Search Results for: economy

UK enjoys sharpest rise in output for two years, CBI report claims

UK enjoys sharpest rise in output for two years, CBI report claims

by • News

Business activity in the UK ended the year on a high after manufacturers, service sector companies and retailers reported the sharpest rise in output in two years, according to a report from the business lobby group CBI. The composite measure based on 642 respondents across the three sectors showed the balance of firms reporting a rise in output at +19 percent, compared with +6 percent in the three months to November 2017. Growth was broad-based, according to the CBI, with all sectors reporting robust output volumes growth last quarter at a pace above their long-run averages.

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Five employment law milestones from the past year we need to remember in 2018

Five employment law milestones from the past year we need to remember in 2018

by • Comment, Workplace

employment lawThe past twelve months have been an eventful period for employment law; from the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and the rights of EU Nationals working in the UK, to the mounting attention on employee data protection as the GDPR edges ever closer. Issues of Employment Tribunal fees, holiday pay and the gig economy have similarly captivated headlines, and these significant milestones from the past 12 months are set to have a big impact on the challenges facing the sector into 2018. More →

CIPD predicts tighter labour market and continued poor productivity next year

CIPD predicts tighter labour market and continued poor productivity next year

by • Legal news, News, Workplace

CIPD predicts tighter labour market and continued poor productivity next year

There is little evidence that the pay squeeze will end soon, with only falling inflation likely to lead to meaningful wage increases next year. This is according to a CIPD analysis, which predicts that 2018 will see pay, productivity and migration top the agenda as the UK looks ahead to its exit from the European Union. It adds that the UK workforce could tighten, and with increased constraints on labour supply, 2018 could be the year that the UK finally runs out of people to fill jobs, despite unemployment levels being unlikely to see much change. There are also indications there will be no improvement in productivity, with continued stagnation in UK productivity, which will remain well below pre-crash levels. In the CIPD’s annual labour market predictions, Ian Brinkley, Acting Chief Economist, anticipates a flattening of employment growth and weak pay growth as the UK continues to struggle with its productivity problem.

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We need to have an honest conversation about presenteeism

We need to have an honest conversation about presenteeism

by • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace design

We have talked before about the risks of over thinking problems. It is not just something that consultants, designers and the workplace intelligentsia are guilty of – everyone does it.  It is why we do not switch off when we are ill and still insist on going to work. We over think the consequences of not being in our workplace. Likewise, many traditional line managers simply cannot get their head around their teams working from home. After all, modern management mantras all talk about creating a great atmosphere in which teams all work together – in the same space at the same time? We all tend to over complicate most things and that is one of the main reasons in the UK we struggle with the concept of working from home. A consequence of this is the rise in presenteeism, which is mainly linked to illness, people ignoring how bad they feel and because of a perceived pressure, still turning up for work.

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The power of cities continues to shift east as Asia set to outstrip Europe and North America by 2035

by • Cities, News

A new report from Oxford Economics suggests although New York, Tokyo, London and LA will stay as the world’s major urban superpowers in the near future, China’s cities’ GDP will double in the coming two decades while Shanghai (pictured) and Beijing have already outstripped Paris in terms of economic activity. The 780 global urban centres covered in the report account for well over half of all worldwide economic activity, are home to a third of the world’s population and will be home to an extra 500 million people by 2035. In just over a decade the combined economic activity of Asian cities will exceed those in Europe and North America. Some smaller European cities will fall out of the top 100 cities worldwide, including several capitals. These are Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen and Vienna as well as Barcelona, Frankfurt and Hamburg.

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Returnship programmes offer parents route back into work, yet only 4 percent of employers offer them

Returnship programmes offer parents route back into work, yet only 4 percent of employers offer them

by • Flexible working, News, Workplace

A totaljobs study of 2,600 jobseekers and nearly 100 employers claims that while a ‘returnship’ initiative can offer a valuable route back into the workforce for anyone taking a break in their career, their success is hindered by a lack of awareness, rather than a lack of interest. The study found that 85 percent of employers are not aware of returnship programmes despite the fact that two thirds of recruiters believe they would offer returnships if they were incentivised by the government and 72 percent of employees would consider a returnship programme if they’d taken a break from the workforce.

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A 300 year old idea explains some of the enduring appeal of the open plan

A 300 year old idea explains some of the enduring appeal of the open plan

by • Comment, Facilities management, Workplace design

In the 18th Century the utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham came up with his idea of the Panopticon, a prison building with a central tower encircled by cells so that each person in the cells knew they could be watched at all times. Whether they were observed or not was actually immaterial. Bentham called it ‘a new mode of obtaining power of mind over mind’ and while he focused on its use as a prison, he was also aware of the idea’s usefulness for schools, asylums and hospitals. Bentham got the original idea following a visit to Belarus to see his brother who was managing sites there and had used the idea of a circular building at the centre of an industrial compound to allow a small number of managers to oversee the activities of a large workforce. This is something of a precursor of the scientific management theories of Frederick Taylor that continue to influence the way we work and manage people.

