Search Results for: business

The office will always live on because nothing propinks like propinquity

The office will always live on because nothing propinks like propinquity

by • Comment, Property, Workplace design

Perhaps the most pervasive and enduring myth about the office is that it is somehow dying off. It’s a blast of guff originally farted out at the dawn of the technological revolution in the early 1990s, which has somehow lingered and been stinking the place out ever since. The essential premise behind the idea of the death of the office is that mobile technology makes it possible for us to work from ‘anywhere’ and so that must mean ‘somewhere’ is no longer needed. (more…)

The global problem of overwork and the right to disconnect

The global problem of overwork and the right to disconnect

by • Comment, Flexible working, Technology, Wellbeing

Anybody who doubts the importance of work and working culture to people’s lives should look at the resistance to President Macron’s mooted changes to labour laws. His attempts to modernise and liberalise French workplace legislation marked the first cracks in his reputation and brought millions of French workers to the streets as part of a national strike.However, one change to French legislation that met with little or no resistance earlier this year was a new right to avoid work emails outside working hours. Under the legislation, firms with more than 50 workers will be obliged to draw up a charter of good conduct, setting out the hours when staff are not supposed to send or respond to emails as they seek a right to disconnect.

(more…)

Older workers need more support in the workplace, claims report

Older workers need more support in the workplace, claims report

by • News, Wellbeing

Longer working lives have become a reality for millions, yet a significant number of older workers feel unsupported in the workplace, according to new findings from Aviva which claim to highlight the need for UK businesses to boost support for their older workforce. Almost two thirds (63 percent) of the 10.2 million over-50s in work – equivalent to 6.4 million people – are planning to retire later than they thought they would 10 years ago. Many of them are extending their working lives due to the rising cost of living (40 percent) and insufficient pension savings (38 percent).

(more…)

Working while on holiday is the new normal, claims study

by • News, Wellbeing

Two thirds of business leaders have admitted that they check their work emails while on holiday and three quarters have taken or made a work call, according to a new survey into summer working habits by The Institute of Leadership & Management. The Institute’s new research found that 65 per cent of respondents check their work emails at some point while on holiday, and 75 per cent have said they’ve taken or made a work call while on leave. Unsurprisingly, most senior leadership teams check their emails on holiday (81 per cent).

(more…)

UK labour and skills shortages set to increase as number of EU nationals fall

UK labour and skills shortages set to increase as number of EU nationals fall

by • News, Workplace

Labour and skills shortages in UK set to increase as number of EU applicants fall

A noticeable fall in the flow of EU nationals into the UK has coincided with a drop in the quantity and suitability of job applicants being reported by employers, the latest quarterly Labour Market Outlook from the CIPD and the Adecco Group has revealed. The data suggests that while the short-term outlook for employment remains strong, labour and skills shortages are finally starting to bite, with evidence that the number of applicants per vacancy has dropped across all roles (low, medium and high-skill) since summer 2017. This strong demand for labour is finally increasing recruitment pressures for employers, exacerbated by a ‘supply shock’ of far fewer EU nationals coming into the UK. According to the latest official data, the number of EU-born workers in the UK increased by just 7,000 between Q1 2017 and Q1 2018, compared with an increase of 148,000 from Q1 2016 to Q1 2017. This represents a fall of 95 percent and has fed into a tightening of the labour market. The report also found that while wage growth for the wider workforce is set to remain at around 2 percent for the foreseeable future, new starters and key staff may be more likely to be getting a salary increase.

(more…)

A third of employers report rise in time off as mental health becomes less taboo

A third of employers report rise in time off as mental health becomes less taboo

by • News, Wellbeing

Around 30 percent of businesses have seen an increase in the number of staff taking time off for mental health reasons, according to a survey conducted by business organisation British Chambers of Commerce, and insurer Aviva. One in three (33 percent) business leaders have also noticed an increase in the length of time that staff are taking off due to mental health issues.

(more…)

The mere expectation that we check emails outside working hours harms our wellbeing

The mere expectation that we check emails outside working hours harms our wellbeing

by • News, Wellbeing

Employer expectations of work email monitoring outside of normal working hours are detrimental to the health and wellbeing of not only employees but their family members as well. A new study suggests that employees do not need to spend actual time on work in their off-hours to experience the harmful effects. The mere expectations of availability increase strain for employees and their families, even when employees do not engage in any actual work.

(more…)

How will Crossrail impact the office landscape of London and beyond?

How will Crossrail impact the office landscape of London and beyond?

by • Comment, Property

We are now just a few months away from the grand opening of the central section of Crossrail, the 118km long railway line spanning London and the South East which will, once completed, will deliver a direct connection between all of London’s main employment centres; linking Heathrow with Paddington, the West End, the City and Canary Wharf. This ambitious redevelopment plan will bring huge positive change to the City and is estimated to generate over 850,000 new jobs in the Capital, as well as making the lives of those already working in London easier and more efficient.

(more…)

Is driver behind the widening parental leave gap a lack of rights in the gig economy?

Is driver behind the widening parental leave gap a lack of rights in the gig economy?

by • Comment, Flexible working, Legal news, News, Workplace

Could the driver behind the widening parental leave gap be the rise of the gig economy?The already low number of fathers claiming paternity leave has fallen for the first time in five years, to 213,500, down 3 percent from 221,000 last year an analysis by law firm EMW has revealed. To help encourage more men to take paternity leave, the Government launched the shared parental leave scheme in 2015. However, take up of the scheme has also been slow, with less than 2 percent of all UK fathers participating. These latest figures suggest that hundreds of thousands of men are not taking up their entitlement to paternity leave. In comparison with low rates of paternity leave, nearly treble the number of mothers (662,700) took maternity leave in 2017-2018, up from 661,000 in 2016/17. (more…)

Over a third of workers are anxious about the impact of automation

Over a third of workers are anxious about the impact of automation

by • AI, News, Technology, Workplace

Over a third of workers are anxious about the impact of automationA significant number (37 per cent) of workers (11 million people) in the UK worry their job will change for the worse and 23 per cent (7 million people) are concerned that their current job may no longer be needed, claims a survey into the impact of automation over the next decade. In the survey, carried out to mark the launch of a new Commission on Workers and Technology chaired by Yvette Cooper MP, workers were 73 per cent confident they can adapt to technological change and update their skill if automation affects their job and over half think (53 per cent) are optimistic that technology change will be good for their working lives. (more…)

HR offers the key to enhanced employee financial wellbeing, claims report

HR offers the key to enhanced employee financial wellbeing, claims report

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

With poor financial wellbeing impacting on productivity, a new paper claims that, despite growing interest, there remains a lag in employers taking action in this area – and that Human Resources departments are key to building a business case for support. Published by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES), the paper, Building the business case for employee financial wellbeing, draws on findings from a Money Advice Service-funded study trialling financial wellbeing guidance from IES and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

(more…)

Prague best city in the world for remote working, but Johannesburg has cheapest coffee

Prague best city in the world for remote working, but Johannesburg has cheapest coffee

by • Cities, Coworking, Facilities management, Flexible working, News, Technology

New research has revealed the top 15 cities worldwide that are best for remote working and Prague is on top, with London ranked as the 5th best city in the world for remote workers. Inspired by the top 15 cities listed in InterNation’s Expat City Ranking Report, Powwownow analysed the cost of living, average monthly salary, internet speed, price of coffee, and cost of public transport in different places across the world. Cities were individually scored on each factor and ranked by the total number of points, to calculate the top 15 cities around the world. Calculating an overall ranking for each city, Prague was revealed to be the best city worldwide for remote workers. (more…)

«< 260 261 262 263 264 >»