September 11, 2020

Jobseekers still looking to work for organisations that share their values

Covid-19 has changed the profile of today’s jobseekers and as such, an organisation’s purpose is valued more than ever suggests new research from the recruitment agency Hays. Of the 13,500 surveyed, four in five (81 percent) professionals say working at an organisation that has a strong and positive purpose aligned to their motivations is important when considering a new role. Close to half (42 percent) say this has grown in importance since the outbreak of Covid-19. (more…)

September 9, 2020

Resilience is missing for many employees

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing Matters, Working lives

A new report from Aon,examined the views of employers and employees across five major countries in Europe and claim that just 30 percent of employees are resilient while also suggesting that resilience can triple when employers adopt a well-rounded programme of support. Employees with poor resilience have 55 percent lower engagement at work and are 42 percent less likely to want to stay with their employer. In the UK, 29 percent of employees are resilient, and those with poor resilience have 59 percent lower engagement and are 43 percent less likely to want to stay with their employer. (more…)

September 8, 2020

Majority of businesses plan to move to smaller but more focused offices in future

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

According to a new independent survey of over 500 senior business decision-makers, nearly three quarters believe COVID-19 will result in more UK businesses downsizing to smaller office spaces in the coming 12 months. Most also say they value the office and will be more focused on its strengths as part of the shift. The data from property developers Accumulate Capital claims to show how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected UK businesses and their commercial property needs. (more…)

September 7, 2020

Ditching the 9 to 5 has enlightening implications for the design of offices

by David Clements • Comment, Workplace design

What can we learn from 2020? Maybe one of the most important lessons is that we had got to accustomed to functioning, working and thinking like machines rather than humans? The deadly Covid-19 virus reminded all of us that the mortal human can never relax and believe all is ‘’OK’’. (more…)

September 4, 2020

Workers feel unsafe returning to the workplace after COVID-19

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing

Insurance provider Protectivity has asked office workers around the UK how they’re feeling about going back to work as COVID-19 lockdown restrictions ease, what changes they have made during the lockdown period, their thoughts about attending workplace events over the next few months and how they’re feeling about their pets post-lockdown. (more…)

September 4, 2020

UK business leaders predict office downsizing in the coming year

by Jayne Smith • News, Property

A new independent survey by Accumulate Capital suggests how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected UK businesses and their commercial property needs. The property development firm commissioned an independent survey of more than 500 senior decision-makers from businesses all over the UK and the majority believe there will be a need for downsizing to smaller office spaces in the future. (more…)

September 3, 2020

No, flexible working won`t mean the death of the office and the city

by Jane Parry • Features, Flexible working

When coronavirus lockdowns were introduced, the shift to flexible working and remote work was sudden and sweeping. Now the British government is hoping the return to the office will be just as swift – to help the economy “get back to normal”. But pushing everyone back to the office full time fails to recognise the many benefits that working from home has brought. It also fails to capitalise on this moment of change. (more…)

September 3, 2020

UK firms optimistic about COVID-19 recovery prospects

by Jayne Smith • Business, News

What impact is COVID-19 having on business confidence? And what recovery strategies are companies prioritising in response to the pandemic? Recruitment company Robert Half recently surveyed more than 1,500 executives to understand how they are responding to this ongoing period of unprecedented economic change. (more…)

September 3, 2020

Long hours main reason workers take their employer to tribunal

by Jayne Smith • Legal news, News, Workplace

UK workers are most likely to log a claim against their employer for making them work excessively long hours, claims new data by health and safety training provider DeltaNet International. The data, which looks at the number of employment tribunal cases over the last five years, suggests there have been 160,299 jurisdictions (complaints) in relation to employers breaking the Working Time Directive, which outlines the maximum weekly working hours. Under the directive, a UK employee cannot work more than 48 hours a week on average – normally averaged over 17 weeks – unless there is an exception. (more…)

September 2, 2020

Remote work and the coming race to the bottom

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Wellbeing, Working lives

One of the most significant consequences of the 2008 economic crash was a remarkable shift in the nature of employment. The recession led to a surge in the number of people categorised as self-employed. The numbers have been increasing ever since, albeit at a more stable rate. By the end of 2019, the number of self-employed people in the UK exceeded five million people for the first time. That’s fifteen percent of the workforce. (more…)

September 2, 2020

New strategy tackles the post-COVID climate emergency

by Jayne Smith • Environment, News

Supported by its Green Building Councils and their members, the WorldGBC (World Green Building Council) network has launched Sustainable Buildings for Everyone, Everywhere — a new strategy to accelerate and mainstream the transformation of built environments around the world. Based on climate science and the Global Goals of Sustainable Development (SDGs), the strategy tackles global warming, health and wellbeing and resource impacts to deliver quality infrastructure — a critical need for our planet, communities and economies in the context of the COVID pandemic.
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September 2, 2020

Stress and burnout threaten the benefits of working from home

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing

A new study by Adaptavist, suggests the threats to long-term productivity and employee wellbeing posed by improvised solutions during the transition to remote work. Overall, 82 percent of people report they are equally (47 percent) if not more productive (35 percent) working from home, and company-wide communications have improved during the pandemic. However, the lack of a shared understanding of which tool to use and how to communicate with it, combined with the ‘always on’ nature of working from home, brings added stress and motivational challenges for remote workers. (more…)