Search Results for: Gen Z

Europe does not offer appropriate support for breast cancer survivors

Europe does not offer appropriate support for breast cancer survivors

Although the rate of breast cancer diagnoses is rising in Europe and a higher proportion of women are surviving this particular  form of cancer,  returning to everyday aspects of life prove challenging with many survivors unable to return to work in full, due to a lack of support and consideration by employers. A new report by The Economist Intelligence Unit and commissioned by Pfizer investigates the challenges involved in returning to employment for a growing number of breast cancer patients and survivors of a working age.

(more…)

Businesses could be losing out because their offices are poorly designed and uninspiring

Businesses could be losing out because their offices are poorly designed and uninspiring

UK businesses could be losing millions of pounds because their offices are ‘poorly designed and uninspiring’, according to a new study. The research of 2,000 office workers claims around three quarters believe their office environment has made them less productive and less effective at work. While a third have been left with no alternative but to take time off from work because their surroundings have directly affected their physical or mental wellbeing. Stale air and lack of airflow is the biggest concern for workers, followed by noisy co-workers and overly hot conditions.

Commissioned by office design firm Oktra, the survey also claims that 34 per cent dread going to work purely because of their office environment. The research also claims 34 per cent of workers would be less likely to take sick days if they worked in a ‘favourable’ office environment. And a third would be willing to stay at a company for longer if they worked in an appealing setting.

Seventy-nine per cent think their employer should do more to improve their surroundings at work. And over half have complained to a senior member of staff about their surroundings because they have affected their physical or mental wellbeing. While 49 per cent have let their concerns be known because their productivity has been impacted.

However the office environment appears to have a greater impact on millennials’ productiveness at work than those from the baby boomer generation. Eight in ten 18-34 year olds revealed their surroundings have made them less productive compared to 65 per cent of those aged 55 plus. While 43 per cent of millennials would be more open to staying with a company for longer if the office environment was appealing, compared to around a quarter of baby boomers.

Seventy-five per cent of 18-34 year olds believe their working environment has negatively impacted their physical and mental wellbeing, while 63 per cent of workers aged 55 plus feel the same way. And almost a fifth of those 34 and under have left a job as a direct result of their office environment – in contrast 10 per cent of those 55 plus have moved on because of their workspace.

Biggest concerns about the office
1. Lack of air ventilation or flow – air feels stale, little circulation
2. Noise made by co-workers – chatter etc
3. Temperature – not being too hot
4. Lack of daylight
5. Temperature – not being too cold
6. Not having a clean office
7. Not having privacy
8. Lack of a nice view
9. Not having a comfortable workstation/desk
10. Lack of space/room – being too cramped
11. Comfort control – not being able to easily adjust the temperature in your office
12. Too much air ventilation or flow – makes you feel chilly/uncomfortable
13. Not having a comfortable desk chair
14. Lack of outside spaces – somewhere to go for your dinner break for instance
15. Dull surroundings in the office
16. Not enough connection with nature e.g. can’t see greenery outside, lack of plants in the office, no green spaces nearby
17. Breeze that makes you feel chilly/uncomfortable
18. Lack of facilities inside the office (no kitchen, meeting rooms, cycle storage, shower facilities, places to store food etc.)
19. Office being too dark
20. Flexibility of your workstation – desks/chairs/screens that can’t be easily adjusted for comfort

Our Twentieth Century approach to ergonomics has to change

Our Twentieth Century approach to ergonomics has to change

One of the big problems with the way some people talk about the term ‘ergonomic’ is that they tend to use it to describe the design of objects when really it’s about the relationship between a person and the things around them. It’s an abstract idea, about the relationships between design, facilities and management, so is dependent on a number of variables. When those variables change, what we understand to be good ergonomics changes too. The principle of ergonomics as we now understand it first came to prominence in the wake of the intensive growth in the use of computers. The legacy of this fixed view can be an approach based on an idea of desk-bound employees with a computer, whereas how we work now bears little resemblance to how we worked 20 years ago.

