Search Results for: business

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…)

Leadership teams are struggling to cope with the pace of change

Leadership teams are struggling to cope with the pace of change

by • Business, News

Executive teams are failing to keep pace with the demands of a world defined by constant disruption, according to a new report.Executive teams are failing to keep pace with the demands of a world defined by constant disruption, according to a new report. The study, from  consultancy Waldencroft, claims that most senior teams remain fragmented and reactive, with only a small proportion taking a strategic, enterprise-wide view. The report, The Executive Readiness Gap, draws on insights from 20 in-depth interviews and 40 surveys with Chief People Officers across a range of complex and international organisations. It suggests that disruption has become a permanent fixture in the business environment, but many leadership teams continue to treat it as episodic—responding only when necessary before trying to return to a previous norm. (more…)

Employers face flexible working challenge to meet demands of new employment bill

Employers face flexible working challenge to meet demands of new employment bill

by • Flexible working, News

A survey by HR software provider Ciphr suggests that improved access to flexible working is likely to be the most difficult provision to manage.Employers are expected to face major implementation hurdles as the government’s new Employment Rights Bill begins to reshape workplace practices. A survey by HR software provider Ciphr suggests that improved access to flexible working is likely to be the most difficult provision to manage. In a poll of 300 HR decision-makers across the UK, 22 percent said that changes to flexible working arrangements—making it the default where practical—would present the biggest challenge in terms of time, resources and cost. Respondents also raised concerns about stronger legal protections for workers involved in industrial action (21 percent) and the extension of the employment tribunal claim window from three to six months (17 percent). (more…)

Average length of London flex office agreements reaches a new high

Average length of London flex office agreements reaches a new high

by • News, Property

New research from CBRE has found that the average London flex office agreement now stands at 22 months, a record highNew research from CBRE has found that the average London flex office agreement now stands at 22 months, a record high since CBRE started tracking the data in 2020. In addition to longer commitments from occupiers, pricing in the capital has increased in recent years for best-in-class locations, with CBRE’s data showing H1 2025 rents in Mayfair & St James’s achieving an average of £315 per sq ft, and a top rate of £380 per sq ft, the highest in the UK. (more…)

Microsoft study reveals which jobs have been most affected by Generative AI

Microsoft study reveals which jobs have been most affected by Generative AI

by • AI, News

Which jobs are most affected by Generative AI?A new large scale study from Microsoft has offered what its authors claim is one of the clearest pictures yet of how Generative AI is being used in real workplaces and which jobs are most exposed to its growing influence. Researchers from Microsoft analysed 200,000 anonymised user conversations with Bing Copilot, Microsoft’s publicly available AI assistant, to determine how AI is assisting or performing work tasks. The study focused on the types of activities people use GenAI for, how successfully AI completes them, and how these activities align with those performed across hundreds of occupations. (more…)

Why winning the AI race starts with workforce readiness

Why winning the AI race starts with workforce readiness

by • AI, Comment, Workplace

While AI is heralded as a transformative force across industries, a quieter challenge threatens to slow its momentum: the growing shortage of skilled AI professionals. Behind the buzz of breakthroughs lies a stark reality — companies are racing to adopt AI, but many are leaving their people behind. Recent data shows the skills required for AI-exposed jobs are evolving 66 percent faster than for other roles — a dramatic leap from just 25 percent a year ago. The demand for AI talent is surging in the UK, where the job market is cooling off. Yet, as job postings requiring AI skills continue to climb, this only underscores a critical imbalance felt across the job market. (more…)

Does your employee benefits package have a marketing problem?

Does your employee benefits package have a marketing problem?

by • Company news, Wellbeing

Despite many businesses investing heavily in employee benefits, many of these perks fail to deliver their full potential. Here's what to do about itDespite many businesses investing heavily in employee benefits, many of these perks fail to deliver their full potential. According to the 2025 Drewberry Employee Benefits and Workplace Satisfaction Survey, just 12 percent of UK employees report being truly satisfied with their benefits package. This gap in satisfaction isn’t always about the benefits themselves, but is often a failure of communication. This latest research shows that while benefits may be in place, just 36 percent of employees fully understand what’s on offer. Even fewer regularly engage with these benefits. (more…)

