Search Results for: environmental

Smart technology needs to start with people if it wants to get smarter

Smart technology needs to start with people if it wants to get smarter

by • Features, Technology, Wellbeing

A wood carving of a blank, slumped person sitting at a desk with a laptop to depict the dehumanization potential of smart technology“My engineering students had come to class with technology on their minds.” So says artist and design researcher Sara Hendren, author of What a Body Can Do: How we Meet the Built World. It’s a fascinating book in which she consciously pushes back against the prevailing narrative that so-called smart technology has a fix for every problem. As a professor teaching design for disability at Olin College of Engineering, Massachusetts, Hendren draws attention to the assumptions that drive normative behaviours to define what is a ‘problem’ in the first place. More →

Boasting about ESG credentials can really put people off a business

Boasting about ESG credentials can really put people off a business

by • Environment, News

31 percent said they were “put off” a business that talks a lot about their ESG initiatives in the media and on social media.Efforts by some businesses to promote their environmental and social impact on society are pushing some customers away and risk damaging their reputations, according to a poll conducted by public relations agency, Clearly PR. Of the 2,072 business leaders, entrepreneurs, and marketing professionals polled, 31 percent said they were “put off” a business that talks a lot about their ESG initiatives in the media and on social media. More →

Is the workplace experience shaped more by maintenance or by design?

Is the workplace experience shaped more by maintenance or by design?

by • Facilities management, Features, Workplace design

The workplace experienceWhat has resilience got to do with the workplace experience? It is a word that has been used a lot recently as the great British public has demonstrated massive amounts of resilience in coping with Covid-19, fuel shortages, worries about food availability and a massive shift in how we work. So what is it? The dictionary gives two meanings: firstly the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, i.e. toughness. And then secondly, the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity – like nylon for example.   More →

The words we borrow from other languages to talk about work and wellbeing

The words we borrow from other languages to talk about work and wellbeing

by • News, Wellbeing

We are prone to borrow words from other languages to express ideas that otherwise need some explaining in English. This includes the way we talk about work, and specially the way we talk about wellbeing and happinessWe are prone to borrow nuanced words from other languages to express ideas that otherwise need some explaining in English. This includes the way we talk about work, and especially the way we talk about wellbeing and happiness. Perhaps most famously, there was a lot of talk about hygge a couple of years ago. A straight dictionary translation of hygge would be something like cosiness, but the word also embodies an emotion and an approach to life that embraces a certain degree of slowness and an enjoyment of the present moment. It’s no coincidence that it became modish in a distracted and hurried world. Although the concept is usually referred to as Danish, the word itself is shared with Norwegian, which also offers us the word koselig, which means cosiness but also hints at it being best enjoyed at a fireside. More →

Why Wellworking decided to become the latest B Corporation

Why Wellworking decided to become the latest B Corporation

by • Company news, Environment, Workplace design

A Wellworking core principles is to work towards a sustainable and socially responsible future. B Corp Certification has provided us with a framework with which to approach thisPutting people and the planet above profits may not appear at first glance to be a recipe for financial success for a company like Wellworking, but becoming a Certified B Corporation company is proving good for business and something that the furniture industry can play a big role in. You may have seen the B Corp logo on a shop door or the back of a van and wondered what exactly it means. Well if I could sum that up after a certification process that has been rigorous, challenging and above all, rewarding, I would say that it’s about putting people and the planet first. More →

First look at Sustainable Design China Summit taking place in Beijing this September

First look at Sustainable Design China Summit taking place in Beijing this September

by • Company news, Environment, Events, Workplace design

Following on from its successful launch last year, the Sustainable Design China Summit returns for 2023.Following on from its successful launch last year, the Sustainable Design China Summit returns for 2023. The event, an evolution of Design China Beijing, is held at the Beijing Exhibition Center from 21-23 September 2023 and is a must-visit for designers, architects, developers, and decision makers looking to design a sustainable future. More →