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Women and flexible workers significantly more at risk of illegal and inappropriate sexual behaviour at work

Women and flexible workers significantly more at risk of illegal and inappropriate sexual behaviour at work

by • Workplace

Two in five women and one in five men in the UK say they have experienced unwanted sexual behaviour at work and only a minority ever report it, a BBC survey of 6,206 people has found. The study also claims that people in flexible work are significantly more likely to be subject to assault, rape, unwanted sexual advances and inappropriate behaviour. Around 42 percent of gig economy workers, the self-employed and freelancers reported that they had been subject to or exposed to such behaviour. Respondents were asked if they agreed with the proposition that: “Looking back over my working life, I have witnessed behaviour that I now believe to constitute sexual harassment but didn’t think it at the time.” Four in 10 (42 percent) over-55s agreed. Among those near the start of their working lives (18 to 34-year-olds), three in 10 felt the same way. The poll found that overall, 40 percent of women reported they have experienced some form of sexual harassment at work.  More →

Employers not doing enough to help staff reach their full potential says HR

Employers not doing enough to help staff reach their full potential says HR

by • Legal news, News, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace

It appears to have been a challenging year for HR professionals, as a new survey suggests nearly three quarters (72 percent) of participants in a recent survey feel slightly or significantly more over-stretched in their role compared to last year. Forty four percent believe the workforce does not have enough support to thrive, and a further 23 percent don’t feel confident  that their organisations are doing enough to address this issue. Research from a survey of HR people conducted by Cascade HR found that 32 percent of HR managers have found employment legislation harder to navigate. However, a reassuring 61 percent of HR professionals now feel ‘somewhat prepared’ for GDPR, which has understandably taken up a lot of preparatory time and resource as 2017 has unfolded. In fact, only 15 percent of HR professionals surveyed feel significantly or slightly underprepared, which seems to contradict national statistics on a business-wide level.

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Smart cities could lead to cost savings of $5 trillion for firms and governments, report claims

Smart cities could lead to cost savings of $5 trillion for firms and governments, report claims

by • Cities, News, Technology

Smart city technologies could save businesses, governments and citizens globally over US$5 trillion annually by 2022 according to a new whitepaper from ABI Research (registration required). The new white paper analyses the scope for cost savings and efficiency as a driver for smart city deployments, smart technologies and the Internet of Things (IoT). According to the report, titled ‘Smart Cities and Cost Savings,’ the use and deployment of IoT and smart technologies will be pivotal to the future success of smart cities, but only if players collaborate to embrace a holistic approach. With higher concentrations of people and enterprises in cities as a result of urbanisation, smart city and IoT technology, along with new sharing and service economy paradigms, will be key for cities to optimise the use of existing assets, maximise efficiencies, obtain economies of scale and ultimately create a more sustainable environment. Automation, artificial intelligence, along with sensors, data-sharing and analytics, will all be critical in helping cities save costs.

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New Government plan to address employment barriers for disabled people

New Government plan to address employment barriers for disabled people

by • Legal news, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

New Government plan to address employment barriers for disabled people

The Government has announced a new 10-year strategy to address employment prospects for disabled people and people with health conditions. In response to its Work, Health & Disability Green Paper consultation which closed earlier this year, the White Paper, Improving Lives: the Future of Work, Health and Disability sets out how the Government will work with employers, charities, healthcare providers and local authorities to break down employment barriers for disabled people and people with health conditions over the next decade. This will be delivered through in-work programmes, personalised financial and employment support, and specialist healthcare services. Currently, ill health that keeps people out of work costs the economy an estimated £100 billion a year, including £7 billion in costs to the NHS. Two new employment trials will also be launched in the West Midlands and Sheffield City Region combined authorities to provide employment support. The Government is also investing around £39 million to more than double the number of Employment Advisors in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services.

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Government targets 50 percent cut in greenhouse gases from the built environment

Government targets 50 percent cut in greenhouse gases from the built environment

by • Environment, Facilities management, News, Property

The UK government has set some ambitious targets for construction and the environmental performance of buildings following the announcement of a Sector Deal for the construction sector. The sector deal was an integral part of the Industrial Strategy White Paper published earlier this week. In a statement, Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark revealed more details of the deal supported by £170m of government investment and £250m of match funding from the built environment sector. The announcement sets out ambitious new targets for the built environment and infrastructure including a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gases and a third reduction in the costs of construction and whole life costs of buildings.

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