Search Results for: workplace

Businesses planning major investments into Generative AI to increase productivity

Businesses planning major investments into Generative AI to increase productivity

firms are planning major investments into generative AI technologies to drive increases in productivity, but are still being cautious about their impact.A new report from Cognizant and Oxford Economics New Work, New World: Quantifying Global Gen AI Momentum suggests that firms are planning major investments into generative AI technologies to drive increases in productivity, but are still being cautious about their impact. Additionally, 76 percent of businesses say they are looking to leverage the technology to create new revenue streams, while 58 percent are incorporating revenue increases into their business cases. More →

Ultrafabrics launches Pumice. An outdoor performance fabric collection inspired by the ocean

Ultrafabrics launches Pumice. An outdoor performance fabric collection inspired by the ocean

Ultrafabrics, the pioneer in sustainable performance fabrics, unveils Pumice, its latest outdoor performance fabric collection designed to bring the allure of underwater exploration to both indoor and outdoor active living spacesUltrafabrics, the pioneer in sustainable performance fabrics, unveils Pumice, its latest outdoor performance fabric collection designed to bring the allure of underwater exploration to both indoor and outdoor active living spaces. Inspired by the mesmerizing beauty of the ocean’s depths, Pumice blends a refreshed colour palette with unparalleled durability, ensuring it withstands whatever Mother Nature delivers. More →

A large pay gap between business leaders and staff is bad news for businesses

A large pay gap between business leaders and staff is bad news for businesses

Employees may be less productive and have more negative emotional experiences at work when there is a large pay gap between them and those in leadership rolesEmployees may be less productive and have more negative emotional experiences at work when there is a large pay gap between them and those in leadership roles, a new study shows. The ‘vertical pay gap’ between leaders and other employees has been found to have risen markedly over the past five decades. More →

Chancellor to accelerate the sale of public buildings to plug budget gap

Chancellor to accelerate the sale of public buildings to plug budget gap

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to announce significant measures aimed at reducing government spending and optimising public sector assets including public buildingsIn an effort to tackle the fiscal challenges and balance the UK’s budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to announce significant measures aimed at reducing government spending and optimising public sector assets including public buildings, today. Reeves will lay out her plans in her first major speech as chancellor, where she will highlight what she describes as a £20 billion gap in government spending, attributing it to the economic mismanagement of the previous government. More →

Shortage of high-quality data threatens the AI ‘boom’

Shortage of high-quality data threatens the AI ‘boom’

A number of fundamental issues, including a shortage of high-quality data with which to ‘train’ the technology is threaten the AI ‘boom’, according to a new white paper from the Open Data InstituteA number of fundamental issues, including a shortage of high-quality data with which to ‘train’ the technology is threatening the AI ‘boom’, according to a new white paper from the Open Data Institute. The paper Building a better future with data and AI is based on research carried out by the Institute in the first half of 2024. It claims to identify significant weaknesses in the UK’s technological infrastructure that threaten the predicted potential gains – for people, society, and the economy – from the surge of interest in artificial intelligence and its applications. It also outlines the ODI’s recommendations for creating diverse, fair data-centric AI. More →

People and firms are shifting away from remote work, survey suggests

People and firms are shifting away from remote work, survey suggests

One of the most prominent findings from the report is the pronounced decline in both the practice and preference for remote workThere has been a recent significant shift in working habits and preferences among employees in the post-pandemic landscape, according to the fourth Commuter Census from Mobilityways. One of the most prominent findings from the report is the pronounced decline in both the practice of and preference for remote work. The survey of 10,325 participants suggests that 40 percent of people no longer engage in any form of remote work, despite a mere 15 percent of employees expressing a preference for this arrangement.  Only 26 percent of respondents would consider working from home as an alternative to their current commuting routine, marking a significant 42 percent drop from the previous year. More →

Organisations struggle to nurture creativity even though they see it as essential

Organisations struggle to nurture creativity even though they see it as essential

Despite the widespread belief in the importance of creativity, many organisations are struggling to create environments that nurture and encourage innovative thinking.A new report from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, in collaboration with Canva, claims to have uncovered the significant challenges organisations face when it comes to fostering creativity within the workplace. Despite the widespread belief in the importance of creativity, many organisations are struggling to create environments that nurture and encourage innovative thinking. More →

Getting the long term unemployed back into work will transform the economy, says Government adviser

Getting the long term unemployed back into work will transform the economy, says Government adviser

He argues that this approach is essential to address the unsustainable welfare costs associated with the long term unemployed and to mitigate the "toxic" reliance on immigrationThe rising costs of welfare and the country’s increasing dependency on immigration have become significant concerns, prompting a call for reform from a prominent government health adviser. Alan Milburn, a former health secretary, has emphasised the need for individuals with long-term illnesses and others stuck in a cycle of long term unemployment to actively seek employment. He argues that this approach is essential to address the unsustainable welfare costs associated with the long term unemployed and to mitigate the “toxic” reliance on immigration for the workforce. More →

How do you encourage people to spend more time in the office? Find out in our special report

How do you encourage people to spend more time in the office? Find out in our special report

If you want people to spend more time in the office with each other, how do you entice them to do so without making it an obligation?In a world in which people have more choice about how and where to work, how can organisations meet their diverse and ever-changing needs? And how can they attract them to the office without issuing controversial mandates? Some of the UK’s most high-profile workplace, design, property and facilities management experts met recently at the London showroom of MillerKnoll to discuss one of the most vexed questions of recent years. Namely, how do you create workplaces that meet the needs of people who have more choices than ever of how, when and where to work? And its corollary: if you want people to spend more time in the office with each other, how do you entice them to do so without making it an obligation? More →

HLW announces London leadership changes

HLW announces London leadership changes

Global architecture and design firm HLW has announced changes to its London Management Team to support growth across the UK and Europe. These leadership changes come off the back of significant new business wins and reflect the firm’s ambitious plans. More →

If you offer people universal basic income, they work less but have more choice, study finds

If you offer people universal basic income, they work less but have more choice, study finds

A new study from the Open Research Lab found that while unconditional cash transfers such as universal basic income slightly reduced employment rates and work hours, they increased the financial stability and agency of recipientsA new study from the Open Research Lab found that while unconditional cash transfers such as universal basic income slightly reduced employment rates and work hours, they increased the financial stability and agency of recipients. People were 2 percent less likely to be employed and worked 1.3 fewer hours weekly but had higher incomes when including the cash transfers. The financial support allowed individuals to pursue education, caregiving, health improvements, and more meaningful work. Overall, cash transfers provided recipients with the flexibility to make employment decisions aligned with their personal goals and circumstances. More →

Accelerating the rise of the adaptable office

Accelerating the rise of the adaptable office

The growth of the adaptable office is one of the most obvious responses to the growing appetite for flexible working and agile property strategiesThe introduction of the Flexible Working Act is another sign that the concept of the ‘workplace’ has undergone a significant transformation. These shifts in work patterns, office usage and approach are all having dramatic knock-on impacts when it comes to the future of the physical infrastructure of the nation’s office environments, and the investor communities behind them. The growth of the adaptable office is one of the most obvious responses to the growing appetite for flexible working and agile property strategies. More →