May 24, 2023

Three quarters of firms have now mandated some form of ‘return to office’

A new poll from Unispace claims that around 72 percent of companies globally have now mandated a return to office based work. However, many respondents also report losing key employees due to mandates, with recruitment also being impacted by enforced returns. The report concludes that companies are failing to recognise the drivers of workers’ reluctance to return to the workplace, and likewise, the opportunities and value that the physical workplace provides. More →

May 24, 2023

BCO Awards for Central England continue focus on wellbeing and the environment

by Mark Eltringham • Company news, Property

What are claimed to be the Midlands and Central England’s most outstanding workplaces have been announced, with British Council for Offices Awards going to five office buildings across the region. Held at ICC in Birmingham, the BCO Awards for the region set out to recognise projects that demonstrate best practice in office design, fit-out, operation and sustainability. The organisers claims that the winners of this year’s competition in the Midlands and Central England stand out for their user-centred design credentials, as well as their creative implementation of wellbeing and sustainability measures. More →

May 23, 2023

Many people think workplace is a greater source of stress than a relationship breakdown

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing

A new poll claims that workplace stress is seen as having a greater impact by many people, compared to relationship breakdowns. According to the survey conducted by Westfield Health, more than a quarter of workers (27 percent) ranked their job as more stressful than a relationship breakdown (8 percent). These worrying statistics highlight the negative effects of workplace stress on individuals, surpassing even stressful personal circumstances. More →

May 23, 2023

Office giant Sedus announces partnership with Watson Furniture Group

by Freddie Steele • Company news

Sedus Stoll AG, the Germany based office furniture giant, and US based Watson Furniture Group have announced a new global partnership. The deal was signed at last year’s Orgatec office furniture exhibition. For both companies, the global partnership is seen a logical next step in the development of their businesses, the firms claim. Shared values and similar market strategies and expertise in the areas of technology and manufacturing are an excellent stepping stone to strategic cooperation. More →

May 19, 2023

Growth in self-employment a good sign of economic recovery

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed) has welcomed new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing year-on-year growth in self-employment. There are 154,000 more self-employed than this time last year. In total, there are now 4.4 million operating in the UK. The data also revealed a significant rise in the number of women choosing to work for themselves, with an additional 93,000 self-employed women compared to the same time last year. More →

May 17, 2023

Workload and personal appearance now main sources of workplace anxiety

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

A new poll from The Adaptavist Group claims that three-quarters of UK office workers now say they experience workplace anxiety, with a little over one-quarter saying it happens often to almost all the time. This is a significant shift from just nine months ago when only 38 percent of respondents in Adaptavist’s Reinventing Work study said they suffered from anxiety upon returning to work. More →

May 17, 2023

APAC region leads the world in return to office bookings, report claims

by Jayne Smith • Facilities management, News, Property, Technology

A new report from Eptura [registration] claims that there has been a global wave of return to office bookings led by the Asia Pacific market, including a worldwide 338 percent increase in collaborative room bookings, 76 percent room booking check-in rate, 35 percent increase in visitor check-ins, and 3 percent increase in site inspections. More →

May 16, 2023

Most firms don’t see retrofit as part of their net zero strategy

by Jayne Smith • Environment, Facilities management, News, Property

Despite organisations and the Government setting environmental targets, when it comes to buildings, there remains a lack of commitment to prepare for net zero. Without boards changing their attitudes and government action, the UK faces a building retrofit crisis which threatens the nation’s ability to ever reach net zero. That is the main finding of a new report which explores the current state of retrofit for commercial property in the UK. More →

May 15, 2023

Flexible working and its benefits are enjoyed most by highest paid workers

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Low paid workers have the least flexible working, and the gap between the number of flexible workers on the lowest and highest salaries has increased in the last year, according to figures from the Flex for Life 2023 report from advocacy group Flexibility Works. Just half (51 percent) of workers surveyed for the report earning less than £20,000 a year work flexibly, compared with eight in ten (80 percent) workers earning more than £50,000. The figures are from an analysis of flexible working in Scotland, which is supported by the Scottish Government and The Hunter Foundation. More →

May 12, 2023

Half of gig workers earn below the minimum wage

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Workplace

As the cost of living continues to spiral, a new report shows more than half of gig economy workers in the UK are paid below the minimum wage. The study, led by the University of Bristol, found 52 percent of gig workers doing jobs ranging from data entry to food delivery were earning below the minimum wage. On average respondents were earning £8.97 per hour – around 15 percent below the current UK minimum wage, which rose to £10.42 this month. More than three-quarters (76 percent) of survey respondents also experienced work-related insecurity and anxiety. More →

May 11, 2023

Hybrid working is a potential deal breaker for two thirds of tech workers

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

A new report claims that 7 in 10 UK tech workers now consider hybrid working a key factor when considering a future employer. That is according to The Scaleup Culture Report [registration] from Techspace, based on a YouGov survey of 1,000 tech workers. The report claims that a flexible working policy is considered a high priority by 78 percent of tech employees and a hybrid working policy by 67 percent of tech employees. Other important factors include flexible working policies and opportunities for career development. These statistics have exposed a new factor that will determine startups’ competitiveness in the job market. More →

May 11, 2023

Magenta Associates reports positive first quarter to 2023

by Freddie Steele • Company news

Magenta Associates, the communications specialist for the built environment, has reported significant growth in 2022/23 (20 percent) and 2021/22 (32 percent), along with a series of new architecture, design and construction contract wins, and several of its existing clients confirming that they will invest in new service areas of the business. In 2022, the Brighton based firm launched its new dedicated B2E (business to employee) comms division in light of research it commissioned which revealed a gap in the market, particularly for FM firms, many of which are struggling to unite dispersed teams in the era of hybrid working and talent shortages. In the first quarter of 2023, an increasing number of clients have turned to Magenta for support in this area. More →