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UK government plans to parachute AI experts into departments to ‘turbocharge’ productivity

UK government plans to parachute AI experts into departments to ‘turbocharge’ productivity

So-called 'digital gurus' from the private sector will be 'parachuted' into government departments as part of radical plans to 'turbocharge' the technological and AI skills of civil servantsSo-called ‘digital gurus’ from the private sector will be ‘parachuted’ into government departments as part of radical plans to ‘turbocharge’ the technological skills of civil servants, Cabinet Office Minister Jeremy Quin has announced. Delivering a speech at the think tank Policy Exchange, Minister Quin set out a number of measures which he claims will drive forward the government’s plans to harness innovation and technology including AI to make Whitehall run more efficiently.

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Help over-50s and other groups into self-employment to boost economy, say MPs

Help over-50s and other groups into self-employment to boost economy, say MPs

a new scheme developed to encourage people to set up their own businesses and move into self-employmentThe UK Government’s Work and Pensions Committee has called for more employment support to address economic inactivity. The support for helping people into work should be widened to those not on benefits, with a new scheme developed to encourage people to set up their own businesses and move into self-employment. The Committee has also called for more focus to be given to measures to help young people, the over 50s and people with disabilities and long-term health conditions find and stay in work. (more…)

Are you ready for the latest family friendly employment laws?

Are you ready for the latest family friendly employment laws?

Three new ground-breaking employment laws will transform the employee benefit landscapeIt’s increasingly important for employers to have family-friendly employee benefits and policies to support recruitment and retention. These need to recognise the diverse needs and responsibilities of employees today and enable them to effectively balance their work and family life. Now to support employees and give them more protection in law three new ground-breaking employment laws will transform the employee benefit landscape. (more…)

CIPD says HR professionals should ‘lean in’ to artificial intelligence

CIPD says HR professionals should ‘lean in’ to artificial intelligence

HR and artificial intelligenceThe swift rise of generative artificial intelligence and its potential impact in the workplace puts people professionals at the heart of understanding how this fast-evolving technology can be responsibly used, and the business impact it may have, according to the CIPD.  To support this change, the trade body has launched a new guide, Preparing your Organisation for AI Use, which stresses the importance of people professionals creating clear policies on the use of easily accessible, web-based generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Google Bard.  (more…)

We need better evidence to help protect people at work

We need better evidence to help protect people at work

Understanding what works to protect people at work needs better use of evidenceWe make decisions at work every day and for those in complex roles or in fast-changing situations, it can feel like a continuous process. In business, of course, the choices we make can have a significant impact on the bottom line and, more importantly, our people, the environment and the communities we’re operating in. With so much riding on what we choose to do, our decision-making processes must be designed to maximise our chances of successful outcomes. This is especially so when our decisions involve how to protect people at work so can be literally a matter of life or death. (more…)

To boost productivity in the UK, we need to think big and different

To boost productivity in the UK, we need to think big and different

olicymakers, businesses, and society must recognise the importance of productivity and collaborate to implement the necessary reforms and initiatives to unlock the country's full economic potentialThe decline in UK productivity since the Great Recession of 2008/2009 has been a matter of concern for business leaders, policymakers, and economists alike. Despite hopes that the pandemic would act as a catalyst for transformation and boost productivity, recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the UK still lags behind several other G7 economies. (more…)

Bolder strategy needed to boost productivity and economic growth

Bolder strategy needed to boost productivity and economic growth

The Government’s plan to transform the UK into a science and technology superpower will fail to boost living standards unless it’s linked to a broader industrial strategy aimed at raising productivity across all sectors of the economy.The Government’s plan to transform the UK into a science and technology superpower will fail to boost living standards unless it’s linked to a broader industrial strategy aimed at raising productivity across all sectors of the economy. This is the central conclusion of a new CIPD discussion paper, An industrial strategy for the everyday economy, which says a bolder vision for economic growth, looking across all sectors and areas of the economy, is needed considering the multiple challenges facing the UK. (more…)

Despina Katsikakis elected President of the British Council for Offices

Despina Katsikakis elected President of the British Council for Offices

Despina Katsikakis, Executive Partner & Global Lead, Total Workplace at Cushman & Wakefield, has been elected as President of the British Council for Offices (BCO)Despina Katsikakis, Executive Partner & Global Lead, Total Workplace at Cushman & Wakefield, has been elected as President of the British Council for Offices (BCO) with immediate effect. She succeeds Mark Kowal, Partner at Sheppard Robson. Peter Crowther, Managing Director at Bruntwood, becomes Senior Vice President. (more…)

Workplace generations express different demands of their jobs

Workplace generations express different demands of their jobs

A report from interior design and fit-out business Claremont claims that firms are having to work increasingly hard to address the needs and priorities of different workplace generationsEven though people who belong to so-called Generation Z are often described as digital natives, it is actually ‘Baby Boomers’ who are most focussed on workplace technology, a new poll claims. The report from interior design and fit-out business Claremont claims that firms are having to work increasingly hard to address the needs and priorities of different workplace generations. It claims that Baby Boomers (born 1946 to 1964) want better technology in the office to help them be more productive. They also want more face-to-face collaboration and team spirit more than any other generation. (more…)

Improved support for menopause could help women stay in work

Improved support for menopause could help women stay in work

more than half (54 percent) feel it would be difficult for them to raise issues, including menopause, with their employersWomen in the UK are urging politicians and business leaders to take steps that help them remain productive in the workforce for longer, as research shows more than half (54 percent) feel it would be difficult for them to raise issues, including menopause, with their employers and three fifths would also feel uncomfortable bringing up health and wellbeing issues with a male manager. (more…)

All we are saying is give lease a chance

All we are saying is give lease a chance

The lease of office fit-out elements looks like a no-brainer for a number of reasons. But is the sector ready to embrace them?By their very nature, trends come and go. What we are now seeing with sustainable, responsible product and material sourcing goes way beyond trend or fad, of course, and in recent discussions we’ve had (and we’ve had quite a few) on the subject, the question of furniture as a service or a furniture lease model has arisen on a number of occasions. So often, in fact, that we decided we should look deeper into the subject, to ascertain its pros (and cons) and to decipher whether this is merely a hypothetical – certainly at any large scale – that the industry would like to adopt or is a very real here and now. (more…)

Members of European Parliament back charter to ‘revolutionise workplace wellbeing’

Members of European Parliament back charter to ‘revolutionise workplace wellbeing’

The Future Workforce Alliance (FWA), a consortium of policymakers, researchers and firms such as Zoom and Remote, has launched the European Charter for Digital Workplace WellbeingMembers of the European Parliament have backed a new charter from a consortium of organisations that sets out to ‘revolutionise workforce policy’. The Future Workforce Alliance (FWA), a consortium of policymakers, researchers and firms such as Zoom and Remote, has launched the European Charter for Digital Workplace Wellbeing and claims that the step by MEPs signals the beginning of the life/work revolution and solidification of workers’ rights in the face of  what it refers to as ‘return to office lobbying’. (more…)