December 1, 2021

Longer lives significantly contributing to European economies, new reports claims

A series of reports published by the International Longevity Centre UK (ILC) highlights the economic opportunities of longer lives across Europe. According to the reports, older people’s contributions across the European region are significant, and growing. The reports call for countries to better support older people’s economic contributions, particularly through greater investment in preventative health measures that support healthy ageing – the authors call for governments to invest at least 6 percent of their health budgets on these interventions, such as vaccines, screenings, early detection and management of disease. More →

November 30, 2021

Pandemic-driven shifts have made the workforce smaller, younger and more female

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives

The pandemic has not led to mass unemployment as many feared, but has instead driven wider shifts that have increased employment among younger women, but pushed many men and older workers out of the labour market altogether, according to new research. More →

November 26, 2021

Flexible working currently contributes £37bn to the UK economy

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives

New research, ‘Flexonomics: The economic and fiscal logic of flexible working’, highlights the economic benefits of flexible working to the UK economy. Flexonomics builds on our long-standing support of the Flex Appeal campaign by Anna Whitehouse, aka Mother Pukka, and follows the publication of our “Forever Flex: Making flexible working work beyond a crisis” report, published last year. More →

November 25, 2021

Mindspace raises 72 million dollars from institutional investors

by Freddie Steele • Company news

Mindspace, the global flex office provider, secured a funding of $72 million. The investment round is intended to support the continuation of the company’s growth and its further expansion in Europe, the United States and Israel. The round was led by Harel Insurance Investments and Financial Services Ltd., More Provident Funds, Shalom Meckenzie, Arkin Holdings and existing investors. Existing investors include: Yoav Harlap, Kobi Rogovin and Globalworth (GWI:LSE). More →

November 23, 2021

Wondering what to do about that office of yours? Hold the line.

by Louis Wustemann • Features, Flexible working, Property, Workplace design

At the end of April, New York magazine’s cover feature was headed ‘Remember the Office?’ The article reminisced about a world of cubicles and water-coolers, coffee points and staff parties. Its tone was elegiac, implying that it wasn’t just the enforced distance of 13 months of COVID-19 restrictions that lent enchantment to communal workspace, but the possibility that offices had gone for good.? More →

November 23, 2021

Facilities Managers provide the key to unlock the future of work

by Neil Franklin • Facilities management, News

Ricoh UK has published a report called Leading Change at Work: The role of FM in driving the digital workplace (registration), which claims to offer ‘the definitive discussion on the future of work in the UK’. The report follows on from last year’s Conscious Workplace research which set out the behaviours, mindsets and influences shaping the new world of work in a post-pandemic world. After hosting a roundtable with five Facilities Managers from various businesses, Ricoh has gathered insight into the ongoing challenges being faced by organisations. More →

November 18, 2021

Time to stop playing around with the issue of workplace sustainability

by Joanna Knight • Environment, Facilities management, Features, JK, Workplace design

The so-called green agenda, sustainability and climate change have finally hit centre stage. Various announcements are being made by UK Government and numerous high profile figures are crying a call to action to implement carbon reduction plans now. Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman William Russell, stated at the Annual Lord Mayor Gresham Lecture early in 2021: “Climate change is a bigger threat to the world than COVID-19.” He called on the financial and professional services sector to take urgent action to tackle climate change and ensure sustainability is at the heart of every financial decision. More →

November 15, 2021

Smart cities infrastructure investment to top US$375 billion in 2030

by Neil Franklin • Cities, News, Technology

According to technology intelligence firm ABI Research, investments in urban infrastructure aimed at implementing new visions for smart cities will reach US$375 billion by 2030 as cities invest in brownfield and greenfield projects. Drivers behind urban innovation are numerous but both the digitalisation of lifestyles, accelerated by Covid-19, and the increasingly pressing need to address climate change are powerful engines for metropolitan transformation. Additional agents of change include the call for more equity and inclusiveness, scalable economic development, and more affordable living. More →

November 15, 2021

Social mobility is restricted by lack of confidence and support in careers

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

A new report from Totaljobs and the Social Mobility Foundation claims that the social mobility of millions of people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds is hampered by a lack of confidence in choice of career and lower levels of support from families and friends. Of those that started their first job in the last two years, only 50 percent from lower socioeconomic backgrounds said they were confident about eventually being able to do the job they want. This contrasts with the 71 percent of those from more privileged, professional backgrounds. This gap has widened since the pandemic. More →

November 12, 2021

Hybrid working could save the NHS more than £4 billion per year

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Working lives

Hybrid working could save the NHS more than £4 billion per year by giving workers more time to look after themselves and their families, according to a new study by Virgin Media O2 Business and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). More →

November 11, 2021

Commercial property markets in major UK cities won’t meet sustainability targets

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News, Property

Six of the UK’s key regional economic centres risk not achieving their net zero targets, unless significant action is taken to upgrade and improve their commercial property in the next 10 years, according to new analysis by JLL. The report, Sustainability and Value in the Regions, suggests that 90 percent of the office stock in England and Wales’ largest regional office markets is at risk of not meeting the UK government’s target for all non-domestic properties to have an EPC B rating by 2030. These findings come at a time when three of the cities analysed – Birmingham, Bristol (pictured) and Cardiff – have committed to achieving net zero status by 2030. Leeds and Manchester, both aim to be net zero by 2038. More →

November 8, 2021

Why real estate businesses can’t afford not to invest in sustainability

by Jayne Smith • Environment, News

The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), a global network accelerating sustainability and decarbonisation in the building and construction sector, has set out the updated value proposition to drive investment in a sustainable built environment by launching a new flagship report ‘Beyond the Business Case’ at COP26 in Glasgow. More →