August 26, 2021
Older workers might choose to delay their retirement if offered the option of continuing to do their jobs working from home after the pandemic, according to new research from the UK’s Office for National Statistics. The ONS study found those in their 50s and 60s who worked from home during the coronavirus crisis said they were planning to retire later than those who were still travelling to their workplace. More →
August 16, 2021
A third of UK workers admit they’ve forgotten the password to their computer, office entrance or locker, one in five workers have forgotten a colleague’s name or called them by the wrong name and say their small talk skills have been impacted by working from home. Those are some of the findings of a new report from Michael Page into the effects of a year and a half of lockdown and workplace disruption. More →
August 13, 2021
As the UK government has withdrawn its advice for employees to work from home, more organisations than ever will be instituting what have become known as hybrid working models: 68 percent globally, according to research from Steelcase. Definitions of “hybrid work”, however, are often contradicting and unclear – leaving business leaders without definitive guidance about how to approach the future of work. To provide businesses with a more concrete view of what hybrid working looks like in reality, and provide tangible actions to help streamline productivity and collaboration, Steelcase have researched the experiences and needs of workers worldwide in their report: Changing Expectations and the Future of Work. More →
August 6, 2021
A gap is emerging between executive and employee perceptions on the future of the ’employee experience’, according to a report from Gartner. The 2021 Gartner Hybrid Work Employee Survey of 4,000 employees in January 2021 claims that there are six perception gaps that employers must resolve. The Gartner survey claims that 75 percent of executive leaders believe they are already offering a flexible employee experience, yet only 57 percent of employees indicate that their organisational culture embraces flexible working. Further, nearly three-quarters of executives believe the business understands how flexible work patterns support employees, but only half of employees share this view. More →
August 5, 2021
New research from the US based Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) claims that there are widespread, persistent negative perceptions of remote work amongst line managers who are likely to express a preference for local work. In addition, remote workers themselves continue to express reservations about losing opportunities for networking and increased pay. More than two thirds of supervisors of remote workers surveyed by SHRM, or 67 percent, admit to considering remote workers more easily replaceable than onsite workers at their organization, 62 percent believe full-time remote work is detrimental to employees’ career objectives and 72 percent say they would prefer all of their subordinates to be working in the office. More →
July 28, 2021
IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed) has responded to the UK Labour Party’s proposal for a single worker status saying that although it is welcome the party is attempting to clear the confusion around worker rights, the party’s proposals fail to grasp the nettle of employment status. The comment comes after Labour announced it would create a single worker status to “replace the three existing employment categories” of employee, worker and dependent contractor. Labour said the category would encompass “all but the genuinely self-employed”. More →
July 27, 2021
St John Ambulance is calling on employers to respond to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on workers’ mental health as it launches courses in how to talk about it with employees. More →
July 26, 2021
In face of growing skills gaps in the UK – post pandemic and Brexit – City & Guilds Group is urging businesses to stop the silver talent drain from the workforce by investing in upskilling valuable older workers – or risk further productivity shortfalls during the recovery period. More →
July 22, 2021
UK office workers would need a £4,000 salary bump to tempt them back to the office full-time. This is according to new research released today by Locatee – a workspace occupancy and analytics provider. Commissioned by YouGov, the Locatee research explores more than 1,000 UK office workers’ attitudes towards remote and flexible working, and the effects on job satisfaction, productivity, and security. More →
A new 
With much of Europe having worked remotely for over a year and many continuing to do so for the foreseeable future, new insights from
August 20, 2021
Gig economy could lead to a labour shortage…but better off workers
by John Colley • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace