August 17, 2021
Right to disconnect should be enshrined in law, says report
An overtime “epidemic” driven by the rise in home working during the pandemic must be curtailed with new right to disconnect laws, according to a report from think-tank Autonomy. The authors claim that unpaid labour is a growing problem in the UK, exacerbated by home working during the pandemic. They say employees are frequently contacted by their employers after the working day has finished officially to complete tasks, which impacts their mental health. The report proposes draft legislation to implement a ‘right to disconnect’ based on French law, which ensures respect for employee rest periods and allows them to ignore work calls and emails outside of working hours. (more…)
Nearly half (42 percent) of employees think the working culture of their organisation has deteriorated during the pandemic. That’s according to research by 
A gap is emerging between executive and employee perceptions on the future of the ’employee experience’, according to a report from Gartner. The 2021 Gartner Hybrid Work Employee Survey of 4,000 employees in January 2021 claims that there are six perception gaps that employers must resolve. The Gartner survey claims that 75 percent of executive leaders believe they are already offering a flexible employee experience, yet only 57 percent of employees indicate that their organisational culture embraces flexible working. Further, nearly three-quarters of executives believe the business understands how flexible work patterns support employees, but only half of employees share this view. 
One of the more welcome outcomes from the pandemic has been a reinvigorated and better conversation about the environment in general and workplace sustainability in particular. 
Technology is now integral for short and long-term employee wellbeing following the dramatic changes to working life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Thomas Woods, Vice-President of Enterprise for 
A new strategy from the UK government promises more inclusive workplaces, easier commuting and better job prospects for millions of disabled people. The strategy sets out 100 immediate commitments supported by £1.6bn of funding alongside an ambitious agenda for future reform. As well as inclusive workplaces, the strategy covers a range of other areas including accessible housing and better access to justice, culture and the arts. 
As increasing numbers of companies offer post-pandemic hybrid working for employees, the challenges it poses to maintaining culture, morale, effective training and staff loyalty have been disclosed in a new survey of senior executives. 
New research commissioned by 
More than two-thirds (68 percent) of employees in the UK have admitted they get so many distractions and message notifications during work that it’s affecting their productivity. This is according to new research from 
August 10, 2021
The reason we can’t stomach so many opinions on the future of work
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Workplace design