Search Results for: benefits

June 22, 2022

Dogs Trust urges businesses to open a dialogue about bringing dogs to work

Businesses participating in ‘Bring Your Dog To Work Day’ on Friday 24 June should see it as an opportunity to open an honest and frank dialogue with their workforce about the benefits, challenges and feasibility of bringing dogs to work, says Dogs Trust. Britain saw a rise in dog ownership during the pandemic, particularly among younger people, aged 25-34. As more people return to their place of work, there are concerns among dog owners about what this means for their dogs, who have become used to them working from home over the last couple of years. (more…)

June 20, 2022

People are searching for better work, not just more pay

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

New research from the CIPD claims that more than 6.5 million people in the UK expect to quit their job in the next 12 months, with those reporting the poorest job quality the most likely to have itchy feet. Better pay and benefits are the main motivator to leave, but people are also looking for increased job satisfaction and better work life balance. In response, the CIPD is calling for employers to not treat pay increases as a ‘silver bullet’ for attracting and retaining staff, but instead look at overall job quality by being more creative with job design and people management practices. (more…)

June 16, 2022

Employees take a dim view of organisations with poor sustainability records

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News, Workplace

The fourth research report from the Reward & Employee Benefits Association’s (REBA) Transforming Engagement [registration] series in association with Mercer Marsh Benefits suggests perceptions of a business’s approach to sustainability is influencing employee reward and benefits practices and decisions. However, many businesses are changing business practices, products and services to meet sustainability goals. REBA’s report claims that nearly eight in 10 (78 percent) respondent organisations have made changes to at least some of their products or services to meet sustainability objectives. (more…)

June 15, 2022

Two thirds of SME staff ‘less likely’ to go off sick when working from home

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Two thirds of people working for small and medium sized businesses say they are are less likely to take sick leave when working from home and nearly half say they feel more pressure to justify their productivity when working remotely. The poll [registration] of around 1,300 people from Breathe suggests that the pressure people when working from home can lead to counterproductive forms of digital presenteeism. (more…)

June 14, 2022

London Tech Week kicks off with new Government announcements on future of tech

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

The Government’s review into the future of computing and its new UK Digital Strategy were unveiled at the start of London Tech Week as the world’s technology leaders, founders and next generation of tech superstars gather in the capital to collaborate on the future of the industry. Opening day speakers included Darktrace CEO Poppy Gustafsson, Darren Hardman, VP & General Manager, AWS, Theo Blackwell MBE in conversation with New York City’s CTO Matt Fraser, Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemi?tkowski and The Body Coach CEO & Creative Director Nikki Wicks. (more…)

June 13, 2022

Is hybrid working the final cure for workplace woes or the beginning of something better?

by Jo Sutherland • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design

This year’s World Workplace Europe saw 2022 hailed as the year of the worker. A worthwhile focus considering negative emotions are on the rise, with more depression, anxiety and loneliness plaguing society despite the claimed benefits of hybrid working. The pandemic robbed us of many things. It restricted our freedom for two years and forced us to live, love and work in a way that felt a little less human. But at least there was a sense of unity, working together for the common good, a mask-muffled cry of “all for one and one for all” as people considered how their actions would and could impact others. (more…)

June 13, 2022

To provide people with better indoor air quality, we need a major upgrade of buildings

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

Government must seize the post-pandemic opportunity to mandate long-term improvements to infection control in commercial, public and residential buildings to improve indoor air quality, reduce the transmission of future waves of COVID-19, new pandemics, seasonal influenza and other infectious diseases, according to a report published by the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC). Infection control must also be coordinated with efforts to improve energy efficiency and fire safety, to support the three goals of safe, healthy and sustainable buildings. (more…)

June 10, 2022

Young people should optimise the time they spend in the office

by Gemma Dale • Features, Flexible working

During the pandemic, around 100 million people in Europe switched to working from home – nearly half of them for the first time. This shift was rapid, with employees quickly noticing the benefits of remote work. These can include freedom from commuting, more time for personal wellbeing and increased productivity. As we move on from pandemic restrictions, we’ve seen a strong, global demand for more flexible forms of working, particularly to retain an element of remote work. While some employees want to work from home permanently, most want what’s coming to be regarded as the best of both worlds: hybrid working. Only a minority of workers now want to return to the office full time. (more…)

June 9, 2022

How I learned to stop worrying and embrace uncertainty

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Technology

One of the ways I have found to inoculate myself against the hyperbolic certitude of the world’s futurologists is to watch YouTube clips of an old TV show called Rab C Nesbitt and observe the automated captioning as it struggles to cope with Glaswegians. And sometimes gives it up as a bad job. Works with Limmy’s Show too. Try it for yourself at the bottom. Includes bad language. A meringue? (more…)

June 9, 2022

Digital transformation of small businesses could provide massive economic boost

by Jayne Smith • News, Technology

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

Work-life balance more important than pay for two thirds of people

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Rising inflation and the UK’s cost-of-living crisis have put a lot of pressure on employers to increase wages and starting salaries this year, but a new survey suggests that there’s something that employees value more than pay – work-life balance. HR and payroll software provider CIPHR polled over 1,000 UK workers to find out which job aspects matter most to them. Based on the results, over two-thirds (70 percent of women and 65 percent of men) see work-life balance – albeit a term that can mean different things to different people – as being more important than their pay and employee benefits combined (selected by 60 percent of women and 57 percent of men). (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…)