Search Results for: Gen Z

September 8, 2017

London’s commercial office market slows down as occupiers choose to stay put

by Sara Bean • Cities, Facilities management, News, Property

Following a period of stability over the last few quarters, despite the Brexit vote, London’s office market is increasingly coming under pressure, according to Clutton’s London Office Bulletin for Summer 2017. According to Ralph Pearson, Clutton’s head of commercial agency – this is due to reduced levels of occupier activity post Brexit where there is increased instances of tenants renewing leases rather than electing to relocate. Although take up in the second quarter of this year was close to the five-year average, the main reason for this was due to activity carried out by WeWork, which accounted for the two largest deals – involving a total of 425,000 sq ft in Shaftesbury Avenue and at South Bank Place. The market has since begun to stagnate, and so far, for the third quarter of this year quoted rents have slipped across much of central London with rent free periods continuing to lengthen.

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September 8, 2017

Scottish employers severely limiting their access to talent by not offering flexible working

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News

Companies in Scotland who do not offer employees flexible working are failing in their attempts to recruit and retain the best talent, a report has said. Demand for flexible jobs massively outstrips supply, according to the study commissioned by the Scottish Government in partnership with Family Friendly Working Scotland and recruitment agency Timewise. The report claims it is the first research to look specifically at the ratio of supply to demand for flexible work in the country. Although the Scottish government said flexible working boosts productivity and is good for workers, the study found that just 11.9 percent of jobs paying at least £20,000 annually are advertised as flexible, while 34 percent of jobless Scots sought flexible work. The data came from analysis carried out by Timewise of more than 230,000 job adverts.

September 7, 2017

Report sets out building blocks of a successful digital workplace strategy

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology, Workplace design

Digital workplace developments often lose their way, or fail, due to a fragmented approach that prioritises a few technology ‘fixes’ over business strategy, according to analysts at Gartner. To combat this, ‘digital workplace leaders’ in public sector organisations need to employ a framework to ensure their digital workplace initiatives address eight critical components required for a successful implementation, according to Gartner. The report (paywall) sets out what it claims are the eight critical components — “building blocks” — that application leaders need when planning, directing and evolving digital workplace programs:

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September 6, 2017

More nations trial universal basic income as report suggests it could provide a major economic boost

by Mark Eltringham • AI, Legal news, News

The much talked about idea of a Universal Basic Income in developed economies is now attracting greater political momentum, at the same time that a major new research project from an American think tank sets out the potential economic benefits. Yesterday, Scotland’s First minister Nicola Sturgeon called for research into the plausibility of a “citizens’ basic income” in a speech to the Scottish Parliament. Her appeal follows an announcement on the same day that Hawaii is to become the first US state to formally explore the idea. A trial is already under way in Finland, although a recent report in the New York Times suggests it is deeply flawed.

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September 6, 2017

ECHR rules that companies must tell employees of email checks

by Neil Franklin • Legal news, Technology, Workplace

Companies must tell employees in advance if their work email accounts are being monitored without unduly infringing their privacy, the European Court of Human Rights said in a ruling that defining the scope of corporate email monitoring. In a judgement in the case of a man fired 10 years ago for using a work messaging account to communicate with his family, the judges found that Romanian courts failed to protect the man’s private correspondence on the account because his employer had not given him prior notice it was monitoring his communications.

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September 5, 2017

The United Workplace launches to support business workplace strategy on a global scale

by Neil Franklin • Company news, Workplace design

A global collaboration of workplace experts has been formed to assist companies in the development of their workplaces. Workplace specialists Fourfront Group and Amicus are the founding partners of The United Workplace (TUW), an organisation set up to share expertise and knowledge and deliver workplace design, fit-outs and commercial furniture consultancy and installation worldwide. The network comprises of Fourfront Group in the UK, Amicus which delivers workplace design and fit-out projects in Australia, Ware Malcomb an architectural practice in the US, and Summertown Interiors, a United Arab Emirates fit-out contractor.

