July 18, 2024

CIBSE and IBPSA-England announce their partnership for 2025 Technical Symposium

CIBSE and IBPSA-England are pleased to unveil their partnership for the upcoming 2025 Technical Symposium. This joint effort merges two premier events in building performance and sustainable design: CIBSE’s annual Technical Symposium and IBPSA-England’s biennial Building Simulation and Optimisation event. Themed “Fit for 2050 – Achieving Net-Zero through Intelligent, Resilient and Sustainable Design in the Built Environment,” the CIBSE IBPSA-England Technical Symposium 2025 aims to serve as a platform for the latest research and innovations in sustainable practices. This partnership underscores a shared dedication to advancing knowledge and best practices in building performance. More →

July 17, 2024

Want a creative workplace? Make life difficult and chaotic for yourself

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Workplace

We launched IN Magazine officially on the 4th of March 2020. So, this month marks some sort of anniversary. You could argue that this was the worst day in the history of mankind to launch a new magazine about people, work and workplaces and you’d probably be right. People were already not shaking hands. They had begun deserting public transport and planning for less contact with each other. Lockdown was only a couple of weeks away. More →

July 17, 2024

People are cautiously optimistic about the impact of AI and other tech

by Neil Franklin • AI, News, Technology, Wellbeing

Employers and staff are optimistic about impact of new technologies, despite uncertainty about safety according to a new British Safety Council survey. The YouGov survey commissioned by British Safety Council among 4018 UK employers and employees claims that both employers and employees are optimistic about the impact new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) will have on their workplace – even though decision makers feel more optimistic than staff. More →

July 16, 2024

Why a ‘listening culture’ could do more harm than good

by Victoria Lewis-Stephens • Business, Comment, Workplace

Over the past few months, we have seen large corporates hit the headlines due to some poor business practices. Leaders from all of those companies have made statements where they accept responsibility and state they are looking to do things differently in the future. Whether it’s the statement by CEO Nick Read in light of the Post Office Horizon scandal, or Boeing CEO David Calhoun answering questions in the US Senate, one word that keeps cropping up is ‘listening’. More →

July 16, 2024

Put on your own mask first: Leadership strategies for stress management and emotional resilience

by Bruce Watt • Comment, Wellbeing

Put your own oxygen mask on before assisting other passengers. If you’ve been on a plane before, you’ve heard this saying. What would it look like if you put your own proverbial mask on before placing others? Looking after yourself first? As a leader, making sure that your own stress is properly managed translates to helping yourself so that you’re available to help others. When we don’t have a handle on our stress, it can reveal our negative personal tendencies, be it arrogance, melodrama or volatility. While those derailers have an immense effect on our ability to produce work, they also negatively affect those around us. More →

July 15, 2024

Recovery Journey: Starting Fresh After Addiction

by Freddie Steele • News

Recovery is not just a destination; it’s a continuous journey that requires perseverance, commitment, and courage. Those taking the brave step to start over after addiction often finds themselves at the threshold of transformation met with challenges yet ushered into a period of profound personal growth. Embracing sobriety means more than abstaining from substances — it involves redefining one’s life and identity. Below, we delve into the various aspects of navigating the winding road to recovery and sustaining sobriety. More →

July 10, 2024

Addressing bad behavior with good policy

by Laura Dribin • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace

The COVID-19 outbreak (and subsequent lockdowns) did a number on us in our workplaces and in our homes—and we are still paying the price in so many ways. Did employees and managers get so used to remote work that they totally forgot that humans are social creatures and social interaction is vital to our wellbeing. Sometimes it feels that way. I have spent most of my career working on and managing large global projects. Issues that arose always seemed to be focused on headquarters- and/or remote-location considerations but nothing so serious that it would hinder the project team(s) from working together. More →

July 10, 2024

Four day work week campaigners launch new project in wake of successful pilot

by Marvin Gort • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Campaigners advocating for a four day work week are gearing up for a fresh pilot project aimed at promoting flexible working practices. The initiative is set to launch in November, with participating companies currently being invited to sign up. The findings from this project will be presented to the government in the summer of 2025. The push for a four-day working week, notably with no reduction in pay, has gained significant traction in recent years, particularly following the Covid-19 pandemic which reshaped workplace expectations. In 2022, a previous UK pilot saw 61 companies participate, and 54 of them continued the practice a year and a half later. Similar initiatives have also been conducted in Germany, Portugal, Spain, and Iceland. More →

July 10, 2024

Living the dream of better times for a new generation

by Grant Gibson • Business, Comment

As a new Labour Prime Minister settles into office with a thumping majority behind him and with the Conservative opposition in utter disarray, it’s difficult not to think back to 1997 and the wave of euphoria that over took the nation. Here was a Labour government that seemed to understand the issues the country faced and the direction of travel it needed to take in the future. Tony Blair was 43 years old when he took office (nearly 20 years younger than Keir Starmer is now) and had an instinctive grasp for what Generation X craved. After all, he was the first British Prime Minster to grow up with rock and roll and appeared to embody a generational shift like no politician before him. More →

July 10, 2024

The facilities manager’s fear of the penalty kick

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Facilities management

On the whole, football is not a great source of inspiration for artists. It certainly doesn’t film well, although there is a small place for it in literature. The likes of Arnold Bennett, Orwell, Sartre and J B Priestley have all drawn from the game some metaphor, philosophical point, social observation or other. There are even some major literary figures who played the game to a decent level.

And the curious thing about them is that they were all goalkeepers.

July 6, 2024

Understanding enterprise search software and its importance in the business landscape

by Freddie Steele • Company news

As the digital landscape of business continues to expand, the ability to navigate vast repositories of information swiftly and accurately is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. In this article, we will explore the span of enterprise search, its central features, and the positive outcomes it ripples through an organization. Keep reading to understand how enterprise search software can transform your business processes. More →

July 6, 2024

Top careers with a master’s degree in public health

by Freddie Steele • Company news

Choosing to pursue a master’s degree in public health can open doors to a dynamic range of career opportunities that contribute meaningfully to society. These careers span across various facets of health, including data analysis, policy development, and direct community intervention. With the increasing complexity of public health challenges, professionals with advanced degrees are more in demand than ever. Individuals equipped with a higher level of knowledge and expertise are poised to take leadership roles in tackling these challenges head-on. In this article, we will discuss the promising career paths that a Master’s in Public Health can lead to. More →