November 22, 2018
Demand by investors for UK commercial property remains strong
The level of demand for UK commercial property remains strong, despite continued lack of clarity over Brexit. According to the latest GVA review of commercial property investment market, European investors were more risk averse to the UK market because of the uncertainty caused by Brexit but demand from overseas investors, particular from China and the Far East, strengthened in 2018. Domestic investors have also made a ‘come-back’ to the UK market and have accounted for approximately 12 percent more acquisitions in 2018, compared to the previous year. In the North East, the lack of availability of investment property is one of the biggest factors affecting growth and there remains strong competition, particularly for prime well let assets. Regardless of political uncertainty, the fundamentals of the UK commercial property market will continue to make it an attractive place to invest, with London remaining the number one priority target of investors outside of Europe. Overall, the report concludes, the UK commercial property market will remain attractive with the exception of retail.
New research suggests as the supposed ‘technologically savvy’ millennials enter the workforce they are more likely than older workers to break the most basic of security rule, reusing passwords across different accounts. This is according to the results of the 10th Annual Market Pulse Survey from SailPoint Technologies Holdings, which finds that despite an increased focus on cybersecurity awareness in the workplace, employees’ poor cybersecurity habits are getting worse, which is compounded by the speed and complexity of the digital transformation. 
Only one in four organisations have adapted performance management processes to consider staff with disabilities and special needs, including conditions such as dyslexia and autism. These are the findings of research carried out by Acas which has today published new advice to address the issue. The research report entitled ‘Improvement required?’ included a survey, which asked employers about performance management systems within their workplaces. The study found that one in ten employers said that their performance management system was demotivating for staff; and only one in ten employers said that their systems were used for planning and monitoring training and development.
A sudden reversal in the growth in the number of both EU and non-EU migrants in employment in the UK could hit employer plans to take on more staff and worsen skills and labour shortages, according to the latest quarterly Labour Market Outlook from the CIPD and The Adecco Group. While the net employment balance – a measure of the difference between the proportion of employers who expect to increase staff levels and those who expect to decrease staff levels – has remained extremely positive at +22 (compared to +23 in Q3 2018), among employers which currently have vacancies, seven in ten (70 percent) report that at least some of their vacancies are proving hard-to-fill, higher than in Summer 2018 (66 percent) and Spring 2018 (61 percent). 
Figures from Macmillan show that almost 900,000 people of working age (16-64) are living with cancer – a figure expected to rise to over a million by 2030, while the HSE disclosed 600,000 workers needed time off in the past year due to suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety. Men are notoriously bad at checking their health but according to Bupa an increasing spotlight on issues such as prostate cancer and testicular cancer earlier this year led to an increase in male health assessment bookings. In March 2018, Bupa saw a 28 percent uplift in male health assessment bookings compared to the same time last year, and a 43 percent year-on-year increase in April 2018. But according to the healthcare provider, employers must more efforts to help create a culture where male workers can open up about mental or physical problems.
The gig economy has helped lead to the doubling in size of the flexible office space sector since 2014 and it’s set to grow by up to 30 percent per year over the next five years claims new research published by JLL. Disruption or Distraction, a report delving into the growth of flexible office space across Europe explores the main drivers of the sector’s boom – including evolutionary changes in how, when and where people work, shifts in lifestyle, and rapid advancements in technology – and provides unique insights into the risks and rewards for both companies and real estate investors in Europe. 
November 13, 2018
Fostering creativity within organisations through space and culture
by Serena Borghero • Comment, Workplace design
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