Search Results for: employee satisfaction

May 2, 2013

Companies increasingly insist that staff use their own devices

by Mark Eltringham • Knowledge, News, Technology, Workplace

How the world turns. It doesn’t seem that long ago that companies were developing policies to minimise the amount of time people spent on their own mobile devices at work. Now, according to a new study from Gartner, they are starting to insist on it. According to the report, half of all US employers will require staff to supply their own devices for work use by 2017. The shift in approach seems to be a direct consequence of mass market acceptance of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) with the number of employees using mobile applications at work set to double by 2015. The US, along with countries such as India, China and Brazil, continues to lead the way with twice as many firms adopting the practice as in Europe.

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January 23, 2013

Global Gen Y survey highlights national differences

by Mark Eltringham • Environment, Knowledge, News, Workplace

Never has a generation of humans been so much talked about as Generation Y. As this millennial army marches into the world’s workplaces and takes the reins of power (or at least control) for the first time, there has been a lot of agonising about how to manage a whole generation of people who are the first to have been nurtured in a digital world. Now a new report from Deloitte into the attitudes of millennials from around the world has confirmed that this is a complex generation of individuals with many universal ideals but with regional characteristics too. (more…)

January 16, 2013

Workplace transformation strategies are an essential element of CSR

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, Knowledge, News, Workplace, Workplace design

CNGLogo

Adopting 21st-century workplace practices that meet the needs of employers and employees is an important form of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), according to a new corporate real estate (CRE) industry advocacy statement by CoreNet Global. The report finds the nature of work is “changing dramatically, transcending the traditional definitions of productivity to include the concepts of enabling work, employee engagement, employee satisfaction and employee wellness, framed around an emerging ‘work-life support’ business model.” (more…)

March 29, 2026

Traditional open plan offices linked to higher risk of workplace bullying, study claims

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Employees working in traditional open plan offices are significantly more likely to experience workplace bullying than those in private or smaller shared spaces, according to new research published in the journal Occupational Health Science. The study, based on a nationally representative sample of 3,307 workers in Sweden, examined whether office design influences the likelihood of negative interpersonal behaviour at work. Researchers found that employees in open plan environments faced a higher risk of bullying even after accounting for factors such as personality, demographics and working patterns. (more…)

December 11, 2025

Neuroinclusive workspace design – addressing the current industry shortfalls

by Guzman de Yarza and Ana Gorriti • Comment, Workplace design

In recent years, there have been significant developments in making workplaces more inclusive and accessible for a diverse range of individuals. However, there is one area which is emerging as the next critical evolution in workplace strategy: neuroinclusive workplace design. Neurodivergent employees often bring unique strengths in areas like innovative problem-solving, meticulous attention to detail, and exceptional pattern recognition, but many workplaces are still failing to adequately accommodate these individuals. (more…)

December 11, 2025

JLL sets out the five key corporate real estate trends for next year

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

A new analysis from JLL claims to highlight how global occupiers are rethinking corporate real estate as a strategic tool for talent, culture and performance rather than treating it purely as a cost. The report identifies five priorities expected to influence workplace strategy in the year ahead, reflecting continued pressure on portfolios alongside rising expectations for employee experience and sustainability. JLL says organisations are increasingly shifting to more flexible “elastic portfolios” as they look to balance cost control with growth. Office utilisation remains well below target levels, prompting a move away from long, fixed leases in favour of portfolios that can expand or contract according to market conditions, workforce needs or new business opportunities. The firm argues that portfolio management is now closer to a continuous process than a periodic exercise.

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December 2, 2025

Flexible working continues to be the enduring theme of workplace conversations

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Economic uncertainty and rapid technological change are reshaping expectations for both employers and employees, with flexible working continuing to be underlying theme of most workplace conversations. According to the 2025 Global Workplace Report from WorkL based on feedback from more than half a million employees across over one hundred countries, there are also widening divides between generations, differing attitudes towards career ambition and a continued rise in anxiety linked to automation. (more…)

November 28, 2025

Why smarter scheduling is becoming workers’ favourite benefit

by Freddie Steele • Company news

In late 2023, The Conference Board asked more than 1,500 US employees which non?salary benefits matter most. 65 percent put workplace flexibility at the top of the list, above bonuses, paid time off, retirement plans and even healthcare. In 2025, Gallup found that among over 10,000 US workers, 59 percent rated “greater work–life balance and better personal wellbeing” as a very important reason for taking a new job, more than any other factor for the third year running. (more…)

November 5, 2025

Government report warns of growing health-related economic inactivity

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

The Government has published its final Keep Britain Working report, warning that the United Kingdom faces a continuing rise in economic inactivity linked to ill health, disability and long-term sickness. The report, issued by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Business and Trade, sets out evidence that more people are leaving the workforce because of health conditions, reducing productivity and increasing costs for employers and the state. (more…)

October 10, 2025

Can we all stop shouting about AI (and start listening to each other instead)?

by Stephanie Fitzgerald • AI, Comment, SF

Recently, the conversation around AI has been hotting up. This is not as a result of experts sharing new and innovative developments, but rather through grown adults exchanging insults and name-calling. LinkedIn is flooded with posts shouting about how the only people who don’t support and advocate for AI are running scared. Scared of progress. Scared of technology. Scared of the future. These posts read as childish and bullying and, whilst admittedly likely to be AI generated (or at the very least having had AI cast a glance or two over the content), they are positioning humans in a dichotomous way; for or against. You’re either with AI and therefore in the gang, or you are an ignorant luddite who is unwilling to get with the programme.

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September 30, 2025

Mandates fail to bring people back to the office, but design and flexibility might

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Workplace design

Rigid return-to-office mandates are doing little to increase attendance, according to new research from international design practice Hassell. The firm’s latest Workplace Futures Survey, titled The Mandate Mirage, suggests that the real motivator for people to work in person is choice, particularly when supported by offices designed to offer more than just a desk. The sixth edition of the survey, which polled 3,000 office workers across the UK, US, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea, finds that strict policies are more likely to generate dissatisfaction than compliance. In the UK, poorly executed mandates cut compliance by up to 41 percent, while organisations that offered bonuses or travel subsidies saw attendance increase by a third. Recently renovated offices also boosted in-person working by 15 percent. (more…)

September 23, 2025

Hybrid working is now more about when work is done, rather than where

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

A new report from Owl Labs suggests that the debate over where people work is being replaced by questions about when they work. The firm’s 2025 State of Hybrid Work report argues that the defining issue in workplace flexibility and hybrid working is now time rather than location. The study, based on a survey of 2,000 US workers, claims that almost half of respondents believe they do not have enough flexibility in their working hours. Thirty seven percent said they would turn down a job that did not provide flexible scheduling, an increase compared to last year. Around a quarter said they would find a four day week more attractive than a traditional arrangement, with many indicating they would be willing to take a pay cut in exchange for greater control over their time. On average, workers said they would give up around eight to nine percent of their salary to secure more flexible hours or a reduced working week. (more…)