Search Results for: covid

BSI launches research into how young people are affected by hybrid working

BSI launches research into how young people are affected by hybrid working

Young people who began their careers around the start of the Covid-19 pandemic or soon after are being invited to share their experiences of the workplace, as part of an inquiry into the effects of hybrid workingYoung people who began their careers around the start of the Covid-19 pandemic or soon after are being invited to share their experiences of the workplace, as part of an inquiry into the effects of hybrid working. To mark five years since the first lockdowns began globally, business standards and improvement company BSI is investigating the impact of the restrictions on younger workers, and how transformed ways of working have shaped subsequent career journeys. As part of this BSI has opened a public call for evidence, inviting submissions from individuals or groups with relevant experience on the topic. More →

Lack of space continues to  hold back a ‘return to office’

Lack of space continues to hold back a ‘return to office’

Workers are resisting the so-called return to office due to a lack of desk space, following widespread reductions by companies in the wake of CovidWorkers are resisting the so-called return to office due to a lack of desk space, following widespread reductions by companies in the wake of Covid. A fifth of workers cited a shortage of desks and facilities among their top three reasons for avoiding the office, according to a survey by real estate consultancy Remit Consulting. The firm claims that businesses may have scaled back desk numbers too aggressively after the pandemic spurred a rise in home working. More →

Are men and women heard differently in the workplace? Have your say

Are men and women heard differently in the workplace? Have your say

The organisers of Workplace Trends are conducting research into why some women or men are not always heard in their workplaceThose who attended the last Workplace Trends conference will recall that regular contributor Paige Hodsman (Saint-Gobain Ecophon) and the organisers are conducting research into why some women or men are not always heard in their workplace. They are now reaching out to more people to complete a 10 to 15 minute survey to inform this pertinent research.  You can take part by complete the survey here before the 24th of December. The survey also allows you to receive a copy of the findings or attend a free seminar once the research has been published.
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The new digital issue of Works magazine would look just dandy on your screen

The new digital issue of Works magazine would look just dandy on your screen

 

The new digital issue of Works magazine is available for you here.

The new digital issue of Works magazine is available for you here. In this issue: we report from Orgatec with mixed feelings; we have four project stories from Toronto, Salford and London; interviews with Karim Rashid and Oskar Zieta; consider how the 21st Century Office has its roots in 20th Century Holland; ask where all the furniture icons went; profile Future Designs; and all the regular commentary, company news and features you need.  More →

UK see largest contraction in Labour Force since the 1980s

UK see largest contraction in Labour Force since the 1980s

The final report from the two-year Commission on the Future of Employment Support claims that the UK needs ‘once-in-a-generation reform’ to boost growth and improve living standards in the face of a huge contraction in the country’s labour force. The report suggests that the UK is one of the few developed nations where employment has fallen post-pandemic. The UK has dropped from having the eighth-highest employment rate globally to fifteenth. Had the original position been maintained, the economy would be £25 billion larger annually, with public finances £16 billion better off. More →

A new approach is needed to tackle ill health and economic inactivity, report argues

A new approach is needed to tackle ill health and economic inactivity, report argues

A ‘whole-of-government approach’ is needed to tackle the causes of ill health, increase economic activity and reduce NHS demandA ‘whole-of-government approach’ is needed to tackle the causes of ill health, increase economic activity and reduce NHS demand, a new report from the NHS Confederation and Boston Consulting Group claims. According to the report, “Improving our Nation’s Health: A Whole-of-Government Approach to Tackling the Causes of Long-Term Sickness and Economic Inactivity”, reintegrating between half and three-quarters of people who have dropped out of the workforce for reasons of ill health since 2020 could deliver an estimated £109-177 billion boost to the UK’s GDP (2-3 per cent in 2029) and unlock £35-57 billion in fiscal revenue over the next five years. More →

Government minister sparks debate about working from home and increased truancy

Government minister sparks debate about working from home and increased truancy

 

Has the increase in parents working from home led many to become more relaxed about their children missing school?A comment piece published in The Sunday Times by UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has sparked a debate about whether there is a link between the rise in working from home and an increase in truancy levels among pupils. The number of pupils who are routinely and persistently absent from school is around 150 per cent higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic. More →

How younger generations are redefining workplace exits

How younger generations are redefining workplace exits

 

The modern workplace is witnessing a significant shift in the dynamics of workplace exits, largely driven by younger generationsThe modern workplace is witnessing a significant shift in the dynamics of workplace exits, largely driven by younger generations—especially those born after 1997, known as Gen Z. It’s not just in the places we might expect. For example, in Japan, a country with a reputation for long tenures and employee/employer loyalty, resignation agencies such as Momuri offer services that allow individuals to quit their jobs remotely. Even where moving jobs is relatively rare, this “resignation-as-a-service” has sprung up as a result of discontent within the workforce. This phenomenon, particularly pronounced among younger demographics, is challenging traditional notions of loyalty in the face of workplace dissatisfaction. More →

Remote work is holding back innovation, study claims

Remote work is holding back innovation, study claims

Remote work and 'hybrid working' models may greatly enhance employees' work-life balance, but new research suggests they might also be stifling innovationRemote work and ‘hybrid working’ models may greatly enhance employees’ work-life balance, but new research suggests they might also be stifling innovation. The study, led by economists from the University of Essex and the University of Chicago found that employees who worked in a hybrid model were less likely to come up with innovative ideas compared to their colleagues who always worked in the office. Additionally, employees working entirely from home tended to produce lower quality ideas than those who consistently worked in the office. More →
Challenging the concept of work-life balance as we know it

Challenging the concept of work-life balance as we know it

Rather than encouraging people to aim for the mythical work-life balance, why not support them to experiment with opportunities?The notion of work-life balance has been talked about for decades with the underlying claim that if you achieve it, everything will be perfect. In post-Covid workplaces, hybrid working is becoming the norm and promises of flexibility and yoga on a Thursday lunchtime adorn recruitment adverts. From a distance, it would be easy to think we’ve now nailed the work-life balance challenge. Yet hybrid working hasn’t waved a magic wand and many people struggling feel more like a circus performer, juggling with different-sized objects with sharp corners, whilst riding a unicycle, than they do a calm and collected master balancer. More →

Chancellor to accelerate the sale of public buildings to plug budget gap

Chancellor to accelerate the sale of public buildings to plug budget gap

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to announce significant measures aimed at reducing government spending and optimising public sector assets including public buildingsIn an effort to tackle the fiscal challenges and balance the UK’s budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to announce significant measures aimed at reducing government spending and optimising public sector assets including public buildings, today. Reeves will lay out her plans in her first major speech as chancellor, where she will highlight what she describes as a £20 billion gap in government spending, attributing it to the economic mismanagement of the previous government. More →

Getting the long term unemployed back into work will transform the economy, says Government adviser

Getting the long term unemployed back into work will transform the economy, says Government adviser

He argues that this approach is essential to address the unsustainable welfare costs associated with the long term unemployed and to mitigate the "toxic" reliance on immigrationThe rising costs of welfare and the country’s increasing dependency on immigration have become significant concerns, prompting a call for reform from a prominent government health adviser. Alan Milburn, a former health secretary, has emphasised the need for individuals with long-term illnesses and others stuck in a cycle of long term unemployment to actively seek employment. He argues that this approach is essential to address the unsustainable welfare costs associated with the long term unemployed and to mitigate the “toxic” reliance on immigration for the workforce. More →