Search Results for: business

Hybrid working? Let’s put on a show

Hybrid working? Let’s put on a show

hybrid working performanceI’m currently rereading Art Kleiner’s masterful book The Age of Heretics which describes the history of ground-breaking thought in management in the 20th Century and the lessons we forget. It remains a relevant book for the new era of ‘hybrid working’ because the book draws a distinction between two fundamental schools of thought in management theory. One of these sees management as a numbers game in which people are inherently problematic and so must be directed what to do based on data and routines of desirable activity and behaviour. And the other sees people as well meaning, capable and adaptable with managers there to facilitate and channel their abilities and help them develop. (more…)

Third of people crave a return to the office for their mental health

Third of people crave a return to the office for their mental health

mental healthA new study from smart building platform Infogrid claims that nearly a third of working Brits (32 percent) want to return to their offices in January because they feel it would improve their mental health, which has been impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The top reasons UK employees cite for wanting to return to the office include working in a positive social environment (35 percent), having a reason to leave the house (26 percent), not having to worry about being cold at home (25 percent), and the daily commute providing time to transition between home and work life (23 percent). (more…)

Toxic workplace habits continue to undermine wellbeing

Toxic workplace habits continue to undermine wellbeing

New research by Bupa claims there are five toxic workplace habits that are especially harmful to employee wellbeing, including ‘chronic procrastination’ and ‘workplace stress’. As a result,  UK employees are actively searching for advice on how to manage their wellbeing at work. (more…)

Wellbeing ‘not necessarily’ harmed by long hours, study claims

Wellbeing ‘not necessarily’ harmed by long hours, study claims

wellbeing and long hoursPutting in overtime often comes at a cost of stress, burnout and depression. But extra work doesn’t always negatively affect wellbeing. In fact, according to recent research from academics ESCP Business School, it could be the opposite. According to the study, the crucial difference lies in the motivation behind the long hours, whether they stem from an inner desire or external pressures. (more…)

Employees are ready for work in the metaverse but sceptical about ability of firms to deliver

Employees are ready for work in the metaverse but sceptical about ability of firms to deliver

working in the metaverseJust as businesses are starting to find their groove with hybrid working, the workplace has begun to evolve again with the emergence of the metaverse. New research from Lenovo claims that close to half of employees (44 percent) are willing to work in the metaverse and believe that it can deliver benefits like productivity to the workplace. The metaverse is primarily defined as a shared digital space with digital representations of people, places, and objects. In the future, the metaverse can be a highly immersive extension of the physical world, with its rich user interface. At the enterprise level, this opens up possibilities for businesses to create a more viable, interactive workplace. (more…)

How to provide a great place to work for remote workers

How to provide a great place to work for remote workers

A great place to work for remote workersRemote 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…)

Toxic workplace culture is driving staff to exit door

Toxic workplace culture is driving staff to exit door

toxic workplace cultureNearly two-thirds of employees who claim to have experienced a toxic workplace culture say the compensation they received did not make up for the emotional distress caused, according to new research from Culture Shift. The research from the impact software developer claims that 61 percent of those who have experienced problematic workplace behaviour have had to take a period of long-term leave, with over half (55 percent) saying the emotional distress lasted up to two years, while a third (34 percent) say it lasted three to four years. (more…)

Flexible workspace users express confidence in future

Flexible workspace users express confidence in future

labs flexible workspaceMembers of flexible workspace provider LABS have expressed confidence over their businesses’ prospects heading into 2022, with 92 percent of respondents to a survey, conducted by LABS, expecting their companies to grow over the next three years. (more…)

Are we witnessing the demise of the knowledge worker?

Are we witnessing the demise of the knowledge worker?

Death of the knowledge worker?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…)

Great Resignation offers firms a chance to create the Great Retention

Great Resignation offers firms a chance to create the Great Retention

Great Resignation and the Great RetentionThe last 18 months have seen unprecedented change. Covid-19 has forced people to re-evaluate every aspect of their lives, including their career. As a result, we’ve seen a surge in workers taking charge of their careers and leaving their jobs as part of the so-called Great Resignation. Recent data from the ONS shows that there were nearly 1.2 million job vacancies in the UK this quarter, with 15 of 18 sectors reporting record numbers. (more…)

People want employers to open up about environmental impact

People want employers to open up about environmental impact

environmental impactResearch from?PLAY, a product development studio, suggests that more than three-quarters of people (77 percent) want the company they work for to be more transparent about their environmental impact. (more…)

People will quit if not offered a four day week

People will quit if not offered a four day week

four day weekA new poll published today claims there is significant demand for a four day work week in the UK. The survey by Censuswide on behalf of ClickUp, suggests that nearly a third (31.2 percent) of Brits are actively looking for a shorter work week in 2022 or have already agreed to one with their current employer. (more…)