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September 5, 2017

Robots and climate change head list of concerns of young people worldwide

by Mark Eltringham • AI, Environment, Wellbeing

The World Economic Forum has published the third edition of what it claims is the world’s most geographically diverse survey of millennials, the Global Shapers Annual Survey 2017. Over 31,000 people aged between 18 and 35 responded to the survey, giving insights into their views on society, business, politics, the economy and technology as well as their workplace and career aspirations. The survey, which is available in 14 languages, surveyed young people from 186 countries and territories. According to the survey they are optimistic that technology will create more jobs than it destroys, although only a quarter would trust a robot to make decisions on their behalf.

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September 4, 2017

Parents asking for flexible working face sanctions from bosses, claims study

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News

Asking for family-friendly flexible working patterns can lead to many people getting fewer hours, worse shifts and in some cases losing their jobs altogether, claims a new report from the TUC. Half (47 percent) of low-paid young mums and dads are struggling to manage work and childcare, according to the Better Jobs for Mums and Dads report. More than two in five (42 percent) said they felt penalised at work when they asked for flexibility – telling the TUC they are subsequently given fewer hours, worse shifts or even losing their job.

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September 3, 2017

Commercial property investment in central London hits ten year high, claims report

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

Commercial property investment in central London has seen its strongest trading in a decade, according to Savills. The real estate adviser claims that over £2.3bn was invested in central London commercial property in July, with total turnover for 2017 to the end of July reaching £11.5bn, a 24 percent increase on the same period last year. July was the strongest month recorded since March 2007 for the City as sales were boosted by the acquisition of 20 Fenchurch Street for almost £1.3bn to a Hong Kong-based property group.

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September 1, 2017

New property scheme launched to cut the cost of empty space in NHS buildings

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, News, Property, Public Sector

New property scheme launched to cut the cost of empty space in NHS buildings A new scheme to help the NHS cut the costs of empty space in their buildings has been launched this week by NHS Property Services (NHSPS). Properties that qualify for the scheme must be deemed surplus to NHS requirements and may be re-let, disposed of or considered as a development opportunity. The new Vacant Space Handback Scheme comes in response to feedback from commissioners who want to reduce the cost of maintaining space that is no longer needed for clinical services. The cost of maintaining vacant space is kept as low as possible, though some costs are unavoidable where rent, business rates and some service charges remain payable. The total amount and cost of maintaining vacant space in the NHS is difficult to calculate, but costs are estimated to be in excess of £10 million a year on the NHS Property Services estate.

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August 31, 2017

New data protection legislation will lead to increased demand for specialist staff

by Sara Bean • Legal news, News, Workplace

New data protection legislation – due to come into force next year will lead to a boost in recruitment, claims new research from Robert Half UK. Two-thirds (66 percent) of CIOs say they will hire additional, permanent employees to cope with the introduction of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The new data protection legislation will reshape the way organisations approach data privacy, providing the public with more visibility into data breaches. As organisations concentrate on compliance initiatives, demand for permanent project managers (33 percent), business analysts (26 percent) and data protection officers (26 percent) that oversee how data is processed, will increase. A further 64 percent of CIOs will hire temporary or interim staff to ensure they have the highly-skilled talent in place to manage the change in data management and reporting. The type of role that businesses are recruiting for with GDPR will vary according to company size. Overall, 16 percent of SMBs see GDPR as a concern, compared to 12 percent of large business. SMBs are more likely to hire project managers (32 percent) to help with compliance while larger organisations are placing a greater focus on recruiting data protection officers (33 percent).

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August 29, 2017

Standing at work may be linked to significantly increased risk of heart disease

by Mark Eltringham • News, Wellbeing, Workplace design

The simplistic idea that ‘sitting is the new smoking’ has taken a new hit with research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. According to the study of 7,300 Canadian workers over a 12 year period, those who were primarily engaged in standing at work were twice as likely as those who primarily sit to suffer from heart disease during a 12-year period. The usual caveats apply with the study, but even after taking into account a wide range of personal, health and work factors, the study concludes that people who primarily stand for work are over twice as likely as people who primarily sit on the job to have a heart attack or congestive heart failure.