Search Results for: business

RICS review promises greater focus on public interest

RICS review promises greater focus on public interest

RICS logoLord Michael Bichard has published the Bichard RICS Review into the Institution’s Purpose, Governance and Strategy, which RICS Governing Council commissioned last December. The review was a key recommendation of Alison Levitt QC’s critical report into historic issues at RICS, which was published last September. RICS Governing Council said it ‘strongly endorses’ the report and recommendations, which were informed by a global stakeholder consultation process, and will now commence work on their practical implementation. Lord Bichard states in his report that the future success of the organisation “will require nothing less than a transformation of the Institution carried out at pace” and described the need for change as “urgent” and “unarguable”. (more…)

Flexible working options can support women in the workplace

Flexible working options can support women in the workplace

flexible working womenAs of May 2022, more than one hundred years after the passage of the Sex Disqualification Removal Act – legislation which opened the workplace equally to women – more than half of the UK’s female professionals are at risk of leaving their jobs. As a recent study showed, 52 percent of women in the UK say they are either considering leaving or have already left a role due to lack of flexibility. The widespread nature of this “Flexidus” is chilling. The pandemic has already set back women’s participation in the workforce back 22 years behind men. How can businesses respond with the flexible working choices that many women are seeking? (more…)

People working from home feel less sense of belonging to work culture

People working from home feel less sense of belonging to work culture

working from home belongingAlmost half of workers feel working from home has diminished their feeling of ‘belonging’ to an organisation, according to the Employee Job Satisfaction Report [registration] from recruitment firm Morgan Phillips. According to the poll, UK workers feel they are treated well by their employer (58 percent quite well and 27 percent very well), but half are still considering changing their jobs, with 17 percent looking for a change in 2022. (more…)

Birmingham BT HQ shows road ahead for its offices and the city

Birmingham BT HQ shows road ahead for its offices and the city

Birmingham BT HQIn January of 2020, shortly before that thing happened and before we knew much about the UK Government’s ‘levelling up’ programme, Birmingham was already a city on the rise. It had recently been announced that it was to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022 and was riding the crest of a number of high-profile developments and regeneration projects, not least those that arrived on the back of the controversial high speed rail station. (more…)

Employees take a dim view of organisations with poor sustainability records

Employees take a dim view of organisations with poor sustainability records

sustainabilityThe 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…)

How to manage flexible working requests (including turning them down)

How to manage flexible working requests (including turning them down)

flexible working requestsIf an employee makes a flexible working request, then employers should have principles and procedures in place setting out how these requests should be dealt with. Avoiding disputes in the workplace generally means adhering to three principles: clarity, consistency, and fairness. So, here’s a brief (non-exhaustive) guide to handling flexible working requests. (more…)

Tech firms now less likely to offer fully remote working

Tech firms now less likely to offer fully remote working

tech talent remote workingFully remote working is no longer viewed as the ‘holy grail’ by tech employers, with hybrid working now viewed as the perfect model for aiding retention and recruitment of talent. That is the main conclusion of Robert Half’s Demand for Tech Talent report, which surveyed 750 tech hiring managers across the UK. The results of the survey suggest that remote working – which the report claims was widely touted as the ‘future of work’ both before and during the pandemic – is now being shunned by companies in favour of a flexible approach. (more…)

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

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

working from homeTwo 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…)

Poor mental wellbeing costs UK contact centres almost £1 billion each year

Poor mental wellbeing costs UK contact centres almost £1 billion each year

mental wellbeing contact centresPeople working in contact centre roles say that work-related poor mental wellbeing is making them less productive, including answering fewer calls and taking more sick days – costing the industry over £990m in lost productivity every year. That’s according to a new study, Duty of Care Gap [registration] from MaxContact. The contact centres industry is a huge contributor to the UK economy, employing over 800,000 people across the country. Yet the industry is facing a mental health crisis, with 83 percent workers saying their work is taking a toll on their mental wellbeing, with staff reporting high stress levels (62 percent), anxiety (48 percent) and feeling overwhelmed (46 percent). (more…)

BCO announces overhaul of specification guide

BCO announces overhaul of specification guide

BCO specification guideThe British Council for Offices (BCO), has released a position paper proposing updated key design criteria, as part of its most recognised publication, the BCO Guide to Specification. The guide, which is normally published every 4 or 5 years, provides expert best practice advice on how to specify office space, helping industry practitioners provide space that meets the needs of occupiers, helping them to conduct their business in safe, healthy, comfortable, and productive workspaces. (more…)

Loneliness might hold back hybrid working productivity gains

Loneliness might hold back hybrid working productivity gains

lonelinessLoneliness is defined as the difficult emotion we experience when our need for meaningful social contact and relationships is not met, and it’s something we’ve all had experience of. Nearly half of the UK population have reported feeling lonely at times, with other research showing that 39 percent say their wellbeing was negatively impacted because they were lonely too. Why people feel lonely can be attributed to many reasons. Humans have a deep need for attention, warmth, and attachment to others. When such relationships end, or if someone finds themselves in an abusive or emotionally non-existent relationship, this can lead to elevated levels of loneliness. (more…)

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

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

london tech weekThe 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…)