March 16, 2022

IVC Commercial offer brand identity and practicality at new offices of Plastribution

Plastribution, a UK based distributor of plastics and raw materials, recently moved into new offices and called upon Blueprint Interiors to design a practical space that reflected its brand through colours. Across 1,000m sq.m. of space, a range of flooring solutions from IVC Commercial have been used. In the main desking areas, Art Style and Art Fields carpet planks have been installed in a range of colours that reflect Plastribution’s colourful and vibrant brand identity. Bright tones of yellow, cyan and magenta have been contrasted with circles of charcoal grey for a look that is energetic yet professional. (more…)

March 15, 2022

New ways of working and what we’ve learned about them over the past two years

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

A report published by Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA): Change For Good: 10 Lessons From The Pandemic identifies what it says is the transformative effect of the new ways of working and why there is ‘no going back’ for employers or employees. (more…)

March 9, 2022

Workspace Design Show reveals new theme and announces new Amsterdam event

by Freddie Steele • News, Workplace design

With 12 months to go, ‘Destination Workplace’ has been unveiled as the theme for the second edition of the Workspace Design Show. Taking place at London’s Business Design Centre on 27-28 February 2023, the Workspace Design Show will once again be bringing together the entire commercial interiors community to discover and discuss tomorrow’s workspaces. The Workspace Design Show has announced the members of an advisory board and is also launching an Amsterdam counterpart. The Amsterdam show will have a special focus on bringing UK exporters an opportunity to sell to the Benelux market. (more…)

March 3, 2022

What really happens when we start using offices again?

by Henry Stainton • Comment, Flexible working, Property

Should I stay or should I go? – we have all faced that dilemma in recent weeks with our offices opened by hopeful employers versus the enticement of a warm kitchen, fresh coffee and swerving a long commute also on offer. It is a decision we are all having to make and, which seems loaded with potential, previously unimagined outcomes. (more…)

March 3, 2022

Britain’s workplace wellbeing champions crowned at national awards

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

The organisations and businesses leading the way in promoting their employees’ wellbeing have been honoured in a brand new awards series. The Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards were founded last year by the Great British Entrepreneur Awards team and industry specialists Wellity Global to recognise the inspiring response of employers across the UK to the ongoing wellbeing and mental health crisis amongst the working population. (more…)

March 3, 2022

The nature of work has changed permanently for many people, new report claims

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

The pandemic has changed the nature of work, which offers opportunities for organisations to adopt more considerate and efficient work practices as offices reopen. The latest study to come to this conclusion has been published by the University of Southampton and funded by the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC). The research considered the longer-term implications of working from home and which new working practices should remain and be encouraged. Its findings offer lessons from lockdown that will guide organisations as they seek to make hybrid working a success. (more…)

February 28, 2022

Hybrid working means we have to make the most of our time in the office

by Dr Omar Merlo • Comment, Flexible working

The covid-19 pandemic has drastically affected every aspect of our lives, whether it be in a personal, societal, or professional sense. One of the biggest changes to come from the pandemic is the impact it has had on workplaces, and what we now know our working world to be, including the advent for the first time of widespread hybrid working. Long gone are the days of long commutes, long days in the office and set working hours. (more…)

February 20, 2022

Firms will need to build bridges with employees as they adapt to hybrid working

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Workplace

As we enter a new phase of working life following the short term changes made to cope with the pandemic, the three key priorities for the 1,300 employers surveyed by the Benefits & Human Resources Consulting operation of Gallagher for its 2021/2022 State of the Sector report (registration) are: the need to re-engage their teams around purpose, strategy and values (53 percent); the need to adapt communication channels to engage the workforce better as they move to newly implemented models of hybrid working (39 percent); and the need to enhance people manager communications (31 percent). (more…)

February 17, 2022

ESG issues top wish-lists for investors and employees

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News, Workplace

The annual EY Long-Term Value and Corporate Governance Survey finds a significant increase – from 66 percent to 84 percent – of board members and C-suite who say the COVID-19 pandemic increased expectations from consumers, employees, governments and broader society that companies will drive societal impact, environmental sustainability, and inclusive growth. However, there’s also an increase – from 28 percent to 43 percent – in respondents identifying lack of commitment from the board to make decisions that fully integrate ESG factors that would lead to long-term value. Fifty five percent of respondents say there are significant differences of opinion among leadership on how to balance short-term considerations with long-term investments and sustainable growth. That figure jumps to 68 percent of board chairs and non-executive board directors. (more…)

February 15, 2022

Office still important for nurturing friendships and inclusivity, report claims

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Workplace

The physical office remains vital for nurturing friendships, and supporting a diverse and inclusive workforce, according to O.C. Tanner’s 2022 Global Culture Report which analysed the perspectives of over 38,000 employees, leaders, HR practitioners and executives from 21 countries around the world, including over 2,500 from the U.K. Around two thirds (63 percent) of U.K. workers admit that it’s more challenging to form new friendships with colleagues when working remotely, and 58 percent of workers state that the office is where most of their new friendships are formed. (more…)

February 9, 2022

The metaverse will shape the future of work. Here’s how

by Maria Moraes Robinson • Comment, Technology, Workplace design

Although the term ‘metaverse’ was coined in 1992 by science fiction novelist Neal Stephenson, it has only just entered the mainstream lexicon after Facebook changed its name to Meta to reflect its strategic focus on making this sci fi vision a reality. Given that there is no singular definition of what a metaverse is, and there will be many competing metaverses transforming our experience of social media, electronic commerce and how we collaborate and transact online, it is important that leaders start to understand the profound ways in which this new technological paradigm is set to radically impact on the future of work. (more…)

February 8, 2022

New business climate demands agility from managers, report claims

by Jayne Smith • Business, News

A new report, The Big Reset Playbook: Change Agility (registration) from work trends analyst The Josh Bersin Company, claims that traditional approaches to change management have often fallen short of expectations, and that new workplace practices based on agility are now needed to manage change in a new business climate. According to the report ‘businesses are looking to tackle the challenge of managing change in a new reality that includes the shift to hybrid working, globalization and The Great Resignation’. The research claims that in companies that successfully manage change, leaders and high performers reinforce the company’s mission and purpose, explain how their reinvented business models work, create cross-functional teams to design and implement change, and maintain forward momentum. (more…)