Zoom opens new London ‘Engagement Hub’

Zoom opens new London ‘Engagement Hub’

by • Company news, Flexible working, Technology, Workplace design

Zoom has opened a new London ‘Engagement Hub’ which the firm claims will  spearhead the shift from traditional office spaces to ‘experiential working hubs’. With the demand for hybrid working  and remote capabilities giving rise to unconventional ways of operating, Zoom says it has designed its new office to support the changing nature of the employee experience, marking a new era of modern work. More →

Want to know what is really happening in the world of work? Don’t miss Workplace Trends

Want to know what is really happening in the world of work? Don’t miss Workplace Trends

by • Company news, Events, Flexible working, Technology, Workplace design

The Workplace Trends Conference is a convergence of brilliant minds and an invaluable platform to explore the future of workIn the ever-evolving discussion around the landscape of work, one established industry event stands as a beacon of knowledge and innovation for workplace professionals: the Workplace Trends Conference. The 2023 conference on 18 October, in London and online, promises a day of enlightenment, inspiration, and connection that’s not to be missed. Workplace Insight is pleased to be a media partner for Workplace Trends Conferences. Our readers may claim a 20 percent discount on their ticket price by using promo code INSIGHT20 when registering at https://workplacetrends.co/events/wt23/ More →

Cost of living crisis incentivises people to work from home

Cost of living crisis incentivises people to work from home

by • Flexible working, News

A new report claims that rising numbers of the people in the UK are choosing to shop and work from home to make every penny countA new report claims that rising numbers of the people in the UK are choosing to shop and work from home to make every penny count as the cost-of-living crisis continues. These insights mark the launch of the second Virgin Media O2 Business Movers Index – a quarterly barometer that combines anonymised and aggregated UK movement data from O2 Motion, with national polling findings to reveal key trends relating to the behaviour of 2,000 British businesses and 1,000 UK consumers. Together, the data paints a picture of movement patterns and the trends behind them. The second quarter of this year reveals a more cash-conscious image of Britain as more of the UK public change their behaviours to cope with a tough economic backdrop. More →

Sluggishness in sustainability risks brain drain for businesses

Sluggishness in sustainability risks brain drain for businesses

by • Environment, News, Workplace

Employers are being urged to shore up their commitments to meeting sustainability and net zero targets or risk an exodus amongst younger workersEmployers are being urged to shore up their commitments to meeting sustainability and net zero targets or risk an exodus amongst younger workers. Nearly half (48 percent) of Gen Z workers agree they would consider leaving a job that didn’t walk the talk in its promises on sustainability. This is according to the latest Bupa Wellbeing Index, a landmark survey that uncovers the state of the nation’s health and wellbeing. More →

Despina Katsikakis elected President of the British Council for Offices

Despina Katsikakis elected President of the British Council for Offices

by • Company news

Despina Katsikakis, Executive Partner & Global Lead, Total Workplace at Cushman & Wakefield, has been elected as President of the British Council for Offices (BCO)Despina Katsikakis, Executive Partner & Global Lead, Total Workplace at Cushman & Wakefield, has been elected as President of the British Council for Offices (BCO) with immediate effect. She succeeds Mark Kowal, Partner at Sheppard Robson. Peter Crowther, Managing Director at Bruntwood, becomes Senior Vice President. More →

Berlin ranked top smart city in Europe, report claims

Berlin ranked top smart city in Europe, report claims

by • Environment, News, Technology

A new report claims that Berlin is the foremost smart city Europe based on its transport, energy strategies and a number of other factorsA new report claims that Berlin is the smartest city Europe based on its transport, energy strategies and a number of other factors. The Smart cities market: growth, trends & market forecasts 2023-2028 report [paywall] from Juniper Research, selected the German capital ahead of London, Barcelona, Rome and Madrid. The rankings are made on an evaluation of a range of smart city features, including transport and infrastructure, energy and lighting, city management and technology, and urban connectivity. More →

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