February 23, 2022

Flexible working takes a back seat to salary as inflation bites

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, Jobs, News, Workplace

Salary is now the most important factor (40 percent) for those looking to make a move as cost-of-living crisis squeezes budgets, claims a new survey from Michael Page. In a week in which UK wage growth was shown to still lag behind the cost of living, the poll suggests that salary is now the number one priority for workers, with flexible working seen as less important. The survey of 2,000 UK office workers claims that over a quarter (28 percent) are currently on the hunt for a new job, rising to 43 percent among those aged 18-34. This points to hopeful times ahead for businesses seeking talent, with recent ONS figures showing that open job vacancies hit a record 1.3m between November and January. More →

February 11, 2022

Wellbeing strategies often fail to align with business objectives

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Employers feel far more responsibility for employee health and wellbeing than ever, yet formalised strategic action often remains unchanged, claims Aon’s UK Benefits and Trends Survey 2022. The report suggests there has been a significant increase over the last year in the number of employers that strongly agree they have a responsibility for the health and wellbeing of their employees, rising from 20 percent in 2021 to just over half of all respondents (51 percent) in 2022. Forty-four percent agree they have a responsibility, and just 5 percent disagree or have no view. More →

February 3, 2022

Working from home fuels concerns for energy consumption

by Sara Bean • Environment, Features, Flexible working

Back in February 2020, consulting firm WSP UK published some interesting research that revealed those working from home during the summer saved around 400kg of carbon emissions, the equivalent of 5 percent of a typical British commuter’s annual carbon footprint. The catch was that it was just a seasonal benefit. If an average employee worked at home all year round, they would produce 2.5 tonnes of carbon per year – around 80 percent more than an office worker. This is because, during the winter, most heating systems in Britain heat the whole house, which produces far more carbon emissions than would be produced from the commute. More →

January 17, 2022

Is your office worth the journey it takes to get to it?

by Despina Katsikakis • Comment, Flexible working, Property

A couple of years ago, in the wake of a surge in self-care start-ups and viral diet fads, Forbes declared 2019 as the year of the “wellness revolution”. Three years and a global pandemic later, the revolution appears to have swept our offices. Why? Quite simply, we have woken up to the fact that we could be productive remotely, while also realising the risks of not accommodating employee wellbeing in the office. More →

January 4, 2022

Hybrid working will demand leaders develop new communication skills

by David Mills • Comment, Flexible working

Keeping on top of communication barriers in the business world can feel like an endless game of Whac-A-Mole, especially now in the new era of hybrid working. The usual culprits are well-known by now: patchy WiFi connections, crashing computer programmes, cloud syncing issues, important emails sneaking into spam folders – the list goes on. All can impede our ability to get the job done. More →

December 16, 2021

Employers admit they would likely terminate an employee’s contract if they were homeless

by Jayne Smith • News, Working lives

Four out of ten employers (42 percent) from across the UK have admitted they would likely seek to terminate an employees’ contract if they were homeless, despite nearly one in four households in England being at risk of or experiencing homelessness, claims a new report by Crisis. More →

December 1, 2021

Longer lives significantly contributing to European economies, new reports claims

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

A series of reports published by the International Longevity Centre UK (ILC) highlights the economic opportunities of longer lives across Europe. According to the reports, older people’s contributions across the European region are significant, and growing. The reports call for countries to better support older people’s economic contributions, particularly through greater investment in preventative health measures that support healthy ageing – the authors call for governments to invest at least 6 percent of their health budgets on these interventions, such as vaccines, screenings, early detection and management of disease. More →

November 12, 2021

More firms sign up to WorldGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment

by Jayne Smith • Environment, News

WorldGBC has announced 44 businesses who have signed up to the market-leading whole life carbon requirements of the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment (the Commitment), pledging to take increased action to decarbonise the built environment across their portfolios and business activities, representing annual turnover of $85 billion. More →

November 3, 2021

Employers struggling to adapt employee experience to meet workforce needs

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

Despite their best intentions, most employers are facing difficulties responding to changing employee expectations around employee experience and wellbeing during the pandemic. 69 percent of HR leaders admit that their efforts to improve employee experience are being held back by a lack of a clear strategy, and 76 percent report that they are struggling to adapt their employee experience to meet the needs of a hybrid workforce. More →

October 28, 2021

Three quarters of UK businesses think that remote workers pose a greater threat than office workers

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Technology

In a survey of UK cyber security, IT and business professionals commissioned by WatchGuard Technologies, 75 percent of respondents believe that remote workers pose a greater IT security risk to their business than office workers.

October 20, 2021

CMI calls on the Chancellor to invest in management and leadership or risk ‘levelling up’ failure

by Jayne Smith • Business, News

Ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review on 27th October, the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) is calling on the Government to commit to crucial investment in management and leadership as a central part of its ‘levelling up’ agenda. More →

October 14, 2021

Remote workers to enjoy increased tax relief, Irish government announces

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Remote workers in Ireland will now enjoy increased tax relief on the cost of heating, electricity and broadband, following the government’s latest budget announcement. Those working from home will see income tax deductions of 30 percent of the cost of certain expenses, which the Minister for Finance claims will help to offset some of the expected increases in energy costs. More →