May 2, 2022
Why the over 50s are leaving the workforce in huge numbers
The UK economy has a problem with its over 50s: following the COVID pandemic, they have been leaving the labour force en masse, causing headaches for businesses and the government. Roughly 300,000 more workers aged between 50 and 65 are now “economically inactive” than before the pandemic, leading a tabloid paper to dub the problem the “silver exodus”. Being economically inactive means that these older workers are neither employed nor looking for a job. Of course, it could simply be that workers saved more during the pandemic and can now afford to retire in comfort earlier than planned. More →
Six London workplaces have been recognised at the annual British Council for Offices’ (BCO) Regional Awards. The London Awards Lunch returned in-person to the London Hilton on Park Lane, recognising the highest quality developments in London and setting the standard for excellence in the office sector across the UK. The winning workplaces include: 80 Charlotte Street (Commercial Workplace); Plumtree Court, 25 Shoe Lane (Corporate Workplace); Dojo, The Brunel Building, 2 Canalside Walk (Fit Out of Workplace); ASOS HQ, Greater London House, 180 Hampstead Road (Refurbished/Recycled Workplace); Pennybank , 33-35 St John’s Square (Projects up to 1,500m sq. ); 1 Triton, 1 Triton Square, Regent’s Place (Innovation) 
Uncertain times call for different measures and approaches, the old rules and playbooks are no longer applicable – so what are you going to do? Sit around, stagnate, hanker after old solutions trying to manipulate and squeeze them into new, unknowable, untried paradigms? No! One thing human beings are fairly good at is evolving and adapting to new and unknown situations and as we all know, being flexible and accepting change creates resilience and ensures survival. 
The first Omnirama event on the 23rd of March launched the series exploring different factors challenging the world of work in a time of prevailing uncertainty. Underlying Ominirama’s raison d’etre is that recent events have turned the status quo on its head with some major structural and systemic changes taking place. Nobody seems to have any clear idea of how to deal with this enormous transformation in the ways we work All the playbooks and all the guidance that we have all relied upon for so many years have now gone out the window. 
Even as we begin to glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel of the pandemic, evidence suggests that many workers want to carry over the working flexibility that the pandemic afforded into the post-pandemic world and a new future of work. Namely, employees are wanting to adopt a ‘mixed’ working style – spending time both working in the workplace, 
April 28, 2022
We need to seize the chance to make our buildings far more intelligent
by William Poole-Wilson • Comment, Environment, Property, Workplace design