May 18, 2020

Pandemic emphasises the importance of kindness

Almost three-quarters of UK adults say it is important that we learn from the coronavirus pandemic to be more kind as a society, according to a new survey. The survey was published by the Mental Health Foundation to mark the start of Mental Health Awareness Week, which this year has the theme of Kindness. Two-thirds of people say that when others are kind to them, it has a positive impact on their mental health, according to the survey of 4,256 UK adults aged 18 and above.

April 28, 2020

A brief history of workplace disruption

by Anthony Brown • Features, Workplace design

Office work has existed in some form ever since people started writing on tablets and papyrus. Depictions of clerical staff are common in the Bible and on the walls of pyramids. In the mid 14th Century the Church of San Nicolò, commissioned the artist Tomaso da Modena to create the fresco in the chapter room of the church depicting forty monks of the order hard at it at their desks. The word office itself derives from the famous Uffizi in Florence, created in 1560. More →

April 27, 2020

New IR35 rules for self-employed riddled with problems, says government committee

by Jayne Smith • News

A report into the government’s plan to introduce IR35 reforms to the private sector has concluded that it is so flawed that it should be delayed and reconsidered. The committee concluded the rules are “riddled” with problems and unfairness. The authors conclude that the Government has overlooked the potential impact on the wider labour market, including the so-called gig economy. The Committee also heard that many companies were already nervous about the rules and so making blanket status determinations and laying off contractors. More →

April 16, 2020

Isolation and stress from pandemic have profound mental health impact

by Neil Franklin • News

The effects of isolation and stress from the coronavirus pandemic could be having an extremely profound effect on people’s physical mental health – now and in the future, say a group of prominent psychiatrists and psychologists writing in the The Lancet Psychiatry journal. More →

April 15, 2020

There are some behavioural insights you cannot afford to ignore

by Jono Marcus • Features

Behavioural insights combine psychology, neuroscience and behavioural economics with empirically tested results to understand and influence how people behave. These insights can be used to implement new policies more efficiently and successfully by nudging individual’s behaviour and shaping collective norms. More →

April 14, 2020

Picking through the workplace chatter

by Mark Eltringham • Comment

The Universe is a noisy place. Countless bodies chatter to each other against the backdrop of distant echoes from the Big Bang. Because we are curious, we have developed the technology to listen in and record the din and convert it from the electromagnetic vibration it really is into something we can sense with our ears. NASA has even produced a playlist of the noises from our own solar system and some of the objects we have propelled into it, which you can listen to here. More →

April 13, 2020

Sleeping habits improve under lockdown, but conspiracy theories abound

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

One of the surprising consequences of the current lockdown for many people is that they are sleeping more soundly. A new study claims that nearly two thirds of people are getting the same amount or more sleep than they were before the UK went into lockdown on March 23rd. However the report also uncovered some troubling attitudes amongst groups of people, even though the majority are informed and behaving as advised. More →

March 26, 2020

Context can shape the ethical decisions people make

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing

When faced with a moral dilemma, people usually respond in one of three ways, and the moral decision changes according to the setting, claims recent research from Hebrew University of Jerusalem, UCL School of Management, and Harvard University. The work by Professors Netta Barak-Corren, Chia-Jung Tsay, Fiery Cushman, and Max Bazerman, suggests that people may tackle an ethical problem by using the utilitarian principle, action principle, or intention principle. More →

March 18, 2020

One million young workers set to leave London before turning 33

by Jayne Smith • News, Property

The number of young workers leaving London is on the rise, with net migration away from the capital growing, claims new research from Totaljobs and Professor of Economics at Lancaster University, Geraint Johnes. The new research, taken from analysis of ONS data as well as the views of 2,000 Londoners, suggests that since 2014, more than one million professionals have left London, with just 900,000 coming in. This is a net loss of 88 workers every day, with the biggest shortfall down to workers aged 25-34, the majority (54 percent) of them having given up hope of ever owning property in the capital. There has been a 49 percent increase in outbound migration of those in their 30s over the last five years. More →

March 3, 2020

Remote working has no effect on careers, research suggests. But…

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Working from home is known to be good for a strong work-life balance, advantageous for employee productivity, and is even touted as being beneficial for the environment. However, telecommuting has also carried a stigma that employees who work remotely have difficulties rising in their career. More →

February 24, 2020

Flexible working: one in three undeterred by career damage

by Jackie Le Poidevin • Flexible working, News

One in three US workers have told researchers nothing would stop them from taking advantage of flexible working options, despite the potential damage to their career. According to a survey of 1,000 US white-collar professionals by Deloitte, another one in three say the consequences for their professional growth and lack of trust from managers would put them off working flexibly. Eight in ten respondents agreed a traditional work setting, defined as regular attendance at an office or working normal business hours, is important for advancing their career. More →

February 13, 2020

Third of freelancers plan to stop contracting in UK due to IR35

by Jackie Le Poidevin • Flexible working, News

Nearly a third of freelancers are planning to stop contracting in the UK because the changes to IR35 due in the private sector in April, research has claimed. One in seven freelancers (13 percent) plan to find contracts abroad, 11 percent plan to stop working or retire early and 8 percent plan to move into employment, according to IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed). Half of the freelancers surveyed also said they will only continue freelancing if they can find contracts to which the new off-payroll working rules do not apply. More →