June 9, 2022

Digital transformation of small businesses could provide massive economic boost

The new Digital Britain [automatic download] report from Sage claims that over half of Britain’s economic potential from tech adoption is as yet untapped. But ongoing concerns amongst small and medium sized business about cost, skills and knowledge are holding them back from taking on the digital transformation that will ensure their success and provide a massive boost to the economy. The report claims that the use of technology by small and medium businesses (SMBs) contributes £216 billion to the UK economy; but if SMBs unlock the full benefits of technology, this could add an extra £232 billion, boosting the value of tech use to the UK economy by almost double to £448 billion annually. More →

June 9, 2022

The Furniture Makers’ Company announces Design Guild Mark 2022 holders

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Workplace design

Innovation of materials and creativity remain at the forefront of British design as 23 outstanding submissions from three categories are to be awarded the coveted Design Guild Mark in 2022. The Design Guild Mark is awarded by The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, to drive excellence and raise the profile of British design and innovation. It recognises the highest standards in the design of furnishings in volume production across three categories – Furniture, 2D Design, and Lighting Design. The award is open to designers working in Britain or British designers working abroad. More →

June 8, 2022

Lack of employer support exacerbates male health inequality

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing

New research from Peppy claims that twenty-five per cent of employers do not offer any male-specific health support in the workplace, despite as many as 81 percent believing that not doing so, risks losing their best talent. As working-age men are 32 percentless likely to visit a GP compared to women, serious issues often go untreated for longer, sometimes until it is too late, the report claims, and as a result of this male health inequality, one in five men do not reach traditional retirement age. More →

June 8, 2022

FUTURE Designs and Artus announce sustainable buildings collaboration

by Freddie Steele • Company news

Artus, the ground-breaking heating and cooling system specialist and FUTURE Designs, the UK’s leading commercial lighting manufacturer, are pleased to announce their collaboration on a purpose-designed, multi service system (MSU), offering a more sustainable and comfortable future for buildings and their occupants. The Artus MSU complements the existing Artus product with an exclusively sourced, custom-built lighting system from FUTURE Designs, alongside comprehensive acoustic properties. This means the functionality is threefold: Artus’s advanced patented air conditioning system, FUTURE Designs’ intelligent lighting system and Class A acoustics. More →

June 7, 2022

Are these the best countries in Europe for work-life balance?

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace, Workplace design

A new study from recruitment firm Remote claims to analyse how European countries are looking after the work-life balance of their employees. The report sets out to take an ‘holistic’ view on work-life balance taking into account of factors such as minimum wage, maternity leave, statutory annual leave, sick pay, the country’s healthcare system and the country’s overall happiness level to help workers determine the best locations for life-work balance. The UK comes in a lowly 28th place, in case you didn’t want to click on the report link. More →

June 1, 2022

Simone Fenton-Jarvis on the new era of human-centric workplaces

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, Premium Content, Wellbeing, Workplace

Plain speaking doesn’t always go down well, especially on social media and especially when cultural differences come into play. I recently had a friend intervene on my behalf to explain to an increasingly exasperated LinkedIn adversary that I wasn’t being rude, I was just ‘Northern’. This may well be a stereotypical Northern trait. If so, it is one that is shared by Simone Fenton-Jarvis, although then again it is one of the very few stereotypical things about her. More →

June 1, 2022

Demand for a four-day week continues to grow

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

According to a new report from ADP exploring employees’ attitudes towards the current world of work, six-in-ten (60 percent) UK workers would like more flexibility as to when they work, such as condensing hours into a four-day week. This number increased to two-thirds (67 percent) in Greater London. The report claims that this desire for great flexibility comes at a time when there is a mental health “ticking timebomb” in workplaces. Over half (51 percent) of men and 45 percent of women believe that their work is suffering due to their poor mental health. This is leading to over a quarter (29 percent) of workers actively trying to change their job and/or move into another industry. More →

May 31, 2022

Change can make employees cynical so must be managed by effective communication

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Providing clear, timely explanations and implementing an effective communications strategy can help minimise the damage to employee morale in the wake of adverse or significant change, new research from Aalto University School of Business and others suggests. Professor Marjo-Riitta Diehl and colleagues from Vlerick Business School, Católica-Lisbon School of Business and Economics, and University of Waterloo, discovered that workers vary in their level of attachment to the organisation that employs them and this affects how they react to major changes. More →

May 31, 2022

A great employee experience depends on great technology

by Chris Brett • Company news

So often, organizations that excel on delivering value for customers, fall short when it comes to delivering the same for their employees. In fact, we can often be guilty of failing to value our employees’ time full stop. Given that we’re living through what’s been dubbed ‘the Great Resignation,’ that’s a major gamble. Companies need to take a step back and understand exactly why employee experience (EX) should be a priority. Plus, how technology can be a key enabler in doing so. More →

May 31, 2022

Over-50s urged to return to work to deal with staff shortages

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

The British Chambers of Commerce has said employers and the Government need to work together to bring older people back into the workforce. According to ONS data, around 500,000 older people have left the workforce in recent years, many of them prompted to do so by the pandemic. The number of over-50s who aren’t working or currently looking for work rose by 493,000 between October 2019 and December 2021. According to the Office for National Statistics, one in five did so due to stress or other mental health concerns. More →

May 29, 2022

Decarbonisation of buildings key to cities hitting net zero targets

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News, Property

City governments are setting ambitious sustainability targets, often well ahead of national goals; yet plans to tackle the carbon emissions from buildings are frequently given insufficient attention. To deliver an effective plan for the decarbonisation of buildings, partnerships with landlords, investors, developers and occupiers are essential, the report claims. In a study of 32 global urban centres, Decarbonising Cities and Real Estate, JLL’s research claims that real estate’s contribution to emissions averages 60 percent, even higher in the world’s largest business centres – as much as 78 percent in London, 73 percent in Tokyo, 71 percent in Washington, DC, 70 percent in Paris and 66 percent in New York. More →

May 29, 2022

Two-thirds of employees don’t know how, when and where they’re supposed to work

by Freddie Steele • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

A survey of 2,000 employees has revealed that more than half (53 per cent) do not describe their employer as a good communicator, and 70 per cent cannot agree that their employer is clear about the company’s work policy now that Covid-19 restrictions have eased. The research, conducted by Magenta Associates, the integrated communications consultancy for the built environment, also found that two-thirds of employees do not know how, when and where they are supposed to work. More →