Search Results for: benefits

UK is trapped in reactive cycle of sickness and inactivity, warn wellbeing experts

UK is trapped in reactive cycle of sickness and inactivity, warn wellbeing experts

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Business leaders, policymakers and workplace experts have warned that the UK’s fragmented approach to work, wellbeing and welfare is undermining economic resilienceBusiness leaders, policymakers and workplace experts have warned that the UK’s fragmented approach to work, wellbeing and welfare is undermining economic resilience, with comparisons to Denmark highlighting the pressure placed on the NHS and benefits system in Britain. The warning came during a Westminster roundtable  for the Policy Liaison Group on Workplace Wellbeing chaired by Dame Carol Black on 13 May. The discussion followed shortly after the King’s Speech opened the new parliamentary session with a renewed emphasis on “economic security”. Participants argued that Britain’s rising levels of long-term sickness and economic inactivity will require a more coordinated approach involving employers, government departments, healthcare systems and insurers. (more…)

More than half of UK freelancers have considered quitting self-employment in past year

More than half of UK freelancers have considered quitting self-employment in past year

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

More than half of UK freelancers and small business owners have considered giving up self-employment over the past year, according to new researchMore than half of UK freelancers and small business owners have considered giving up self-employment over the past year, according to new research from The Accountancy Partnership. The survey of 1,060 self-employed professionals found that 50.7 percent have thought about returning to traditional employment in the past 12 months. Of these, 16.4 percent said they had seriously considered leaving self-employment altogether, while 34.3 percent said the idea had crossed their minds briefly. (more…)

Study confirms that digital tools blur boundaries between work and personal life

Study confirms that digital tools blur boundaries between work and personal life

by • News, Technology, Wellbeing

A new academic study confirms something you probably already know: digital tools are eroding the boundary between work and personal life.A new academic study confirms something you probably already know: digital tools are eroding the boundary between work and personal life. According to the new research, things are getting worse and we experience constantly growing psychological strain as a result of an always on working culture. The study, published in the International Journal of Electronic Finance, finds that widespread use of information and communication technologies such as smartphones, laptops and cloud platforms has enabled greater flexibility but also extended work into nearly all aspects of daily life. (more…)

Workers sabotage AI rollout as mistrust in the tech grows, survey finds

Workers sabotage AI rollout as mistrust in the tech grows, survey finds

by • AI, News

A significant proportion of employees are resisting the introduction of AI in the workplace, with some actively undermining its adoption, according to a new global survey.A significant proportion of employees are resisting the introduction of artificial intelligence in the workplace, with some actively undermining its adoption, according to a new global survey. The 2026 AI Adoption in the Enterprise report, produced by Writer in partnership with Workplace Intelligence, draws on responses from 2,400 knowledge workers across Europe and North America. It suggests that while organisations are investing heavily in artificial intelligence, many employees remain unconvinced of its value and are pushing back against its use. (more…)

Memories of the Office Age 

Memories of the Office Age 

by • Cities, Features, Working lives

memories of the office ageOriginally published in November 2021. No author uses the built environment like J G Ballard. In his 1975 novel High-Rise, the eponymous structure is both a way of isolating the group of people who live and compete inside it and a metaphor for their personal isolation and inner struggles. Over the course of three months, the building’s services begin to fail. The 2,000 people within, detached from external realities in the 40-storey building, confronted with their true selves and those of their neighbours, descend into selfishness and – ultimately – savagery.  (more…)

Employee engagement falls worldwide as AI investment fails to deliver productivity gains

Employee engagement falls worldwide as AI investment fails to deliver productivity gains

by • AI, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Global employee engagement has declined for a second consecutive year, despite rapid investment in artificial intelligence, according to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report.Global employee engagement has declined for a second consecutive year, despite rapid investment in artificial intelligence, according to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report. The study, based on one of the largest ongoing surveys of employee experience, suggests that organisations are struggling to translate technological change into measurable improvements in performance or working life. Employee engagement fell to 20 percent in 2025, down from a peak of 23 percent in 2022 and its lowest level since 2020. This decline has significant economic implications, with Gallup estimating that low engagement costs the global economy around $10 trillion in lost productivity, equivalent to 9 percent of global GDP. (more…)

