Search Results for: economy

February 11, 2014

Mental illness costs the UK economy £70 billion each year, claims OECD

by Mark Eltringham • Knowledge, News, Workplace

According to a new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), issues related to mental health cost the UK around £70bn every year in lost productivity, benefit payments and spending on healthcare. The OECD’s Mental Health and Work report is an international initiative which has already produced reports over the last year exploring related issues in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and now the UK. Forthcoming reports are due later this year for Australia, Austria and the Netherlands. The new UK report calls for employers to adopt better policies and practices to help people cope with mental health issues.

(more…)

November 14, 2013

As economy picks up, change management is greatest employment challenge

by Sara Bean • News, Workplace

The latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show that the unemployment has fallen to 7.6 per cent, its lowest rate in more than three years, and the signs are that employers can plan for the future with renewed confidence. In a poll conducted at the recent Chartered Management Institute’s National Annual Conference, 74 per cent of managers said market conditions for their business are currently more conductive for growth than they were last year. Their biggest management challenge in the coming year will be implementing change initiatives, with other priorities being: coordinating business development activities; getting the best performance out of their team; achieving results with fewer resources; internally promoting their department as a value-adding business partner; and managing and bringing through star performers.

(more…)

May 15, 2013

Long term investment in infrastructure needed to boost UK economy

by Mark Eltringham • Knowledge, News, Property

The UK government should reverse the long term slump in infrastructure investment to boost the economy, according to a new report from the Centre for Economic and Business Research and the Civil Engineering Contractors Association. The report, Securing Our Economy: The Case For Infrastructure, calls for the government to address the decade long £13bn infrastructure construction shortfall and lays out a series of recommendations to reverse the situation. The report claims the UK endures a £78bn GDP ‘black hole’ each year due to the lack of investment and that by investing at the level of other developed economies, the economy could enjoy an additional £100 billion each year by 2026.

(more…)

April 9, 2013

Private sector recruitment to increase, despite fragile economy

by Sara Bean • Knowledge, News, Workplace

Employers from the private sector intend to hire new staff in the coming months, despite UK businesses not anticipating economic growth in the next two quarters. According to the latest Business Trends report by accountants and business advisers BDO LLP UK businesses’ hiring intentions over the next two quarters, reached 96.0 in March, the highest since August 2011. Peter Hemington, Partner, BDO LLP, commented: “It is encouraging to see improvement in UK businesses’ hiring intentions, particularly in light of the imminent public sector payroll cuts which will add pressure to the unemployment rate.” (more…)

February 8, 2013

Consolidation of state properties boosts London economy by £3.5bn

by Mark Eltringham • Property, Public Sector

According to a new report from property consultancy Knight Frank into the impact of the Government’s policy of consolidating and improving the management of the public sector estate in London, the economy has been boosted by as much as £3.5 billion. The study has reviewed the results of the work carried out by the Cabinet Office’s Efficiency and Reform Group at 16 properties in central London including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Department for International Development, the Land Registry and the Crown Prosecution Service. Many of these sites were seen as dated and have now been redeveloped for use by other organisations. (more…)

January 21, 2013

Cabinet for Core Cities looks to reshape the English economy

by Mark Eltringham • News, Property, Public Sector

A newly formed Cabinet of Core Cities met for the first time in Liverpool on Friday, seeking to reshape England and call on the Government to work with it to maximise the economic potential of the regions by creating a more balanced economic structure for the country and develop policies that would create jobs and investment. The cities represent the urban centres of Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Bristol and Sheffield.

(more…)

October 1, 2026

Four in five people say a lack of flexible working could be a deal breaker when going for a job

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

The vast majority of employees say flexible working is important when considering a job, according to new research from workplace advisory body Acas. The YouGov survey found that 78 percent of employees considered flexible working important, compared with 20 percent who said it was not. The findings come ahead of changes to flexible working rules under the Employment Rights Act 2025. Under the new provisions, employers considering turning down a flexible working request will be required to consult the employee before reaching a decision, and will only be able to reject the request where it is reasonable to do so. (more…)

September 24, 2026

Hybrid working could deliver productivity gains from staff retention alone, report claims

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Hybrid working could deliver significant productivity gains by helping organisations retain employees, recruit from a wider talent pool and preserve institutional knowledge, according to new economic modelling from International Workplace Group (IWG) and Arup. The analysis estimates that improved employee retention associated with more flexible working practices could be worth $204.7 billion to the US economy and £10.8 billion to the UK over five years. Retention represents the largest potential source of productivity gains identified by the modelling. (more…)

September 7, 2026

The first issue of Sustainability Works is available for you now

by Joanna Knight • Environment, News, Premium Content, Sustainability Works, Workplace design

The first issue of Sustainability Works, the new publication dedicated to sustainable design for the built environment, has been launched by the team behind Works magazine in partnership with the Sustainable Design Collective (SDC). Edited by Joanna Knight, Sustainability Works has been created to inform, challenge and inspire the workplace and design community at a time when sustainability is moving beyond individual products and initiatives to reshape the way buildings and interiors are designed, specified, delivered and managed. (more…)

August 5, 2026

A beacon of hope in an uncertain world. Works magazine 20 digital edition is here for you

by Mark Eltringham • News, Premium Content, Technology, Workplace design, Works Magazine

The digital edition of issue 20 of Works magazine is now available for you to read here. The new issue explores a workplace sector that is becoming increasingly confident about its future, even as it navigates rapid technological, social and economic change. The latest edition brings together major workplace projects, design debates and industry commentary that point to a common theme: the enduring value of connection, community and shared experience in an age of uncertainty. (more…)

July 27, 2026

Resilience: the expanding global mandate for facility management

by Christa Dodoo • Comment, Facilities management

Throughout this decade, global challenges have shined a spotlight on the facility management (FM) industry and its professionals like never before. From pandemics to climate events and geopolitical instability, these challenges have tested organizations in unprecedented ways. While many debated the meaning of terms like “the new normal,” facility managers demonstrated competence, strategic planning and decisive leadership to keep their organizations and people moving forward. From the C-suite to workers and visitors, organizations have become acutely aware of FM’s influence as critical enablers to ensure organizational, environmental and personal health. (more…)

June 17, 2026

Navel gazing may not be the answer to the challenges facing workplace professions

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Facilities management, Workplace, Workplace design

First published in 2016 and republished because the same conversation is happening yet again at the IWFM conference right now: An adherence to strongly held beliefs can make people think and behave in peculiar ways and get them tangled up in peripheral issues that take on a great deal of significance. Early religious artists, for example, spent centuries wrestling with the seemingly intractable problem of whether to depict Adam and Eve with belly buttons or not. (more…)