June 4, 2019

HR managers most concerned about AI job threat

A new study suggests that more than 7 in 10 Britons working in production are concerned that their jobs may be made obsolete thanks to developments in Artificial Intelligence in the coming years. What’s more, over two fifths of respondents believe AI could rebel against humans. As technology develops and more money and time is invested into AI, the public’s opinion has been explored, with those working in production, HR and construction uncovered to be the most worried that AI could take their jobs away from them. (more…)

June 3, 2019

Bisley modular storage system awarded Design Guild Mark

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Furniture, Workplace design

UK based storage firm Bisley has been awarded its second Design Guild mark for BOB, a hand-crafted modular storage and display system developed in collaboration with award winning British designer Paul Kelley. BOB’s configurations can be adapted for any use and environment, whether at home or in the workplace. The collaboration unifies Kelley’s design innovations with the craftsmanship and manufacturing expertise of Bisley. (more…)

June 3, 2019

Come for the rent, stay for the experience of coworking

by Aki Stamatis • Comment, Coworking, Workplace design

When attending last year’s CoreNet Global Summit in Boston, there was a poll of the real estate executives gathered to discuss the key trends affecting the world of commercial property. During the event we were asked about our attitudes to coworking by the event organisers and Cushman & Wakefield. What emerged was a portrait of genuine revolution in real estate thinking. The number of employees from the respondents’ organisations using coworking space had doubled in the previous two years and now stood at around 11 percent of all employees. (more…)

June 3, 2019

The best workplace events to look forward to in June

by Mark Eltringham • Events, News

As the workplace sector raises its profile and that of the key topics that define it and the world sets out to address the wide range of challenges for the way we live and work, some of them even vital for our existence, this might prove to be something of a seminal year and so it’s important to be out and about sharing ideas. Fortunately, you can find a full list of relevant happenings around the world on our Events page, the most comprehensive calendar of workplace related events in the world, in partnership with Herman Miller.

This upcoming month, June 2019 see a range of key topics addressed including wellbeing, sustainability, office design, coworking and acoustics. Here are a few of the best:

BCO Annual Conference
05 June 2019 – 07 June 2019
Copenhagen

RICS Digital Built Environment Conference 2019
05 June 2019
London

Wellbeing at Work
06 June 2019
New York

The Association of Noise Consultants annual conference
06 June 2019
Manchester

The Smart Conversations Workplace Conference
06 June 2019
Barcelona

BRE Wellness and Biophilia Symposium
06 June 2019 – 07 June 2019
Watford

Condeco Workplace Innovation Forum
06 June 2019
London

Neocon
10 June 2019 – 12 June 2019
Chicago

CIPD Festival of Work
12 June 2019 – 13 June 2019
London

Future of Work Summit 2019 – Embrace Change to Manage the new Workplace Reality
13 June 2019
London

Personal preferences in the modern office – with Dr Nigel Oseland
18 June 2019
London

IWFM Annual General Meeting (AGM) June 2019
20 June 2019
London

Workplace Week – New York
24 June 2019 – 28 June 2019
New York

Coworking London Conference 2019
27 June 2019 – 28 June 2019
London

May 31, 2019

The far reaching impact of empathy in the workplace

by Beverley Nicholas • Comment, Workplace

The average career length is 50 years, and according to Gallup’s State of The Global Workplace report, during this time only 1 in 10 people are actively engaged. This illustrates that within the current landscape there is a need for companies to actively pursue strategies to better engage their employees. Embedding empathy in working culture is one way of achieving actively-engaged workers but it also has the added benefit of increasing productivity and business growth. This was revealed by a piece in the Harvard Business Review, which highlighted the top ten most empathetic companies outperformed the bottom ten by at least 50 percent in productivity, earnings and growth. (more…)

May 31, 2019

London leads the way in coworking

by George Eltringham • Coworking, News

Over recent years, we have witnessed significant changes when it comes to the workplace. Women are continuing to push through the glass ceiling, offices are starting to look more likes homes and businesses are opting for a more flexible and sociable working environment. This rise in coworking and other forms of flexible office space is just one of the latest trends to emerge from the corporate world, and according to a report by office brokers Office Freedom, London is at the forefront of this growing market. (more…)

May 29, 2019

Biophilia in the corporate HQ: an historical perspective

by Guzman de Yarza Blache • Architecture, Environment, Facilities management, Features, Workplace design

In recent years, the concept of biophilia and the inclusion of greenery in the working environment has captured the media’s attention, which has depicted it as an important aspect of wellbeing in the workplace, seemingly the crucial indicator of a great office. For this reason, and beyond the superficial or cosmetic use of plants in the office, I would like to analyse the relationship between nature and the corporate world from a historical perspective in an effort to understand the role of greenery within the architecture of the corporate headquarters.

(more…)

May 27, 2019

The workplace revolution is already here

by Tony Antoniou • Comment, Workplace design

We should all count ourselves privileged to witness first-hand the most dramatic changes in working practices in over two hundred years. This workplace revolution has been brought about mainly by technology which has allowed freedom of movement through Wi-Fi and cloud technology. This freedom has been embraced by the smart companies, allowing their people to thrive by creating workspaces that take advantage of this opportunity to unshackle themselves from fixed desk positions. They have given them great spaces in which to work, to go out and enjoy their environment and to have the ideal place in which to perform each task they are working on throughout their day. (more…)

May 27, 2019

Wellbeing rather than growth should be focus of government policy

by Mark Eltringham • News, Wellbeing

Personal wellbeing rather than economic growth should be the primary aim of government spending, according to a new report from the from the all-party parliamentary group on wellbeing economics which urges a complete change in thinking from ministers,.Gus O’Donnell, who served as cabinet secretary, said Britain could lead the world by making the issue the primary goal of government policy. (more…)

May 27, 2019

Milan named as best city in world for wellbeing

by Neil Franklin • Cities, News, Wellbeing

Milan has been named the 2019 Wellbeing City as part of the Wellbeing City Award, which claims to be the first global award recognising city-led action. Five Award Laureate Cities have been announced as part of the Award and will be honoured at The Wellbeing Cities Forum in Montréal on June 19, 2019. The annual Award has been developed by NewCities in partnership with the Novartis Foundation, the Novartis US Foundation, and in collaboration with the City of Montréal, Toyota Mobility Foundation, Transdev, and the US Green Building Council. (more…)

May 24, 2019

People declare themselves fit to work for longer

by George Eltringham • News, Wellbeing

New research from AIG claims that workers expect to be physically capable of doing their jobs until past their 68th birthday, beyond the age they can start claiming the State Pension even when it is extended to 67 by 2028. Almost a third (31 percent) believe they could work into their 70s and beyond with one in 14 confident they could keep going into their 80s. (more…)

May 23, 2019

From storage to stowage: what neuroscience teaches us about work

by Helen Owen • Comment, Workplace design

Insight into the way things work can often come from the strangest and most difficult places. For Jill Bolte Tayor, a neuroscientist well versed in the theory of how the brain works, her particular insight into the practical functioning of the brain came as a result of a stroke she suffered in 1996. What she learned during and after her experience became the subject of a famous Ted Talk in 2008. (more…)