to be abused or mistreated at work by managers, colleagues and customers, according to research from Cardiff School of Social Sciences. The survey of 4,000 people found that around one in ten employees with a disability or a long-term illness suffered physical violence, verbal abuse or intimidation while at work, compared to just 4.5 per cent of other staff.  The research found that managers were responsible for 45 per cent of serious incidents of abuse, customers were responsible for 28 per cent and colleagues for 18 per cent of cases. Workers with a learning disability or mental health issue suffered more than those with a physical disability.

Information Commissioner warns on poor BYOD practice

by • Legal news, News, Technology

Data theftThe Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published new guidance on the practice of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) following the findings of a YouGov poll  which reported that while nearly half of UK workers use  their own phones, tablets and other devices for work, under a third of have been offered any form of formal guidance by employers. The ICO warns that without a policy or guidance in place, staff run the risk of theft of their personal information and other data.  In addition, employers need to be reminded that the Data Protection Act is also relevant for personal technology used in a work context.

Women still making slow progress up the corporate ladder

by • Knowledge, News, Workplace

women at work

More women are making it into senior management roles than at any time since 2010, according to new research published today to mark International Women’s Day, but predictably, progress is slow. The Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) finds that globally, 24 per cent of senior management roles are now filled by women, up from 21 per cent in 2012 and 20 per cent in 2011. However, in the G7 group of developed economies just 16 per cent of board members are women. Meanwhile, a report published by Calvert Investments finds that corporate American is still failing to put substantial numbers of women and minorities into board rooms.

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Green Construction Board publishes carbon emissions routemap

by • Environment, Knowledge, News, Property

 Carbon

The Green Construction Board has called for urgent action to reduce carbon emissions as it published a new plan for the sector to meet national carbon reduction targets. The Low Carbon Routemap for the Built Environment, launched at this week’s Ecobuild sets out what is required from the construction industry to achieve its UK government target of an 80 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2050. The GCB also published its ‘Top Twenty Tips’ for greening the industry with a case study engine showing examples of good practice. (more…)

UK workers’ real wages have fallen furthest

by • Legal news, News, Workplace

pay squeeze

British workers have seen the biggest fall in wage value among the world’s wealthiest countries, according to a TUC report on the global economic race published today. Between 2007 and 2011 – real wages fell by 4.5 per cent in the UK, falling at nearly twice the rate of Spain – the next worst-performing economy that year.  However, as we reported last month lower wages appear to be contributing to higher employment rates in the UK compared to countries where pay rates are higher, such as Spain and Italy.

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Culture determines how we choose neighbours in the Global Village

by • Knowledge, Technology

WorldWhile a great deal has been written about the amount of time we spend each day dealing with emails, often to the detriment of other work, new research indicates that who we correspond with by email is influenced heavily by our cultural associations, language and beliefs. The study from researchers at Cornell and Stanford Universities in partnership with Yahoo found that people tend to align their email habits on the basis of cultural, linguistic and religious similarities with other users rather than pure geography. It suggests that while we may live in the Global Village, we still want to choose our digital neighbours.

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Plans unveiled to transform Southbank Centre Festival Wing

by • Architecture, News, Workplace design

Southbank

London’s Southbank Centre, the UK’s largest arts centre, has unveiled plans to transform the Festival Wing – the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Hayward Gallery complex. The proposals, by FCBStudios, include the refurbishment and renewal of the existing 1960s buildings and the creation of major new arts spaces including a new glass pavilion, a new central foyer and a new liner building to create, together with the successful Royal Festival Hall refurbishment, a world-class cultural centre for the 21st century, providing more art for more people in better spaces. (more…)

Economic benefits of green buildings highlighted

by • Environment, Knowledge, News, Property

worldInHands

Green buildings can be delivered at a price comparable to conventional buildings, with investments recouped through operational cost savings and, with the right design features, create a more productive workplace, says the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC). A new report, which looked at the benefits from green buildings received by different stakeholders throughout the life cycle of a building, “synthesizes credible evidence from around the world on green buildings into one collective resource, and the evidence presented highlights that sustainable buildings provide tangible benefits and make clear business sense,” said Jane Henley, CEO of WorldGBC. (more…)

Staff development still tops European employers’ priorities

by • Knowledge, News, Workplace

Image credit: <a href='https://www.123rf.com/photo_10259161_portrait-of-successful-young-businessman-showing-presentation-in-a-meeting-at-office.html'>logos / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

European employers are still maintaining ambitious staff development plans, despite the gloomier macro-economic climate. According to a study by Aon Hewitt, the proportion of companies that expect to add new jobs in 2012 has increased to 47 per cent, overtaking the number of companies foreseeing a reduction of their workforce (31 per cent). Explained Leonardo Sforza, chair of the European Club for human resources Scientific Committee: “The slow and painful road to economic recovery is not discouraging successful multinationals from continuing to invest in their human capital and from demonstrating the belief that their people remain the most powerful engine for sustainable growth and innovation.” (more…)

Buying green products should involve a closer look at the supply chain

by • Comment, Environment, Facilities management, Workplace design

Green chainLast year’s unrest in the Chinese factory that is a principal manufacturer of the iPhone5 shone a light into one of the usually dark corners of modern life. Namely that beneath the sleek facades of the products we buy lies the story of their production, transportation, marketing and eventual demise. Look further back than the factory and it usually starts with a hole in the ground; and, in the case of the iPhone, an open-cast rare earth mine in the Nevada desert which produces the raw materials for the cutting edge technologies that make our lives tick.

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