October 22, 2020

Workplace furniture specialists Sketch launch homeworking portal

Sketch, the independent workplace furniture specialist, has launched Home-Work by Sketch – a homeworking furniture specification service, with an ordering website for the employees of corporate enterprise in the UK. Even before the Coronavirus pandemic, flexible and homeworking were becoming increasingly popular helping organisations to attract top talent and improving employee well-being, as well as supporting business continuity, and allowing an agile response to unexpected challenges. More →

October 21, 2020

Future of work has arrived sooner than expected, WEF report claims

by Neil Franklin • AI, Flexible working, News, Technology, Workplace

The Future of Jobs 2020 report from the World Economic Forum claims that COVID-19 has caused the labour market to change faster than expected. The research suggests that what was recently considered the future of work has now arrived. By 2025, automation and a new division of labour between humans and machines will disrupt 85 million jobs globally in medium and large businesses across 15 industries and 26 economies. More →

October 21, 2020

Young people suffer most from lack of motivation at work

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

New research by management consultancy Lane4, claims 44 percent of employees under 35 years old say that a lack of motivation has been hindering their performance at work since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in March.

The study of over 1000 UK employees, carried out by YouGov, suggests that the performance of younger workers (under 35 years old) is twice as likely to be impacted by a lack of motivation than that of 45-54-year olds (22 percent), and significantly more likely to be impacted by a lack of motivation than the average for all age groups (28 percent). More →

October 20, 2020

Radical reskilling needed to ensure future of economy

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

Research carried out by the CBI prior to the pandemic suggests there is an urgent need for the UK to embark on a radical programme of reskilling that goes further and faster than current plans. According to the CBI, the UK faces a stark choice: invest more in lifetime learning and upskilling of millions of employees, or stick to business as usual, and risk sustained higher rates of unemployment and skills shortages. More →

October 20, 2020

The changing office landscape: what tenants want from their workspace

by Jayne Smith • Environment, News, Workplace design

A new report, released by workplace design consultancy, Peldon Rose, takes a look at the changing needs of office users as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. “The Office of the Future” report, commissioned in conjunction with workplace strategy and employee engagement specialists, WKspace, examines the impact on the pandemic has had on the changing needs of tenants. More →

October 20, 2020

Future of the workplace: Sustainability, climate change and COVID-19

by Jayne Smith • Environment, News, Working culture

Environmental and sustainability professional, Dr Leyla Acaroglu, and next generation employee experience platform and intranet provider, Unily, have launched the Future of Workplace Sustainability Report, which explores how sustainability, climate change and COVID-19 are shaping the future of the workplace. More →

October 19, 2020

Ten pandemic related responses with highest business impact

by Jayne Smith • Business, News

The Josh Bersin Academy, a development academy for HR professionals, has announced the release of its newest research-based report, Business Resilience: The Global COVID-19 Pandemic Response Study. The 38-page complimentary report is based on a survey conducted in August 2020 of 1,349 HR leaders and professionals across the globe and all industry segments. More →

October 19, 2020

Frontline leaders blocked from strategic decision making

by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Working lives

New research commissioned by Workplace from Facebook claims frontline managers are being shut out from making strategic decisions, due to a prevailing disconnect with leaders in HQ. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic highlighting the importance of the frontline and its leaders, managers in this environment have not been empowered to make decisions. More →

October 16, 2020

Mentally demanding tasks are harder to handle at home

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing

A new study looking at skills in online chess tournaments from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) claims that working from home could be damaging for mentally demanding tasks. More →

October 16, 2020

Is remote working a ticking timebomb?

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working culture

At a time when working from home looks set to continue for many in both the short and long term, ‘hidden fractures’ are forming in the workforce which risk causing irreparable damage to cultures and productivity. That’s according to new research from Totem which is urging employers to take action now to better manage remote working and prevent employee engagement and retention levels falling to an all-time low. More →

October 15, 2020

The wellbeing needs of men and women can be very different

by Alaana Woods • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

There are currently 15.6 million women in work in the UK, and each of these women is likely to have differing wellbeing needs which must be supported to help retain talent and enable them to meet their full potential in the workplace. In short, business leaders need to do more to recognise and address women’s health. This will have both short-term and long-term positive effects on their business and employees. A McKinsey study found that gender diverse businesses are 25 percent more likely to financially outperform their counter parts. A separate report published in the Harvard Business Review found that such an approach can also increase innovation revenues by 19 percent. More →

October 15, 2020

Working women face new challenges in the era of Covid

by Jayne Smith • News, Working culture

The latest edition of the Women in the Workplace survey from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) claims working women across the green building industry are facing historic challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. Of nearly 500 women surveyed, 86 percent are feeling supported by employers, yet nearly 90 percent note they are still facing challenges when it comes to financial, familial and professional responsibilities. More →