June 17, 2020
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June 11, 2020
The lessons learned under lockdown will help us grow and improve
by Alicia Michael • Features, Workplace design
As the global community navigates the Coronavirus crisis, the nature of the workplace will be more important than ever. We have been working remotely on an unprecedented scale, and the benefits are clear – flexibility, time with family, and reduced commuting as a start. In some form, working from home is here to stay, even as returning to the physical office becomes possible. However, we have also discovered the limitations to remote working. While teams have been able to stay connected virtually, this cannot substitute for face-to-face collaboration, which is essential to fostering innovation. (more…)
June 11, 2020
Mental health in UK tech deteriorates in lockdown
by George Eltringham • News, Wellbeing
The easing of lockdown restrictions and a return to offices is raising the stress levels of over a quarter of UK tech professionals (26 percent) at a time when over 1 in 3 (36 percent) report that their mental health has deteriorated during Covid-19, according to a new Harvey Nash Study. The relaxing of restrictions has left tech professionals worrying most about bringing Covid-19 back into the home, and the health risk of their daily commute. (more…)
June 10, 2020
Firms should adopt a hybrid model as they return to work
by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News
As mandatory working from home lifts, managers should be aware that employee expectations around how they work have evolved significantly. In a report (registration) published by Soldo in collaboration with several UK universities, management experts advise that companies need to radically redesign their business processes. Employees who worked productively at home throughout the lockdown will strongly resist managers enforcing limitations on where and when they do their work. (more…)
June 2, 2020
Working life set to become more precarious and unequal
by Neil Franklin • News, Working culture, Working lives
The future of work is likely to be even more precarious and unequal, according to a new research review from academics at Durham University Business School, Kings College Business School and University Paris-Dauphine. Dr. Jeremy Aroles, Assistant Professor in Organisation Studies at Durham University Business School, alongside colleagues, Dr. Nathalie Mitev (King’s College) and Professor François?Xavier de Vaujany (University Paris-Dauphine), reviewed a wide range of research related to working life new work practices and summarised this into a number of predictions for the future of work. This research review paper was published in the journal ‘New Technology, Work and Employment’, which is open access throughout June. (more…)
May 29, 2020
Growing awareness of pros and cons of working from home
by Jayne Smith • News
Half of UK workers (49 percent) who are currently working from home have admitted that their mental health has suffered since the lockdown, according to new Covid-19 Mental Health research from Qualtrics. These feelings are mostly rooted in the growing sense of isolation but many also feel their motivation has suffered and find it harder to focus. Conversely, the majority are also relieved they are no longer commuting and are grateful to choose their time of work. (more…)
May 15, 2020
Lockdown drives shift in attitudes to environmental issues
by Jayne Smith • Environment, News
Almost two-thirds of workers (64 percent) have evaluated their environmental impact during the coronavirus pandemic, and the majority (53 percent) are seeking permanent changes to their working week once lockdown restrictions ease, according to a new survey. (more…)
May 13, 2020
Firms should pass three tests before bringing their people back to work
by Jayne Smith • News
A statement from UK HR body the CIPD says that as well as being aware of official advice, employers should not bring their people back into the workplace until they have taken all practical steps to ensure employees feel safe. In light of the government guidance on working safely published this week, the CIPD is urging businesses to ensure they can meet three key tests before bringing their people back to the workplace. (more…)
May 12, 2020
How will delivery processes change as workers return to the workplace?
by Senel Sowerby • Company news
As workplaces around the country prepare to adapt to the various social distancing and personal safety measures they will have to put in place, many will be wondering what the typical working day will start to look like. Some of the activities we take completely for granted like commuting, meal breaks and even talking to colleagues, will have to be carefully considered from now on as routines change to avoid any unnecessary human contact. (more…)
May 7, 2020
Remote working has a number of hidden risks
by Dave Cook • Features, Flexible working, Wellbeing
Many of us have had little choice but to resort to remote working in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. It is just days since Google, Apple and Twitter were making headlines by ordering their employees to work from home, but you could now say the same about lots of companies. (more…)
May 5, 2020
From the archive: We shouldn’t rely on narrow ideas to define flexible working
by Luke Munro • Comment, Flexible working, Technology, Wellbeing
This piece was originally published five years ago. While we now read it with different eyes, what is interesting is how the ideas have stood up. Some better than others perhaps but a welcome reminder that the conversations we are now having about life after lockdown began some time ago. One of the particular and often unspoken issues that shadows in any debate about flexible working is what we mean by the term. We’ve been talking about new ways of working for a good quarter of a century now and what is generally understood about the practice has evolved considerably. The very idea was conceived at the birth of the new online era so is inextricably tied up with the Internet and new technology. (more…)





Environmental concerns and the changing work landscape could lead to a noticeable drop in both domestic and international business travel, as nearly half of UK workers (48 percent) are concerned about its negative environmental impact, according to new research from 











June 15, 2020
Wellbeing for remote workers should not be lost in translation
by Brendan Street • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing