Search Results for: workplace

Working from home means official government stats are too flawed for economic forecasting

Working from home means official government stats are too flawed for economic forecasting

by • Flexible working, News

A new independent review has sharply criticised the Office for National Statistics (ONS), warning that widespread working from home is undermining the quality of UK economic dataA new independent review has sharply criticised the Office for National Statistics (ONS), warning that widespread working from home is undermining the quality of UK economic data, according to a report in The Daily Telegraph. The review, led by Sir Robert Devereux, a former senior civil servant, highlights how current working practices are weakening the agency’s ability to deliver accurate and timely statistics. Despite mounting concerns, many ONS staff continue to work from home full-time, with internal resistance to returning to office-based routines. (more…)

Business rates hike could cost London office occupiers £432 million more from 2026

Business rates hike could cost London office occupiers £432 million more from 2026

by • News, Property

Office-based businesses across Central London could face a steep increase in business rates from April 2026, according to new research by property consultancy Colliers.Office-based businesses across Central London could face a steep increase in business rates from April 2026, according to new research by property consultancy Colliers. The analysis suggests that occupiers of prime office space may collectively see bills rise by £432 million, bringing total business rates liabilities to £5.23 billion—a 9 percent increase on current levels. Colliers examined 27 Central London areas, focusing on Grade A office spaces over 10,000 sq ft, to assess the expected financial impact of the 2026 Rating Revaluation. The forecast draws on changes in rental values between April 2021 and April 2024 and anticipates a higher business rates multiplier for properties with rateable values (RVs) above £500,000. (more…)

UK architects embrace AI more and more, although concerns about creativity remain

UK architects embrace AI more and more, although concerns about creativity remain

by • AI, Architecture, News

Use of artificial intelligence (AI) among UK architects has risen sharply over the past year, according to a new report published by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)Use of artificial intelligence (AI) among UK architects has risen sharply over the past year, according to a new report published by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The 2025 RIBA AI Report reveals that nearly six in ten architecture practices now make use of AI tools, up from 41 percent last year. The data suggests a growing belief within the profession that digital technologies can support rather than replace architectural practice. (more…)

WORKS Magazine Issue 14 is here for you

WORKS Magazine Issue 14 is here for you

by • Premium Content, Workplace design

The new issue of WORKS magazine looks at a sector that is reaching equilibrium after five years of uncertaintyThe new issue of WORKS magazine looks at a sector that is reaching equilibrium after five years of uncertainty. We visit exciting new projects in London, Manchester and Zurich; profile a man whose way of talking about the workplace we all echo, even those of us who have never read his work; take a look at the new generation of acoustic meeting rooms and pods; catch up with old friends to discuss the market; host a round table to ask if designers still get excited about office furniture; and there are all the features, comment and news you could ever need.

The Kafka trap of return to office arguments

The Kafka trap of return to office arguments

by • Comment, Flexible working

This month I witnessed somebody misapplying the work of Kafka in an attempt to make a middlebrow point about the so-called return to officeRecently, I bemoaned how Orwell is often invoked in support of an argument by people who haven’t read him. They are usually drawing on some laundered misperception of his work, and especially Nineteen Eighty-Four. Well, just a few days ago, I witnessed somebody misapplying the work of Kafka in a similar attempt to make a middlebrow point about the so-called return to office. (more…)

Data centres are the real powerhouses behind AI

Data centres are the real powerhouses behind AI

by • AI, Comment

For many year data centres have remained anonymous and physically low-key with a light air of mystery and suspicion around what actually happens in these technical boxes on the landscape. Yet, they are so vital to our lives, and this is only set to increase as the players in the datacentre world need to stand up to be counted.The Datacloud Global Congress took place during the first week of June, handily nestled between BCO Milan and London Tech week where the government announced an £86 billion boost to science and tech, with the intention of propelling Britain to world-leading status for research and innovation. These are three events with very different content, yet are also intrinsically linked for progressive and high performance societies and organisations. This was the 20th anniversary of Datacloud Global Congress, the flagship event for the sector – “mipim for data centres” some say. (more…)

Study claims that working from home can significantly boost productivity

Study claims that working from home can significantly boost productivity

by • Flexible working, News

A new study of a large Turkish call centre provides fresh evidence that working from home can improve productivity and workforce diversityA new study of a large Turkish call centre provides fresh evidence that working from home can improve productivity and workforce diversity — though in-person onboarding remains crucial to long-term success. The research, conducted by economists from King’s College London, Stanford, the Paris School of Economics and the EBRD, examines Tempo BPO, a Turkish business process outsourcing company that moved fully remote in 2020. The authors include well-known remote work researchers Nick Bloom and Steven Davis, alongside Cevat Giray Aksoy, Victoria Marino, and Cem Ozguzel. (more…)

The pace of office downsizing appears to be slowing to a stop

The pace of office downsizing appears to be slowing to a stop

by • News, Property

The majority of organisations have already reduced their real estate footprint – but the pace of office downsizing is slowingA new report from Leesman claims that the sharp reductions in office space seen in last five years may now be levelling off. According to the Focus Forward study, which draws on data from 132 senior corporate real estate (CRE) leaders worldwide, the majority of organisations have already reduced their real estate footprint – but the pace of office downsizing is slowing. The report states that 68 percent of organisations surveyed had downsized over the previous 18 months. However, only 49 percent said they intended to reduce space in the next 18 months. Of those, just 11 percent anticipated what the report refers to as “considerable” reductions. (more…)

Microsoft research lays bare the rise of the ‘infinite workday’

Microsoft research lays bare the rise of the ‘infinite workday’

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Microsoft’s latest Work Trend Index Special Report, Breaking down the infinite workday, warns that the traditional boundaries of the working day have dissolved under a flood of emails, messages and meetings.Microsoft’s latest Work Trend Index Special Report, Breaking down the infinite workday, warns that the traditional boundaries of the working day have dissolved under a flood of emails, messages and meetings. Drawing on anonymised telemetry from Microsoft 365, the study argues that the contemporary knowledge worker now faces a “seemingly infinite workday” that begins before dawn and stretches deep into the evening. The day often starts before breakfast: 40 percent of users who are already online at 6 a.m. are triaging overflowing inboxes, and the average employee receives 117 emails a day—most scanned in under a minute. Mass emails sent to more than twenty recipients have risen by seven percent over the past year, while one-to-one threads are in decline. (more…)

One in ten UK workers take on side jobs while working from home

One in ten UK workers take on side jobs while working from home

by • Flexible working, News

New research suggests that around one in ten full time employees working from home in the UK have taken on a side job,New research suggests that around one in ten full time employees working from home in the UK have taken on a side job, with a significant number managing their additional work during normal working hours for their main employer. The study, commissioned by the Global Payroll Alliance (GPA), surveyed over 2,400 UK workers who work from home at least some of the time. It found that 71 percent of full-time employees still work remotely to some degree, and around 20 percent now do so full-time. (more…)

At home down under: hybrid working has become a way of life in Australia

At home down under: hybrid working has become a way of life in Australia

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

The majority of Australian employees work from home at least part of the week, with hybrid working now embedded in organisational cultureThe majority of Australian employees now work from home at least part of the week, with hybrid working becoming embedded in organisational culture, according to a new report from the University of Melbourne and Western Sydney University. The study, Navigating the Future of Working from Home in Australia, is based on survey data collected in late 2023 and charts how working patterns have changed in the years following the pandemic. It suggests that while fully remote work remains uncommon, most employees now work from home one to three days per week and expect that flexibility to continue. (more…)

AgileAcoustics Unveils hilo.work- the World’s first electric height-adjustable office privacy screen

AgileAcoustics Unveils hilo.work- the World’s first electric height-adjustable office privacy screen

by • Company news, Furniture, Workplace design

AgileAcoustics has announced the launch of hilo.work, the world’s first electric height?adjustable office privacy screen system, which debuted to great acclaim at the recent Clerkenwell Design Week 2025 in LondonAgileAcoustics has announced the launch of hilo.work, the world’s first electric height-adjustable office privacy screen system, which debuted to great acclaim at the recent Clerkenwell Design Week 2025 in London. Crafted and manufactured in West Yorkshire, hilo.work empowers users to adjust screen height to suit focus, privacy, or collaboration, seamlessly adapting acoustic environments in real time. Whether raising screens to reduce noise and distractions or lowering them to foster openness, the intuitive electric system gives individuals control over their workspace. (more…)

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