March 3, 2022

The nature of work has changed permanently for many people, new report claims

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

The pandemic has changed the nature of work, which offers opportunities for organisations to adopt more considerate and efficient work practices as offices reopen. The latest study to come to this conclusion has been published by the University of Southampton and funded by the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC). The research considered the longer-term implications of working from home and which new working practices should remain and be encouraged. Its findings offer lessons from lockdown that will guide organisations as they seek to make hybrid working a success. (more…)

February 21, 2022

Employee mental health not a priority for a quarter of managers, report claims

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

A new poll claims that than one fifth (21 percent) of managers based in London believe that supporting employee mental health is not a priority for their company this year. The research commissioned by the South Westminster Business Alliance with Kings College London suggests that over three quarters (78 percent) of managers admit they struggle to spot the signs of poor mental health amongst employees. (more…)

February 8, 2022

The office sector needs to develop better arguments for its products

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Property, Workplace design

The distillation of every received and laundered idea of the past two years leads us here. A claim from Gallup that in future just over a third of the desks in offices will be empty. Whatever Gallup thinks, this is great news for the office sector. One of the truths the office sector hasn’t always liked to talk about too much over the last few decades is that in a typical office over that period, around half of the desks have already been empty. (more…)

February 8, 2022

Remote work monitoring software used by four in five employers

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Technology

According to a new report from Instant Offices (registration), four in five employers whose staff are offered hybrid or remote work are already using employee monitoring tools to track work performance and activity. According to the study: 78 percent of companies report using employee monitoring software to track worker performance and online activity; 73 percent say stored recordings of calls, emails, and messages have affected team members’ performance reviews; over 50 percent say they are implementing non-traditional monitoring techniques; and 94 percent of employers track emails. (more…)

February 4, 2022

Want people to return to the office? Then create the best office in the world

by Mike Hills • Features, Wellbeing, Workplace design

More obituaries have been written for the office in the past two years than at any time in history. It has often seemed like even the best office in the world couldn’t preserve the idea of the office. And it’s not like the obituaries were all that rare even before the pandemic forced us to reappraise our relationship with work and the times and places we do it. While all these death notices were being served, one particularly well-informed organisation was making some more interesting observations about it all. In particular, it constantly raised the most fundamental question of all. (more…)

February 1, 2022

Half of business leaders now paralysed by decision making

by Neil Franklin • Business, News

Half (48 percent) of UK C-suite leaders now feel less confident making business-critical decisions compared to before the pandemic, according to a report (registration / promotion) commissioned by Treasure Data. The survey of 500 business leaders in the UK the impact the pandemic has had on leadership decision-making, and reviews whether these decision making processes are fit for purpose in a new era of unpredictability. (more…)

January 20, 2022

Lack of ‘face time’ leaving people feeling disengaged

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Around two thirds of professionals say they are ‘highly likely’ to leave their job this year due to a lack of face time with leaders within their organisation. Following the announcement yesterday from Government that working-from-home restrictions will be dropped, an annual employee survey from recruiter Robert Walters claims to reveal the potential damage of upholding remote leadership in 2022. Results from survey suggest a correlation between a decrease in output and morale for professionals who claim they see their manager (face-to-face) less than once a week. (more…)

January 18, 2022

Firms need to do more to engage, attract and retain staff

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Over 40 percent of employers are finding it more difficult to retain and recruit staff, according to Aon’s Benefits and Trends Survey 2022 (registration). The report claims that many employers have adjusted their benefits strategies to address an intense labour market, in which employee work motivations have shifted in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Forty-one percent of employers said they have found it more difficult to retain staff in the last year, while 44 percent have found it more difficult to recruit new staff. Many employers anecdotally expressed in the survey that they need to pay higher salaries or sign-on bonuses to entice new recruits. (more…)

January 18, 2022

How to provide a great place to work for remote workers

by Richard Guy • Company news, Flexible working

Remote working swiftly evolved from a stopgap lockdown solution into a globally successful workstyle – and it’s set to stay. According to research quoted by CityAM, “84 per cent of UK businesses plan on having a hybrid, flexible or remote workforce following the pandemic”. Some companies, like Deloitte, have placed all bets on remote in closing their offices and basing employees from home, enjoying a vast reduction in operational costs. This flexibility has offered immediate benefits for remote workers, ranging from lifestyle and financial to positive influences on wellbeing. Workers in particular social groups have experienced life-changing situations, securing work in previously inaccessible geographic locations. (more…)

January 12, 2022

Are we witnessing the demise of the knowledge worker?

by Anthony Brown • Comment, Flexible working, Technology, Workplace

While the debate about working from home versus working in the office continues, should the real conversation focus on the implications for a typical knowledge worker? ‘Knowledge work’ is a term that dates back over sixty years. It’s said to be first coined by Peter Drucker in his 1958 book The Landmarks of Tomorrow. The business guru went on to talk about knowledge workers in a later book, The Effective Executive, in 1966. He defined them as ‘high-level workers who apply theoretical and analytical knowledge acquired through formal training, to develop products and services’. (more…)

January 5, 2022

‘Great Resignation’ offers a one off opportunity to rethink our relationship with work

by Pip White • Comment, Flexible working, Technology, Wellbeing

After nearly two turbulent years, which for many knowledge workers have been dominated by a ground-hog day like existence, people are looking for change. This is only natural as workers around the world are re-evaluating their priorities, reigniting their passions, or simply looking for something new. This has led to a mini-exodus from businesses, which is now being dubbed the ‘Great Resignation’. (more…)

January 5, 2022

Warning over worker welfare on 2022’s first day ‘not back in office’

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

The 4th January was the first working day of 2022 for many employees, but due to ongoing working from home restrictions the majority will not be attending their usual workplaces. According to the latest research from the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM), more than half of office workers had expected to be back in the office today, and three quarters would have been back by the end of this week. (more…)