July 17, 2024

Mediocre offices won’t encourage people to spend more time in them

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace design

Dry, uninspiring offices and long, costly commutes are principal causes for a lack of office-based working, according to a new poll. The survey, commissioned by design and fit-out firm Peldon Rose claims that 1 in 3 (34 percent) office-based workers in London have a ‘nightmare journey’ into work each day, which ultimately deters almost half (46 percent) from travelling into the office. For those that do come into the office, more than a third (38 percent) believe their working environment is uninspiring and unfit for purpose. (more…)

July 8, 2024

Book review – Working Assumptions by Julia Hobsbawm

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Facilities management, Flexible working, Workplace design

This is almost certainly the most important book about work and workplaces to appear in the first half of this year. Working Assumptions by Julia Hobsbawm will be one of the two most important published this year, as we shall soon discover. It is also one packed with wisdom, knowledge and a central premise that is undoubtedly true. Namely that the events of the past four years have given us the opportunity to rethink how we work and so how we spend our days and our lives more generally. (more…)

June 28, 2024

Majority of working parents say they would look for a new job if they were required to travel

by Jayne Smith • News

New research among working parents claims that three quarters (74 percent) would look for a new job if they were asked to travel to a central office five days a week. The study, undertaken by International Workplace Group among more than 1,000 parents in hybrid working roles, highlights that 83 percent said they were better parents as a result of the flexibility offered by hybrid working. 89 percent say they are closer to their children and are more present (92 percent), while 86 percent say their family’s quality of life has improved. (more…)

June 25, 2024

People are pushing back against so-called return to office mandates

by Marvin Gort • Flexible working, News

A poll by Skillshub suggests there is a potential clash between firms issuing so-called return to office mandates and people unwilling to give up the flexibility and wellbeing benefits they say they have gained through remote and hybrid work. The survey claims that a significant proportion of UK employees (nearly half – 42.6 percent) are prepared to consider quitting their jobs if forced back to full-time office work. This sentiment extends even to hybrid models with a majority office presence (3+ days a week) – almost a fifth (18 percent) would consider leaving, with a significant number (10.1 percent) strongly considering it. (more…)

June 19, 2024

Secret AI cameras have been tracking the emotions and demographics of rail passengers

by Marvin Gort • AI, News

Many thousands of unsuspecting train passengers in the UK have had their emotions and demographics recorded by hidden AI camera systems at major stations, a new report reveals. The news, raising serious privacy concerns, comes after a freedom of information request by Big Brother Watch. For over two years, Network Rail, the company overseeing Britain’s railway infrastructure, conducted a covert trial program at key stations like London’s Waterloo and Euston, Manchester Piccadilly, and others across the country. (more…)

June 12, 2024

We only have to look at the natural world to boost our mental health

by Whitney Fleming • Comment, Wellbeing

It is becoming increasingly clear that spending time in nature can benefit our mental health and wellbeing. But a new study shows that you don’t have to actually be in nature to reap the rewards. Simply directing your gaze towards natural elements, even in the middle of a city, can enhance wellbeing. Our paper, published in the journal People and Nature, used eye-tracking technology to explore how focusing on natural versus man-made elements affects mental health. (more…)

June 10, 2024

What happens to work when the machine stops?

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Technology

In 1909, E M Forster – not exactly known for a body of work replete with dystopian fiction – published a novella called The Machine Stops. You can read it here but the story describes a future in which people live below ground, in isolation but with all their needs met by an omnipresent Machine (you can see where this is going). (more…)

June 2, 2024

A brief history of the future of work

by Mark Eltringham • Features, Flexible working, Technology, Working culture

The past few years and our current predicaments should serves as a reminder of that tragic, unchangeable feature of the human condition, best expressed by Kierkegaard, that we are doomed to live our lives forwards but only understand them backwards. Retrospect is particularly important when we look back on sudden, large changes that knock us off our normal path. It’s important to remember this as we continue to grapple with the nature of the present and future of work in the wake of the pandemic. (more…)

More content! New themes! New font! Same old team! It’s all there for you in this issue of Works magazine

May 28, 2024

Remote work boom creates risk of professional isolation, study finds

by Marvin Gort • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

While the pandemic ushered in a wave of remote work with benefits for both employers and employees, a new study warns of a hidden risk: professional isolation. Researchers from Colorado State University found that remote employees experiencing isolation reported feeling less engaged and more depleted at work, potentially leading to burnout. The study published in the Journal of Business and Psychology, surveyed 445 participants across two points in time. It measured professional isolation, schedule flexibility, and the level of support supervisors provided for work-life balance.

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April 25, 2024

Event explores how the government is setting new office standards for civil servants

by Government Property Agency • Company news, Facilities management, Property, Workplace design

At a recent event, the Government Property Agency brought together Civil Service leaders to exchange ideas, debate trends and inform how the GPA delivers its property services. The GPA is leading one of the country’s biggest and most ambitious workplace renewal programmes for its clients – delivering a smaller, better connected, better quality, and greener property estate to support the work of Civil Service teams and bring them closer to the communities they serve. (more…)

April 22, 2024

Hybrid working ‘allows organisations to cut energy use by a fifth’

by Neil Franklin • Environment, Flexible working, News

Hybrid working has enabled UK businesses to cut energy usage by a fifth as they replace large city centre office space with smaller, more energy efficient spaces including flexible workspaces, according to a new report from IWG, whose brands including Spaces and Regus. surveyed more than 500 leaders and facilities managers at businesses that have adopted hybrid working policies. The findings revealed that average energy consumption in those companies has fallen by 19 percent since the introduction of hybrid working policies, benefiting both the environment and their bottom line. (more…)