October 24, 2019
So, how are you? As the daughter of a depressive father and the sister of a brother who suffers with similar mental health challenges, I have seen first hand how powerfully destructive a negative state of mind can be to the individuals who suffer as well as those around them.
October 24, 2019
This week the CIPD and Westminster Business School launched their new report: Diversity management that works: an evidence based review. At a launch event at the EY offices in Canary Wharf, academics and people practitioners convened to discuss the reports findings. They also explored what it means for practice. The research maps out the current evidence on the types of diversity interventions in organisations. It analyses recent scientific evidence and exploring what works. This was then tested with practitioners and professionals who regularly work on diversity and inclusion (D&I) practices within organisations. (more…)
October 23, 2019
A new report claims that US based businesses are not addressing the needs of an increasingly “deskless workforce” which thinks flexible working is a right that should be valued more than other benefits. The Future is Flexible: A New Workforce Paradigm Evolving From the Gig Economy (registration) from Quinyx compiles publicly available data alongside a survey of more than 4,000 employed Americans over the age of 18. It claims that, behind wages, flexibility is one of the most important factors of happiness at work for this growing flexible workforce, higher than health benefits, culture, and employee discounts. (more…)
October 23, 2019
Lloyds Banking Group, Unilever the CBI, Bupa and the John Lewis Partnership are among the major firms and other organisations that have signed up to an agreement that aims to transform the approach to mental health in the workplace. The Mental Health at Work Commitment is a promise to adopt six standards which have been developed with mental health charities, large employers and trade organisations. (more…)
October 22, 2019
Joint-research from Gensler and the British Council of Offices (BCO) on the rise of flexible workspace in the UK corporate sector claims that 40 percent of flexible office users would rather work from a conventional office. According to the report, while the future of coworking is increasingly being explored as part of academic and industry research, there has been limited focus on what it means for large corporate occupiers. The 2019 Rise of Flexible Workspace in the Corporate Sector Report (choir members only) aims to identify the drivers of and the barriers to – the use of flexible space and coworking by large corporate occupiers. (more…)
October 21, 2019
Research out today, by SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity claims that British ex-service personnel struggle to find work due to mental health stigma. Almost a half (46 percent) of UK recruiters worry about hiring a service leaver in case they had mental health issues. Despite best efforts from British companies and individuals, including Prince William and Prince Harry, negative perceptions about mental health remain a significant barrier in the recruitment process, with service leavers being stigmatised. Over a third (31 percent) of recruiters feel reluctant to hire someone who had previously served. (more…)
October 21, 2019
Banning email outside of normal office hours could do more harm than good to employee wellbeing, a new study suggests. The newly published research, led by the University of Sussex, states that while blanket bans could help some workers to achieve certain goals, they could impede other employees’ progress towards their own targets. (more…)
October 18, 2019
Great news! No, not the Brexit deal but the reports that the US has replaced the floppy disks it uses to store the information about its nuclear arsenal with something a bit less Nineties. If nothing else, a useful reminder that even the people responsible for a potential Armageddon might not be quite on board for the Fourth Industrial Revolution just yet, and are still coming to terms with the Third. (more…)
October 18, 2019
More than four in five (83 percent) UK business leaders have a return to work programme in place – either formally or informally, according to new research from recruitment consultancy Robert Half UK. Over two in five (43 percent) business leaders have a tailored programme to help new parents return to work, while 40 percent have informal schemes in place. (more…)
October 17, 2019
A new global study of more than 10,000 office workers, claims that British workers spend a whole month a year (30 days) doing work that a colleague has already completed. Five hours and 5 minutes a week is spent duplicating work. Asana, the publisher of the Anatomy of Work Index (registration) also claims that Brits aren’t spending as much time on the actual work that they’re hired to do.
October 16, 2019
Business owners can not shy away from ensuring the physical safety of their employees in the workplace. Despite this, many are still failing to have the correct measures in place to best achieve the necessary safety levels that will allow them to operate effectively and without disruptions. (more…)
October 25, 2019
How office design trends in different countries feed off each other
by Steve Elliott • Comment, Workplace design