Search Results for: economic

Shared Parental Leave (still) failing to deliver for working dads

Shared Parental Leave (still) failing to deliver for working dads

by • News, Workplace

New research suggests that Shared Parental Leave (SPL) has failed to encourage greater take-up or longer leave by fathers, prompting calls for policy reformNew research suggests that Shared Parental Leave (SPL) has failed to encourage greater take-up or longer leave by fathers, prompting calls for policy reform. Introduced in April 2015, SPL was designed to let parents share the load of looking after their children, giving fathers a greater role at home and encouraging mothers to get back to work sooner. But new research by economists from the Economics Department and Institute for Policy Research (IPR) at the University of Bath and Cardiff University shows that the policy has fallen flat. Workplace Insight has been tracking the bumpy passage of the legislation over the past nine years. You can see our coverage here. More →

Arts and crafts boost personal wellbeing more than work, study finds

Arts and crafts boost personal wellbeing more than work, study finds

by • News, Wellbeing

A new study suggests that engaging in arts and crafts activities can significantly enhance personal wellbeing, offering greater benefits than traditional employmenA new study suggests that engaging in arts and crafts activities can significantly enhance personal wellbeing, offering greater benefits than traditional employment. The research, conducted by a team from Anglia Ruskin University and published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, found that activities like pottery, painting, knitting, and woodworking can increase life satisfaction, happiness, and the sense that life is worthwhile. These findings suggest that arts and crafts, often seen as mere hobbies, could be a powerful tool for improving mental health and wellbeing on a broad scale. More →

NHS to offer workplace health checks to middle aged staff

NHS to offer workplace health checks to middle aged staff

by • News, Wellbeing

The NHS is set to launch a comprehensive initiative aimed at preventing heart attacks and strokes by conducting health checks in workplaces across the UK. Over the next six months, more than 130,000 middle-aged employees will be offered free workplace health checks in their places of work. This national drive, known as Health MoTs, is designed to identify individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes or heart disease through a 20-minute evaluation that includes weighing staff and measuring their blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

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UK startups economy relies on high quality immigration

UK startups economy relies on high quality immigration

by • Business, News

A new report highlights the significant role that high-quality immigration plays in driving business growth and innovationNew data suggests that 39 percent of Britain’s top 100 fastest-growing companies were founded by individuals born outside the United Kingdom, even though immigrants make up less than 15 percent of the overall population. The research, conducted by think tank The Entrepreneurs Network and supported by Fragomen, highlights the significant role that high-quality immigration plays in driving business growth and innovation. Previous research from 2019 showed an even higher proportion, with 49 percent of Britain’s top 100 fastest-growing companies having a foreign-born founder.
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Workers unsure about the government’s New Deal for Working People

Workers unsure about the government’s New Deal for Working People

by • News, Workplace

 

Workers in the UK are lukewarm towards the "New Deal for Working People," a cornerstone of the recently introduced Employment Rights Bill.Workers in the UK are lukewarm towards the “New Deal for Working People,” a cornerstone of the recently introduced Employment Rights Bill. This ambivalence is coupled with a significant lack of awareness about their current workplace rights and their employers’ stance on various aspects of the deal. These insights come from the latest Robert Half Jobs Confidence Index (JCI), an economic confidence tracker developed in collaboration with the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). More →

Working from home prevalent across Northern Europe, but has no effect on productivity

Working from home prevalent across Northern Europe, but has no effect on productivity

by • Flexible working, News, Property

 

Working from home has become a permanent feature of the European workforce, with notable variations across different regions and citiesA new research briefing from Oxford Economics claims to highlight the sustained prevalence of working from home in Europe, particularly in northern cities, and examines its impact on office real estate markets. According to the briefing, which analyses data through 2023, working from home has become a permanent feature of the European workforce, with notable variations across different regions and cities. More →

European banks are over-valuing commercial property, ECB report suggests

European banks are over-valuing commercial property, ECB report suggests

by • News, Property

 

An analysis by the European Central Bank (ECB) has raised concerns that several of the Euro zone's leading banks may be inflating the value of commercial propertyAn analysis by the European Central Bank (ECB) has raised concerns that several of the Euro zone’s leading banks may be inflating the value of commercial property, potentially obscuring the true state of their loan portfolios in a sector that is facing significant challenges. The analysis suggests that some banks are failing to properly account for the steep downturn in the commercial property market, which has been severely impacted by higher borrowing costs and weakened demand as businesses adjust to the post-pandemic economic landscape. More →

Remote work is holding back innovation, study claims

Remote work is holding back innovation, study claims

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

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 →
Tech workers and young people will need a major skills upgrade if they are to keep up with AI

Tech workers and young people will need a major skills upgrade if they are to keep up with AI

by • AI, News

The vast majority (92 percent) of ICT roles are expected to undergo big changes as a result of advancements in AIThe vast majority (92 percent) of ICT roles are expected to undergo big changes as a result of advancements in artificial intelligence and the technology continues to transform the information and communications (ICT) sector according to a new report from tech giants, Cisco, Microsoft and Google. The AI-enabled ICT Workforce Consortium, led by Cisco has published the “Transformational Opportunity of AI on ICT Jobs” report, offering guidance on the areas for of concern for workers to reskill in response to the evolving job landscape. This transformation will impact professionals in 47 ICT roles, including cybersecurity, data science and software development, according to the report. More →

Businesses planning major investments into Generative AI to increase productivity

Businesses planning major investments into Generative AI to increase productivity

by • AI, News

firms are planning major investments into generative AI technologies to drive increases in productivity, but are still being cautious about their impact.A new report from Cognizant and Oxford Economics New Work, New World: Quantifying Global Gen AI Momentum suggests that firms are planning major investments into generative AI technologies to drive increases in productivity, but are still being cautious about their impact. Additionally, 76 percent of businesses say they are looking to leverage the technology to create new revenue streams, while 58 percent are incorporating revenue increases into their business cases. 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

by • News, Property

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 →

Shortage of high-quality data threatens the AI ‘boom’

Shortage of high-quality data threatens the AI ‘boom’

by • AI, News

A number of fundamental issues, including a shortage of high-quality data with which to ‘train’ the technology is threaten the AI ‘boom’, according to a new white paper from the Open Data InstituteA number of fundamental issues, including a shortage of high-quality data with which to ‘train’ the technology is threatening the AI ‘boom’, according to a new white paper from the Open Data Institute. The paper Building a better future with data and AI is based on research carried out by the Institute in the first half of 2024. It claims to identify significant weaknesses in the UK’s technological infrastructure that threaten the predicted potential gains – for people, society, and the economy – from the surge of interest in artificial intelligence and its applications. It also outlines the ODI’s recommendations for creating diverse, fair data-centric AI. More →

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