July 15, 2021
Perhaps the most famous single act of personal creativity – with apologies to Archimedes – is Mary Godwin’s moment of inspiration for the story of Frankenstein in 1816. It was born from a wet summer in a villa on the shores of Lake Geneva, largely spent with her future husband Percy Shelley, John Polidori and Lord Byron. The poor weather and isolation meant the party had to entertain themselves the best they could. (more…)
July 14, 2021
As businesses return to their offices they are faced with a challenge – how do they reappraise their space requirements post-Covid? Social and technological advancements are changing real estate from being a fixed physical product, into flexible, employee-centric spaces that enable new models of hybrid working and business operations. These have a significant impact on the ways that businesses work and the options available to them. (more…)
July 14, 2021
The Mayor of London, in partnership with Nesta Challenges, has announced the winners of the Mayor’s Resilience Fund, a £1 million innovation programme set up to support London’s businesses and community groups to emerge stronger from COVID-19 and to ensure the capital is prepared for future disruptive challenges. (more…)
July 9, 2021
One of the problems facing businesses right now isn’t the so-called mental health pandemic, it’s that no one seems to know what to do about it. The increased focus on employee mental health and wellbeing has seen progressive leaps in the conversation that were unimaginable 10 years ago. Even the most cynical manager has had to concede that the circumstances of the pandemic have raised the profile and importance of taking care of your employees. The reaction is knee-jerk. Companies want to do something about their employees mental health and wellbeing and they want to do it now. Whatever ‘it’ is. The appetite is there, but they can’t find the menu. (more…)
July 8, 2021
One of the unintended consequences of the pandemic has been to focus attention on the issue of indoor air quality. But as Sarah Zhang points out in a recent piece in The Atlantic, this is an issue that we have long understood, and not just as a way to reduce the risks of infection. It is essential for our wellbeing. (more…)
July 8, 2021
The new UK Cities Climate Investment Commission begins work to identify Green Investment opportunities across UK Cities. Cities, investment and innovation experts have launched a Commission which begins the process of identifying a transformational programme of Green Growth for the UK’s cities. (more…)
July 8, 2021
A recent study by StandOut CV claims that one in five companies are actively using (or intend to use) employee monitoring software, with the figure expected to grow as more firms look to offer or make remote working a standard offering. (more…)
July 5, 2021
A new white paper from OakTree Power explains how an innovative technology called Green Demand Side Response (DSR) can help organisations transform their commercial buildings into a virtual power plant. Paradoxically, commercial buildings not only represent one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, but also have the potential to utilise their own electricity as a resource to sell back into the Grid – a process familiar to many domestic homeowners with solar panels or Tesla Powerwalls. (more…)
July 5, 2021
A new report from MHR International claims differences in employee performance within UK and Ireland organisations are often based on their level of workforce resilience. Gaps in performance in competitiveness, productivity and other important capabilities exist between organisations with highest and lowest levels of resilience. Despite almost all HR professionals surveyed (93 percent) agreeing that workforce resilience is a priority. (more…)
July 2, 2021
The new issue of IN Magazine is now available to read online. The print edition will be sent out next week. In this issue, amongst other things: Joanna Knight in conversation with Georgia Elliott-Smith on the harsh realities of workplace sustainability; Chris Kane and Eugenia Anastassiou on cutting through the workplace chatter; commentary from Guenaelle Watson, Will Easton and José Alberto Rodriguez Ruiz; Rob Harris on the new age of networks; the history and future of biophilic design; a look at the new workplace utopias; Louis Wustemann on the need to focus on people, not places; Sara Bean on the experiential workplace; Helen Parton visits the new office of Paymentsense; and much more. (more…)
New research from beauty company
July 16, 2021
Is it time for a carbon tax?
by Joanna Knight • Comment, Environment, JK, Workplace design