(more…)

Technology will create a brave new world for corporate real estate

Technology will create a brave new world for corporate real estate

In their new industry report, A Brave New World: Innovating Real Estate, Holtby Turner Executive Search explore the ways innovation and digital disruption are impacting corporate real estate. The report sets out to examine real estate’s relationship to technology, and technology’s relationship to innovation. Insights on leadership through the uncertainty of digital disruption are covered in chapters from well known PropTech influencers such as Antony Slumbers, Faisal Butt and James Dearsley alongside interviews with real estate leaders from Hammerson, PGIM, M7, CBRE and Workspace Group. According to Antony Slumbers: “the days of IT are over: every business is a technology business. The differentiator going forward is knowing which technologies you can use to complement your human ingenuity, skills and creativity in the service of a robust, solid and scalable business.”

Flexible ways of working are definitely on the rise and it suits all ages

Flexible ways of working are definitely on the rise and it suits all ages

The majority (94 percent) of workers are open to flexible ways of working such as part-time, freelance, contract, temporary or independent contract work a new report from ManpowerGroup has revealed. Coining the trend as NextGen work, the research suggests this approach to a job is a choice (81 percent) not a last resort (19 percent). Findings from #GigResponsibly: The Rise of NextGen Work – a global survey of 9,500 people in 12 countries – identifies a shift towards this new way of getting work done, and that it works for people and employers. People were asked how they want to work, what motivates them and their views on NextGen Work. More control over their schedule (42 percent), boosting their bank account (41 percent) and developing new skills (38 percent) are top reasons why this flexible kind of work is on the rise.  The report also found that this flexible approach is not just attractive to Millennials, as meaningful work and employer appreciation are valued more by Boomers than any other generation. More than 80 percent of US workers say NextGen Work is a choice, not a last resort, and builds resilience for less predictable futures.

(more…)

Stop whinging about robots taking your job and develop the skills you need for a new era of work

Stop whinging about robots taking your job and develop the skills you need for a new era of work

A report from researchers at Pearson, Nesta and the University of Oxford called The Future of Skills: Employment in 2030 claims that while the new era of robots, automation and artificial intelligence in the workplace will be disruptive, it will not spell the end of work and people need to develop new skills to meet its challenges. The study claims to take an entirely new approach to forecasting employment and skill demands in the US and UK. In contrast to many recent headlines, the study finds that many jobs today will still be in demand by 2030 and beyond. However, while jobs may remain, the skills needed for success are changing. The researchers combined diverse human expertise with active machine learning to produce a more nuanced view of future employment trends. Using this innovative approach, the study forecasts that only one in five workers are in occupations that face a high likelihood of decline.

(more…)

Rising numbers of employees face demotion, disciplinary action or dismissal for disclosing mental health issues

Rising numbers of employees face demotion, disciplinary action or dismissal for disclosing mental health issues

Most UK employees have experienced mental health issues because of work yet over a million people face negative consequences after disclosing, according to a new report, Mental Health at Work published by the charity Business in the Community in advance of World Mental Health Day.  YouGov surveyed over 3,000 people in work across the UK for the study and found that three in five (60 percent) employees have experienced mental health issues in the past year because of work. Yet despite 53 percent of people feeling comfortable talking about mental health at work, a significant percentage of employees risk serious repercussions for disclosing a mental health issue. 15 percent of employees face dismissal, disciplinary action or demotion after disclosing a mental health issue at work (almost twice the number identified in similar research undertaken in 2016). Scaled up to the general working population, this could mean as many as 1.2 million people negatively affected for disclosing mental health problems.

