October 3, 2023

Investment and new powers essential to unleash the vast potential of UK cities

Unleashing the potential of the UK’s cities is critical to boost growth, repair their social fabric and meet our net zero targets according to a new report, produced in partnership between the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) and Core Cities UK. The report calls on the government to move away from the current trend of short-termism, witnessed in recent weeks in debates on HS2, net zero and the future of local government. More →

October 3, 2023

Beady-eyed employee monitoring is also subject to data protection law

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Technology

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is calling on organisations to consider both their legal obligations and their workers’ rights before they implement any employee monitoring in the workplace. With the rise of remote working and developments in the technology available, many employers are looking to carry out checks on workers. The ICO has today published guidance to help employers fully comply with data protection law if they wish to monitor their workers. More →

October 2, 2023

Sustainability and skills at heart of RICS’ new manifesto for the built environment

by Jayne Smith • Environment, Facilities management, News

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is launching its manifesto for the built environment in the lead-up to the next UK General Election, titled Empowering a Sustainable Future. The UK’s built and natural environments face large-scale challenges ranging from climate change to a cost-of-living crisis. According to the manifesto, endemic skills shortages undermine development in the industry while the workplace has become more fluid post-pandemic, with the built environment needing to reflect the change in workforce behaviour and its approach to sustainability. More →

September 28, 2023

Most people get anxious at the prospect of work meetings

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Technology

A new report based on a survey of 2,000 hybrid and remote employees claims that 8 in 10 people often feel anxious or worried about attending day-to-day work meetings. The white paper titled ‘Zoomed In, Zoned Out’ has been released by Craft Docs [registration], and reports on hybrid and remote workers’ attitudes towards business meetings and other daily workplace processes in 2023. More →

September 27, 2023

What doesn’t kill leaders makes them stronger, say academics

by Neil Franklin • Business, News

People that experience frequent disruptive events are much more likely to become aware of their own identity as leaders, according to new research by Durham University published in the Journal of Business and Psychology. Whilst many believe that impactful, disruptive, and novel events could be detrimental to building a leader’s confidence, the study proves the term “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”, as experiencing strong events made people more aware of their leader capabilities. More →

September 27, 2023

Hybrid working is here to stay. Squawk

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Technology, Workplace design

In his recent book, The Constitution of Knowledge, the author Jonathan Rauch argues that knowledge consists of something about which nearly everybody can agree, and which has been arrived at by a structured, ongoing and benign process of debate and discovery. More →

September 26, 2023

‘Levelling up’ development is new home for 1,400 civil servants

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Public Sector

The UK government has purchased land for the permanent site of the new Darlington Economic Campus as a key part of its so-called levelling up programme. The Darlington Economic Campus (DEC) was established in August 2021 and currently houses 674 government staff. McLaren Property has now sold its option on a 7,926 square metres site on Brunswick Street in Darlington to the Government Property Agency for a permanent base for the Treasury’s second headquarters and Department for Business and Trade. More →

September 25, 2023

Women continue to struggle with the return to work after maternity leave

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

A new poll suggests that while 98 percent of women want to return to work after maternity leave, only 13 percent say it’s actually viable for them. The survey of 848 mothers commissioned by Careers After Babies looked at what happened to their careers after having children. The survey looked into four areas – maternity leave, returning to work, career progression and what women actually want. More →

September 25, 2023

Workspace Design Show returns for third UK edition next February

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Events

Workspace Design Show, the leading trade show bringing together the UK workplace design community, returns to London’s Business Design Centre for its eagerly awaited third UK edition from 27-28 February 2024. At the 2023 event, visitor number increased by an impressive 75 percent year on year with exhibitors from over 20 countries showcasing innovative and transformational workplace interiors products over the two days. Building on this success, over three quarters of stand space is already booked for 2024. More →

September 25, 2023

Report links economic growth with the idea of ‘good work’

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

In advance of the main party conferences, the CIPD is calling for the next UK Government to develop a long-term workforce strategy to underpin a broader, bolder vision for economic growth. This is a central message in its new ‘Manifesto for Good Work’ which outlines the public policy changes needed to address the UK’s multiple challenges, for all the main UK political parties. These challenges include stagnating productivity, rising skills shortages and our ageing working population. More →

September 22, 2023

Generative AI will affect two thirds of jobs, but most people shouldn’t lose them

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

Around two thirds (66 percent) of jobs are considered “highly” or “moderately” exposed to Generative AI, according to the AI at Work Report from job site Indeed. The report claims finds that all US jobs listed on the firm’s website – from truck driver to software engineer – have skills that can be carried out or augmented by Generative AI. However, only 1 in 5 (19.8 percent) of jobs are considered “highly” exposed to the technology, showing that while it can learn to do tasks within a specific job, ‘GenAI’ is unlikely to fully replace many jobs. More →

September 20, 2023

Knowledge workers have a particularly unhealthy relationship with work

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Three quarters of UK knowledge workers say they have an unhealthy relationship with work and two thirds of those say that work has had a negative effect on their health and wellbeing. That is one of the headline findings from a new report into the working lives of 15,600 people worldwide from HP. The report also suggests that three quarters of respondents would take a pay cut to be happier at work or to work wherever they want. More →