Search Results for: benefits

BCO to provide definitive guidance on enabling wellbeing in the office

BCO to provide definitive guidance on enabling wellbeing in the office

BCO to provide definitive guidance on enabling wellbeing across the office A major research study “Wellness Matters: Health and Wellbeing in offices and what to do about it” by The British Council for Offices (BCO) is being launched today. The study critiques existing Health and Wellbeing measurement and certification, identifies the most recent and relevant medical evidence justifying a proactive approach to Health and Wellbeing in the built environment, and articulates the business case for investment in this space beyond simply improving productivity. More →

Pay rates for senior management reflect longer working hours argues CMI

Pay rates for senior management reflect longer working hours argues CMI

Pay rates for senior management reflect long working hours argues CMIBusiness Secretary Greg Clark proposed new laws in Parliament yesterday (June 11th) that new large firms will have to justify their chief executives’ salaries and reveal the gap to their average UK worker. It means that for the first time, UK listed companies with more than 250 UK employees will have to disclose and explain this difference – known as ‘pay ratios’ – every year. However, according to data published today by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and XpertHR, basic salaries for senior managers have fallen in real terms, with inflation overtaking pay increases for the first time in five years. At a time when government are shining a light on executive pay, and linking it via a ratio to workforce pay, separate CMI research has found managers worked an extra 44 days a year last year over and above their contracted hours – up from 40 days extra in 2015. The same research found 59 percent of managers are ‘always on’, frequently checking their emails outside of work and one in 10 had been forced to take sick leave because of stress.

More →

Over half of employees say remote working and coworking increase their productivity

Over half of employees say remote working and coworking increase their productivity

coworkingMore than half of US based employees (54 percent) with the chance to work remotely say they are most productive when they work outside a traditional office environment, such as at home, in a coffee shop, or in a coworking space, according to a new survey by research firm Clutch. Over two-thirds (68 percent) of workers surveyed work in a traditional office. However, higher productivity isn’t the only reason employees prefer other workspace options. Over a quarter (26 percent) of employees who have some degree of flexibility say a better work-life balance is the top benefit of working outside the office. Other benefits include flexible work hours (21 percent) and fewer distractions (18 percent).

More →

Overwhelming majority of property professionals now view proptech as an opportunity

Overwhelming majority of property professionals now view proptech as an opportunity

The vast majority of property professionals in the UK now regard proptech as an opportunity rather than a threat, new research has found. However, a majority also remain sceptical about their own organisations’ progress on adopting new technology. Those are the key findings of a survey of more than 300 property professionals carried out by Trident Building Consultancy, in association with RICS, GoReport and Teesside University.

More →

War for talent is increasing as recruits have higher expectations than ever of a new job

War for talent is increasing as recruits have higher expectations than ever of a new job

War for talent grows, with recruits having higher expectations than ever of a new jobAs employment levels rise, employers are facing stronger competition to attract and retain staff. Now the latest research suggests there is an escalation in the ‘war for talent’, as nine out of 10 new hires admit they would leave a job that fails to meet expectations within a month. According to research commissioned by Robert Half of 9,000 candidates in 11 countries across four continents, nearly half (47 percent) admit they decide whether they would or wouldn’t accept a position straight after the initial meeting. Highlighting that first impressions count, a further one fifth (20 percent) know if they are interested after the first communication (call/email), while 17 percent typically decide within the first five minutes of the interview.  Less than one in 10 (9 percent) wait until they have completed subsequent interviews to decide and merely 7 percent decide during contractual negotiations. Even once candidates have accepted a role, 91 percent admit they would consider leaving a job within their first month and 93 percent during their probation period.

More →

Employees who work in digitally advanced workplaces are more productive and motivated

Employees who work in digitally advanced workplaces are more productive and motivated

Companies that are less technologically advanced are at risk of falling behind the competition and not attracting top talent, claims a new global study from Aruba. By contrast, employees who work in digital workplaces are not only more productive but also more motivated, have higher job satisfaction, and report an overall better sense of well-being. The study, Digital Revolutionaries Unlock the Potential of the Digital Workplace, outlines both the business and human benefits of more digitally-driven workplaces, and how. Almost all respondents (97 percent) thought their workplace would be improved through greater use of technology, while 64 percent said their company will fall behind the competition if new technology isn’t implemented. The same portion (64 percent) believe the traditional office will become obsolete due to advances in technology. However, the survey also warns that companies must be vigilant as more digital-savvy employees are taking greater risks with data and information security.