British workers happier and more productive than US and German contemporaries. Hey. We just report this stuff

British workers happier and more productive than US and German contemporaries. Hey. We just report this stuff

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

A major international study claims that team enjoyment is the strongest perceived driver of productivity, challenging long-standing assumptions about how organisations improve performance and that British workers claim to be happy and productive A major international study claims that team enjoyment is the strongest perceived driver of productivity, challenging long-standing assumptions about how organisations improve performance. The Global Workplace Happiness Report, published by The Happiness Index in partnership with employee benefits provider Pluxee, draws on responses from 80,000 employees across 115 countries. It suggests that social and emotional factors play a more significant role in productivity than operational systems such as workload management or process design. The poll also found that British workers are more likely to say they are happy and productive than their US and German contemporaries.  (more…)

Zoning Inzio’s new office with intelligent flooring choices

Zoning Inzio’s new office with intelligent flooring choices

by • Environment, News, Workplace design

Leading the office design, Blueprint Interiors collaborated with experts from flooring manufacturer and global leader in sustainability, Interface.  When Inizio, the healthcare services provider, relocated to its 18,000 sq. ft premises in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, it needed a workspace that would reflect its growth ambitions while promoting employee wellbeing. Offering a full range of services, from strategy to medical communications, Inizio helps healthcare brands connect with customers and patients through tailored solutions. To extend that same commitment to its employees, the company has now created a workspace that not only supports its people’s working patterns but protects the planet too. (more…)

AI adoption slows in workplaces despite hype and massive investment

AI adoption slows in workplaces despite hype and massive investment

by • AI, News

Corporate adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) appears to be slowing, raising questions about the pace at which the technology will deliver economic returnsCorporate adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) appears to be slowing, raising questions about the pace at which the technology will deliver economic returns, according to a new analysis of data in The Economist. Figures quoted from the US Census Bureau suggest that the proportion of employees using AI at work has edged down to around 11 percent in recent weeks. The decline is most notable among larger organisations with more than 250 staff, where uptake had previously been stronger. The findings indicate that, three years into the current wave of generative AI development, business demand may be less robust than anticipated. (more…)

Most firms are already using AI, but not many are seeing a return

Most firms are already using AI, but not many are seeing a return

by • AI, News

While over three quarters of UK businesses are now using artificial intelligence (AI) tools, the vast majority are yet to see any return on their AI investments, according to a new pollWhile over three quarters of UK businesses are now using artificial intelligence tools, the vast majority are yet to see any return on their investments, according to a new poll from Studio Graphene.  The digital product studio commissioned Censuswide to survey 500 managers, directors and C-suite executives within UK businesses. It found that 78 percent of the businesses polled are using AI in some capacity – rising to 85 percent for mid-sized organisations (100-249 employees), the highest of any group. (more…)

The British seem more worried about robots than anybody else

The British seem more worried about robots than anybody else

by • AI, News

British adults are more anxious about robots than people in any other major economy, according to a new global studyBritish adults are more anxious about robots than people in any other major economy, according to a new global study which suggests the unease may stem from a lack of exposure to the technology in everyday life. The research, published by technology firm Hexagon, is based on a survey 18,000 people across nine countries for its Robot Generation report. It found that 52 percent of adults in the UK say they worry something might go wrong when they think about interacting with robots. The global average is 42 percent, while in South Korea the figure is just 29 percent. (more…)

Six weeks paternity allowance for self-employed and other dads could boost economy by £3 billion

Six weeks paternity allowance for self-employed and other dads could boost economy by £3 billion

by • Flexible working, News

Introducing a new six-week paternity allowance to support self employed and ‘worker’ fathers would generate a series of benefitsIntroducing a new six-week paternity allowance to support self employed and ‘worker’ fathers would generate a series of benefits worth nearly £3 billion per year to the UK, research has found. The proposal, published in a new Institute for Policy Research (IPR) policy brief, argues that providing paid leave for self-employed and worker fathers – including contractors or those in gig-economy roles – at the Statutory Paternity Pay rate (£187.18 per week) would deliver significant economic and wellbeing benefits for families and for UK society as a whole. (more…)

«< 5 6 7 8 9 >»