Search Results for: labour

People must take the lead on hybrid working to drive highest returns

People must take the lead on hybrid working to drive highest returns

A new report from workplace technology provider Eptura suggests that employee-led hybrid working models and connected technology drive the highest returns for businessesA new report from workplace technology provider Eptura suggests that employee-led hybrid working models and connected technology drive the highest returns for businesses. According to its first half 2024 Workplace Index report [registration], companies with hybrid working models in which employees can choose when to come to the office are seeing the most benefit. This is because employees who work effectively in the office can generate an average revenue increase of 3-8 percent. The study also claims that globally, employees are now spending an average of 3 days a week in the office, with the biggest increase being seen in the Asia-Pacific region. The most common days for office attendance remain Tuesday through Thursday. (more…)

Since the pandemic, people now work six fewer months over the course of their lives

Since the pandemic, people now work six fewer months over the course of their lives

As the UK government warns that the state pension age might need to rise, a new report from the the International Longevity Centre UK (ILC) claims that, between 2019 and 2022, people’s work span in the UK fell by 6 months. The report argues that, to enable more people to stay healthy and be in work for longer, the next government should invest more in preventing ill health, supporting people to stay in work and building healthier behaviours. (more…)

‘The Big Stay’ – it’s time to invest in employees, not to cut costs 

‘The Big Stay’ – it’s time to invest in employees, not to cut costs 

The Great Resignation is over. That’s according to the latest Labour Market Outlook report from the CIPD, as reported by Workplace Insight. But we could have told you this was simply a post-Covid correction in any case. Data from the report shows 55 percent  of employers are looking to maintain their current headcount, while analysis of turnover from the ONS Labour Force Survey points to lower staff attrition in 2024. Declining staff turnover is being dubbed The Big Stay. (more…)

Some questions about AI, a world drowning in content and the human centipede of creativity

Some questions about AI, a world drowning in content and the human centipede of creativity

 

We still don't even know what questions to ask about AI, so the idea we can provide answers is a bit premature

One unintended but welcome result of the new fixation with AI is that many of the people who became experts on the workplace in 2020 are now experts on AI. You’ll find them on social media and they’ll have written a book about it by May to sit on the shelf alongside the one about hybrid working and The Great Resignation. So, if you want some certainty about where generative AI taking us, go talk to one of them because people who know about the subject seem to have little or no idea or raise even more questions. (more…)

The Great Resignation has given way to The Big Stay, says the CIPD

The Great Resignation has given way to The Big Stay, says the CIPD

The luxury belief that was  the so-called Great Resignation, appears to be over, even if you assume it ever existed.The luxury belief that was  the so-called Great Resignation, appears to be over, even if you assume it ever existed. Workers are increasingly staying put in their current jobs and more employers are holding steady on staffing levels as the labour market slows, according to the CIPD’s latest Labour Market Outlook report. The survey shows more than half (55 percent) of employers are looking to maintain their current staff level – the highest level since winter 2016/17. The CIPD’s new report, based on a quarterly survey of 2,009 employers, also cites data from the ONS vacancy survey and analysis on turnover from the Labour Force Survey, with all indicators pointing to lower staff attrition in 2024 and trends returning to pre-pandemic levels. (more…)

People don’t hear back from half of the jobs for which they apply

People don’t hear back from half of the jobs for which they apply

British job seekers don’t hear back from almost half (45 percent) of the jobs they apply for, according to a new poll from Indeed. According to ONS data, there are 916,000 job vacancies in the UK, but with frustrations around the hiring process, these aren’t set to be filled quickly or effectively. The survey of 1,000 working people and 1,000 hiring professionals in the UK shows that the hiring process is inefficient for both job seekers and businesses, delaying the right candidate being matched with the right role. (more…)

A philosophical take on meaningful work

A philosophical take on meaningful work

But what exactly makes a particular job an instance of “meaningful work”? Is it just any sort of work people happen to believe is meaningful? Or is it a job with certain objective features?Work is an inescapable feature of the modern world. Most of us, except for a lucky few, spend a significant portion of our lives working. If this is the case, we may as well try and make it meaningful. In a 2019 report, 82 percent of employees reported that it is important to have a purpose in their work and that creating meaningful work was one of their top priorities. But what exactly makes a particular job an instance of “meaningful work”? Is it just any sort of work people happen to believe is meaningful? Or is it a job with certain objective features? (more…)

Large increase in the number of people who say they are experiencing burnout

Large increase in the number of people who say they are experiencing burnout

The number of Britons who say they are experiencing stress or burnout in the workplace doubled in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to a pollThe number of Britons who say they are experiencing stress or burnout in the workplace doubled in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to a poll from Indeed Flex. According to the survey, 92 percent of UK employees say they have experienced burnout or stress in the workplace during their careers. However the strain has grown rapidly as post-pandemic labour shortages intensified workloads. In 2023 the proportion of UK workers grappling with poor mental health skyrocketed to 37 percent, almost double the 19 percent who experienced problems during 2022. A fifth (19 percent) of workers say they have suffered from burnout or stress in 2024 so far. (more…)

Trust gap on AI in the workplace must be overcome if businesses are to get ahead

Trust gap on AI in the workplace must be overcome if businesses are to get ahead

With many AI firms increasingly pivoting towards developing specialised tools for easier integration into the workplace, it may come as a surprise that half of the companies Freeths recently surveyed have no plans at all to implement them, with only 15 percent reporting that investing in artificial intelligence tools for human resources was a strategic priority. (more…)

A look back at The Stoddart Review: the once and future guide to workplace productivity?

A look back at The Stoddart Review: the once and future guide to workplace productivity?

A new edition of the Stoddart Review would offer a deep dive into the realities of working from home and what the measurement of ‘productivity’ means in the 2020sThe Stoddart Review, published in 2016, was one of the most significant reports of recent years to explore the role of the workplace for employee productivity in extensive detail and why the office environment was key for productivity purposes. There has been a huge shift in the world of work since then. What we once knew as the workplace has changed forever. (more…)

AI can help people deal with burnout, say HR managers

AI can help people deal with burnout, say HR managers

A new report from Sage claims that HR professionals now welcome AI to ease the burden of admin jobs, take away time consuming tasks, and, ultimately, ease burnoutA new report from Sage claims that HR professionals now welcome AI to ease the burden of admin jobs, take away time consuming tasks, and, ultimately, ease burnout. The annual report, titled ‘The Changing Face of HR’ [registration], surveyed over 1,000 HR leaders across a range of sectors and countries, finding that 77 percent believe AI has the potential to revolutionise ways of working within their company. With 95 percent of respondents reporting an increase in their workload over the past year and 91 percent seeing an increase in more responsibilities in their role. HR leaders in the UK are particularly strained with workloads, with respondents twice as likely to work over 45 hours per week compared to before the pandemic, the report claims. (more…)

London Mayor sets out ambitious plans for Capital’s growth and reinvention

London Mayor sets out ambitious plans for Capital’s growth and reinvention

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, is today launching an ambitious plan aimed at creating 150,000 high-quality, well-paid jobs by 2028. This initiative will be unveiled alongside the shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves. Reeves will say that a Labour administration intends to reset the relationship between the national government and London, while Khan thinks what is good for London is good for the UK. (more…)