(more…)

Overwhelming majority of Scottish workers say flexible working improves the quality of their lives

Overwhelming majority of Scottish workers say flexible working improves the quality of their lives

Around nine out of 10 Scots who work flexibly say it improves their quality of life and makes them happier, according to a YouGov poll commissioned by Family Friendly Working Scotland.  However, the study also found that fewer than half of Scottish workers (46 percent) said they are offered flexible working by their employer. The figures are published to coincide with National Work Life Week, which sets out to encourage firms to explore flexible working options and help their staff find a better work-life balance. The poll of more than 1,000 Scots claims that among those who already work flexibly, 77 percent say they are more productive and are willing to “go the extra mile” for their employer. Almost half of people who took part (49 percent) say changing their start and/or finish time would help while nearly a third (32 percent) would like occasional time off for family emergencies, deliveries or school events. Just one in five (21 percent) say reducing their hours, or going part time, would be valuable.

(more…)

Discrimination rife in the recruitment process and pregnant women face greatest stigma

Discrimination rife in the recruitment process and pregnant women face greatest stigma

Three-quarters (74 percent) of HR managers have witnessed discrimination in the recruitment process – with a quarter (24.5 percent) calling it a regular practice; and less than a third of HR managers (32 percent) can confidently say they are unprejudiced themselves during the recruitment process. According to research from digital recruitment platform SomeoneWho, almost half (48 percent) admit bias impacts their candidate choice, while a further fifth (20 percent) said they couldn’t be sure. The research also found that female candidates face a number of stigmas when looking for work. One in 10 recruiters said they would avoid a female applying for a male dominated role. A further one in 10 said they’d be reluctant to recruit a recently married candidate, as they were more likely to go on maternity leave soon. Shockingly, a fifth of HR managers said they would overlook a pregnant candidate. One in 10 HR managers would be reluctant to hire someone with a thick accent. A further 10 percent said they’d be less likely to select candidates who attended a state school.

(more…)

Small business owners are overworked and struggle to take a break

Small business owners are overworked and struggle to take a break

A poll from software firm FreeAgent, published to tie in with National Work Life Week, claims that many self-employed people in the UK are working excessively long hours without taking any holidays. In the poll of more than 500 freelancers and micro-business owners, nearly a third of respondents (30 percent) said they worked more than 48 hours per week on their business, while 5 percent admitted that they spent more than 64 hours each week working.  A separate poll carried out earlier this year by the same firm claimed that more than a third (38 percent) of respondents said they had not felt able to take a week or more’s worth of holiday in the previous six months.

(more…)

Time to start a new culture to tackle stigma on mental wellbeing issues in the workplace

Time to start a new culture to tackle stigma on mental wellbeing issues in the workplace

mental wellbeing at workAs a recent Workplace Insight story reported, UK workers are still uncomfortable about having honest conversations at work, with nearly two thirds (61 percent) feel they keep an aspect of their lives hidden in the workplace. Family difficulties (46 percent) was the most likely hidden issue at work, followed by mental health (31 percent). Talking about mental wellbeing worries to employers can be very distressing for individuals and not only make a person’s condition worse, but also, leave their career in a worse place according to our latest thought leadership research report: Mind Culture. Our latest research study shows that more than half (51 percent) of survey respondents who had confided in their line manager about a mental health issue did not receive any extra support. Even worse, 8 percent respondents faced negative consequences, including being sacked or forced out, demoted or subjected to disciplinary action.

(more…)

How smart workplaces increase performance and attractiveness 0

The workplace can and should be used as a strategic tool to support work and cooperation, to shape the experience of the brand and to produce competitive advantage for the organization. Even when not used as a strategic tool the workplace still affects all these parts and there is always a risk that the workplace has instead a negative impact if we are not aware of the relationship and really use workplace as a strategic tool to affect attractiveness, productivity, efficiency and sustainability. The workplace makes a great difference and it is becoming an important differentiator between successful and less successful organizations. I also strongly believe that the workplace management area is a key for us in the FM industry to bring FM to a higher level, to shift from cost focus to more value focus, and this is something we need to do together within the FM industry and we really should take the driver’s seat. But, let’s start from the beginning.

(more…)