March 2, 2021
Search Results for: economic
February 22, 2021
Employment intentions at their strongest in a year
by Jayne Smith • Business, News
UK employers are reporting their strongest employment intentions in a year, the latest CIPD/Adecco Labour Market Outlook claims. The survey’s net employment intentions figure, which measures the difference between the proportion of employers expecting to add jobs and those planning to cut positions, rose to +11 this quarter – its highest in a year. This compares to -1 in the previous quarter. More →
February 16, 2021
We must seize the chance to go full circle on sustainable office design
by Joanna Knight • Comment, Environment, JK
The circular economy is the ‘holy grail’. Few people would deny the ambition of keeping resources in use for as long as possible, extracting the maximum value from them, then recovering and regenerating products and materials at the end of each service life. Is this achievable within the furniture and furnishings sector? Many manufacturers and suppliers can justifiably boast impressive ‘green’ credentials, such as manufacturing techniques, the use of innovative and sustainable materials as well as recyclability of products. The production and supply of new furnishings doesn’t address, however, the short and longer term issues relating to sustainability. ‘Cradle to cradle’ is a great concept – but who is responsible? More →
February 16, 2021
Investment in digital technology set to deliver £232bn boost to UK economy by 2040
by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Technology
Investment in digital technology is set to increase UK GDP by £232bn (6.9 percent) in 2040, according to a new study by Virgin Media Business and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). The research, which examines how more digital ways of working can support the UK’s economic recovery from Covid-19, claims investment in technology could boost the economy by £74bn in 2025. More →
February 12, 2021
Mental health related workplace absenteeism costs soared to £14bn in 2020
by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Wellbeing
The impact of the nation’s deteriorating mental health from Covid-19 lockdowns and other restrictions cost UK businesses £14bn last year, according to a study by Westfield Health. The cost of absenteeism from work due to mental health reasons increased last year by £1.3bn from 2019’s totals as work from home, travel restrictions, furlough and pay cuts changed the workplace for millions of people across the UK. More →
February 5, 2021
Remote working affects both ends of the career ladder
by Jayne Smith • News, Working lives
Working together in person has far-ranging benefits on everything from mental health to economic growth according to a new report by Landsec and written by IC&CO and Honeycomb Analytics. The report, In Person: why coming together for work matters, includes interviews with business leaders and analysis of recent data to delve into topics including the ability for leaders to lead and the younger generation’s capacity to learn whilst remote working. More →
February 5, 2021
Line managers are the unsung heroes of white-collar work
by Jayne Smith • Business, News
How good your line manager is makes the difference between an employee coping or struggling in lockdown. But too often line managers’ heroic efforts are not noticed by their employers, claims new report, titled Working under Covid-19 Lockdown: Transitions and Tensions. More →
February 5, 2021
Microsoft unveils new employee experience and wellbeing platform
by Freddie Steele • Company news, Technology, Wellbeing
Microsoft has announced Microsoft Viva, which it claims is the first employee experience platform to bring tools for employee engagement, learning, wellbeing and knowledge discovery, directly into people’s workflow. Viva is designed to help employees ‘learn, grow and thrive’ in the new era of working life, and is designed to work alongside existing solutions such as Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams. More →
February 2, 2021
Working from home spells trouble for the careers of younger workers
by Helen Jamieson • Comment, Flexible working
Lockdown meant that the choice to work from home was made for us. However, for many the decision to continue to do so post-lockdown will be a personal choice. The question we should all ask ourselves is, whether when we are outside of any lockdown restrictions, is working from home really a workplace revolution or simply an act of selfishness? For thousands of workers who’ve spent years of their lives commuting to offices that feel more like soul-less factories than inspiring and engaging workplaces, it’s no wonder that enforced work from home has proven popular. More →
January 28, 2021
Philanthrocapitalism: a century-old concept for the modern age
by Richard Glynn • Comment, Wellbeing
Philanthrocapitalism is a term that’s only 15 years old. A modern concept for the modern age. Or is it? In the late 1800s, George Cadbury bought a plot of land five miles south of Birmingham to relocate his factory and expand his chocolate empire. But greater levels of chocolate production weren’t his only concern; he also built an entire village to accommodate the new factory’s workforce. The plan was for this village – called Bournville, which now shares its name with the brand’s famous dark chocolate – to “alleviate the evils of modern, more cramped living conditions”. Port Sunlight, built on the Wirral Peninsula by the Lever Brothers, whose manufacturing company is now part of Unilever, offers up a similar story. More →
January 28, 2021
Half of employees ‘just going through the motions’ as redundancies hit morale
by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives
Mass redundancies across the UK are having a huge impact on the discretionary effort employees are willing to undertake on behalf of their employer, according to research from career transition firm Randstad Risesmart UK. More →
February 19, 2021
A new mindset on climate change is emerging from the pandemic
by Aki Stamatis • Comment, Environment