April 1, 2020
As COVID -19 has taken hold and the very necessary lockdown begins, there are A large number of workers thrown into semi-permanent work settings that we hadn’t anticipated a month ago. The transitions will be easier for some than others but we all need a space that feels comfortable AND is conducive to productive working. (more…)
March 27, 2020
The use of nudge theory in the UK government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has raised some fresh questions about the applicability of the idea. The idea – that people can be encouraged to make significant changes in their behaviour with small interventions – has gained widespread acceptance around the world. While some have argued that the use of nudge theory in the initial response was questionable, other analysis has suggested it did have an effect. (more…)
March 25, 2020
One of the first research projects aimed at gauging the UK public’s attitude and responses to the coronavirus pandemic is being launched. Experts at Cardiff University and Cardiff Metropolitan University are urging people from across the UK to take part in a survey to assess how people feel about – and how they are responding to – one of the biggest health crises facing the country in recent history. (more…)
March 24, 2020
I am not a philosopher. I sell home and workplace furniture. But I’ve been thinking a lot recently about how radically different things will be – both in how we work and how we live – once we get through this dreadful period of our lives. We have the opportunity to embrace a whole new way of working which recognises and gets the best out of all parts of our community. (more…)
March 20, 2020
How supportive are you of your employees’ wellbeing? New research from CV-Library claims that two-thirds of Brits (61.7 percent) say being happy at work is the most important part of a job, but 87.9 percent feel their employer could do more to improve morale in the workplace.
What’s more, the study, which surveyed 2,300 UK professionals, suggests that Brits think being happy is more important than salary (22.1 percent) and location (15.5 percent) when it comes to work. Interestingly, being happy in their job was also more important for women (66.4 percent) than men (58.7 percent), as well as for 55-64-year olds (66.9 percent) and 45-54-year olds (64.8 percent). (more…)
March 19, 2020
Betteridge’s law of headlines declares that “Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no”. And so I simultaneously ask and answer the question of whether the coronavirus pandemic will really lead to the death of the office. So it goes. Of course, I’m not the first person to raise the question over the last few weeks as the world adapts to the threat of the pandemic. But it’s worth reminding ourselves that the demise of the office has been predicted for at least a quarter of a century, although never in such circumstances. (more…)
March 17, 2020
In the light of the global impact caused by COVID-19 and following careful consideration, it was announced today that Clerkenwell Design Week will be postponed from 19 – 21 May until 14 – 16 July 2020.
“As the UK’s leading independent design festival, this has not been a decision taken lightly, but the health, safety and wellbeing of CDW’s visitors, exhibitors, clients and staff remains the number one priority”, said Lee Newton, CEO of show owners Media 10. “We will continue to consult with all relevant parties on a regular basis as we work towards delivering the best possible CDW this summer. The safety and wellbeing of all those involved is our priority and we are grateful for the support we have received from our exhibitors and partners in making this difficult decision. We believe that these new dates provide us with an opportunity to deliver what will be a very successful CDW in the height of British Summer.’ Lee Newton, CEO, Media 10
“CDW has been working tirelessly to ensure that the investment made by all parties into this event is protected. Agreement has been reached, following productive discussions with Islington Council, to ensure that the new date will deliver the much-loved festival without compromise, bringing an undeniable buzz and splash of pink to the streets of Clerkenwell this summer. All of the suppliers, venues and various stakeholders have collaborated to agree these new dates and to ensure that the event can take place.
“In times of adversity the design community has come together to ensure that this leading design festival takes place in 2020.”
March 13, 2020
In the third in our series of wellbeing podcasts published in partnership with Wellworking, I am in conversation with Derek Clements-Croome, one of the world’s leading experts on wellbeing and sustainability in the workplace. We look at the increasingly powerful links between personal wellbeing and green sustainable building design and consider some of the most important yet last talked about wellbeing and productivity issues such as temperature and air quality. (more…)
March 12, 2020
A recent survey from law firm Herbert Smith Freehills suggests that 95 percent of large organisations polled expected a rise in the number of employees using social media, such as Twitter, to raise complaints and concerns about their company over the next five years. It is an extremely worrying development for business. While social media can in general be a great platform for everyone to have their voice heard, in this context, it takes an internal issue to a public space and it could do a great deal of harm to the business concerned. An aggrieved employee tweeting criticisms of their company has the potential to go viral, garnering vast numbers of likes and reaping untold damage to the reputation and brand of the organisation concerned. (more…)
March 11, 2020
Perkbox commissioned a new study of 1,815 employed people to present a examination into the changing landscape of work-related stress in 2020. The study compared results to 2018 data in order to identify how sources of work-related stress and the solutions offered by employers are changing. The study claims that 79 percent of adults in employment commonly experience work-related stress. (more…)
March 10, 2020
According to the latest survey from CV-Library, the majority of Brits admit that they struggle to make ends meet, but over half are still too scared to ask their employer for a pay rise. The study, which surveyed 2,000 British professionals, claims that 18-24 year-olds are the most likely to struggle financially; with 67.7 percent of respondents in this age group finding it hard to make ends meet. This is closely followed by 66.7 percent of 35-44 year-olds and 60.9 percent of 25-35 year-olds.
What’s more, the survey also suggests that 61.3 percent of Brits feel confident about securing a higher paid role elsewhere. Men were most confident about this (64.4 percent of men vs 57 percent of women), as were 25-34 year olds (65.5 percent) and 18-24 year olds (63.8 percent).
March 26, 2020
Now is a great time to talk about staff absence in the NHS
by Ian Caminsky • Comment, Wellbeing