More →

Majority of global workforce now work somewhere other than the office every week

Majority of global workforce now work somewhere other than the office every week

Majority of global workforce now work remotely from the office every week

Technological change, globalisation and changes in employee expectations mean that over two-thirds of global employees now work remotely every week, and over half do so for at least half of the week. Though it must be said this is according to a new study from IWG, which is the parent group of workspace companies including Regus and Spaces, the study found that every week 70 percent of employees are working at least one day a week somewhere other than the office. More than half (53 percent) work remotely for half of the week or more, whilst more than one in 10 (11 percent) people work outside of their company’s main office location five times a week. The survey adds also that flexible working and the use of shared workspaces are no longer the preserve of start-ups. The world’s most successful businesses – including varied companies such as Etihad Airways, Diesel, GSK, Mastercard, Microsoft, Oracle and Uber – are already adopting a flexible workspace approach.

More →

Australia is leading the world in the adoption of activity based working

Australia is leading the world in the adoption of activity based working

Over half of those employed in the banking sector in Australia now find themselves in agile and dynamic activity based workplaces. The banks have set the pace. The overall growth of the phenomenon has been exponential in the last 5 years, with sources suggesting two thirds of Australian organisations will have adopted Activity Based Working (ABW) by 2020. Furthermore, by looking at the number of Activity Based Working projects in the pipeline this move away from the 20th century office seems unstoppable. Despite global economic challenges the banking sector in Australia is particularly strong and stable, which contributes to the organisations’ ability to take a long term view. Alongside this robust financial picture we are also seeing a shift in purpose emerge, where the banks move away from a purely financial role to one where they embrace a sense of community and stewardship thus developing a broader contribution to society.

More →

Simple fact: less complex workplaces increase levels of employee engagement

Simple fact: less complex workplaces increase levels of employee engagement

workplace

Organisations that invest in simplifying their workplace benefit from greater trust, advocacy, innovation and retention among employees. Yet despite this, 30 percent of employees find their workplace complex and difficult to navigate, claims a recent study conducted by Siegel+Gale. According to the study, organisations that communicate clearly from the top their purpose, values and business goals tend to be simpler. These workplaces convey how employees’ roles impact relationships with clients and ultimately, drive business results.

More →

Low unemployment means new recruits will quit if the job doesn’t measure up

Low unemployment means new recruits will quit if the job doesn’t measure up

Low unemployment means new recruits will not stay if the role doesn't measure up

Alongside the challenge of finding the right people to fill roles is keeping them there, according to a survey from Korn Ferry which claims that the majority (93 percent) of employers agreed that the retention of new hires in their organisation is becoming an issue.  New recruits individuals agree, with 26 percent admitting they’d leave a job if it wasn’t a good fit, even if they didn’t have another position lined up. The top reasons new hires leave, according to the survey, is their specific role isn’t what they expected and working for the company was different than they thought it would be. Respondents said a desire for more money was not a primary reason a new hire would leave. More than half of the respondents (55 percent) said that offering more money to a new hire who wanted to leave would not make them stay and more than three quarters, (82 percent) said that if they personally accepted a job that they ended up not liking, even though it paid well, they would leave as soon as they found a new job.

More →

Drones could add £42 billion to UK GDP by 2030

Drones could add £42 billion to UK GDP by 2030

Drone technology has the potential to increase UK GDP by £42 billion (or 2 percent) by 2030, according to new research from PwC. The research estimates there will be more than 76,000 drones in use across UK skies by 2030. More than a third of these (36 percent) could be utilised by the public sector (including in areas such as defence, health and education).  The report claims that drone technology could help the UK achieve up to £16bn in net cost savings by 2030 through increased productivity. The technology, media and telecoms (TMT) sector stands to save the most by using drones, with a potential net saving of £4.8bn by 2030.

More →

A quarter of people would switch jobs for the chance of flexible working

A quarter of people would switch jobs for the chance of flexible working

New research from totaljobs claims that more than one in four workers (28 percent) would move jobs if they weren’t allowed to work from home, increasing to nearly half (45 percent) of millennial workers. While two thirds of UK employees (65 percent) can work from home, 35 percent are still not given the option of working remotely. Totaljobs’ research claims that remote working is in the top five most important benefits when looking for a new job, beating perks such as enhanced parental leave, travel allowances and learning and development.

More →