Calls for standardised product assessments address growing concerns about greenwashing

Calls for standardised product assessments address growing concerns about greenwashing

by • Environment, Facilities management, News

Built Environment Sector Calls for Standardised Product Assessments Amid Growing Concern Over GreenwashingA new industry-wide study has revealed widespread support for the introduction of mandatory Lifecycle Assessments (LCAs) on products used in the UK’s built environment to address widespread concerns about greenwashing. The findings, published in the report Greenhushing: Silence is Costing Credibility, show that 86 percent of professionals surveyed believe that LCAs are essential to reduce confusion and rebuild trust in environmental claims. Produced by Futurebuild in collaboration with The Anti-Greenwash Charter, The Carbon Literacy Project and communications agency Hattrick, the report draws on responses from over 3,000 people, including nearly 300 professionals in the built environment. It provides insight into the sector’s growing demand for standardisation and transparency in sustainability communications. (more…)

Cities must embrace the radical retrofit of buildings to meet future challenges

Cities must embrace the radical retrofit of buildings to meet future challenges

by • News, Property, Workplace design

The Radical Retrofit report by Economist Impact, supported by JLL, argues that making cities more sustainable and resilient will depend on retrofits that improve safety, health and accessibility, while also driving economic valueAs cities continue to grow, the pressure on infrastructure, resources and the environment is intensifying. A new global study warns that urban centres must move beyond new construction and reimagine the buildings they already have. Retrofitting – enhancing and upgrading existing structures -is emerging as a key strategy to cut emissions, improve energy performance and boost urban liveability. The Radical Retrofit report by Economist Impact, supported by JLL, argues that making cities more sustainable and resilient will depend on retrofits that improve safety, health and accessibility, while also driving economic value. Though still in its early stages, the movement is gaining traction across global cities such as Singapore, New York, Paris and Dubai. Yet the pace must accelerate dramatically from today’s retrofit rate of 1 percent per year to at least 3 percent to align with net-zero goals. (more…)

The new issue of Works magazine is available for you to read here

The new issue of Works magazine is available for you to read here

by • Premium Content, Workplace design

Bigger and better than ever, the digital edition of the new issue of Works magazine is available for you to read for free.Bigger and better than ever, the digital edition of the new issue of Works magazine is available for you to read for free. Print copies will be in the post soon. In this issue: we speak with Jonathan Hindle and Craig Jones, two stalwarts of the UK office design scene who continue to pioneer new ideas; our round table considers the challenges that arise when projects seem to cross the lines of professional demarcation and what happens when high profile examples such as The Elizabeth Line win awards outside of their supposed domain; we profile two projects that prove there is life in business districts yet; we showcase the latest winners of the Design Guild Mark; look at office trends in the thriving Polish economy; Rob Kirkbride reports from Chicago Design Week, as its two competing centres threaten to tear it apart; look back on Clerkenwell Design Week now the dust has settled; and there are all the regular features, news and commentary you need.

Commercial property growth in regional cities driven by financial services firms

Commercial property growth in regional cities driven by financial services firms

by • News, Property

Commercial property markets in regional UK cities are seeing significant growth as major financial institutions reconfigure their office strategiesCommercial property markets in regional UK cities are seeing significant growth as major financial institutions rethink their office strategies to focus on high-value client interactions in London while relocating support functions elsewhere. New research from JLL suggests that financial services firms have accounted for more than 440,000 square feet of inward investment in office space across Glasgow, Leeds, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham over the last decade. This is more than the space acquired by manufacturing (238,822 sq. ft) and service industries (224,813 sq. ft), though still behind technology, media and telecoms (TMT) and flexible workspace sectors. (more…)

Flexible office market in EMEA enters new phase of growth

Flexible office market in EMEA enters new phase of growth

by • News, Property

The flexible office market across Europe, the Middle East and Africa is shifting into a new phase, according to new data from Colliers. The region’s flex workspace footprint grew by more than 348,000 square metres in 2024, despite difficult economic conditions and reduced capital availability. The firm’s Flexpansion: The Architecture of Agility report charts a 4.4 percent year-on-year increase in flexible space across 46 EMEA markets. The total now stands at 8.3 million square metres. (more…)

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