November 10, 2020

Workers lukewarm on both permanent remote work and the 9 to 5

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working culture, Working lives

The vast majority of UK office workers neither want to continue working remotely after Covid-19 restrictions lift nor make a full return to the 9 to 5. This is despite the fact that many admit that remote work has reduced their productivity. Those are the main claims of new research released by Locatee. Carried out by YouGov, the research claims to provide insight into UK office workers’ attitudes towards productivity, job security, and the prospect of further Covid-19 restrictions. More →

November 10, 2020

November lockdown reignites concerns about mental health and productivity

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

A vast majority of managers (75 percent) faced challenges with employees when working remotely, causing concerns within businesses preparing for the second UK lockdown. More →

November 9, 2020

Working from home could energise some of our overlooked cities

by Michel Serafinelli • Cities, Comment, Flexible working

For years, we have been promised a work-from-home revolution, and it seems that the pandemic has finally brought it to pass. In April this year, at the height of the first wave of coronavirus, 47 percent of people in the UK were working from home, the vast majority of them doing so because of the pandemic. In a sense this is overdue: the work-from-home potential for UK employees is 32 percent; in France, Germany and Italy between 24 percent and 28 percent. More →

November 9, 2020

Now is the time for employers to think differently about who they hire

by Jayne Smith • News, Working culture

As COVID-19 has forced businesses to change where and how they work this year, the learning disability charity Mencap is now calling on employers to think differently about WHO they employ. The pandemic has highlighted the invaluable contribution people with a learning disability and/ or autism can make as hardworking and valued employees. More →

November 6, 2020

Third of home workers feel disconnected, Leesman data shows

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Insights from Leesman’s ongoing home working study of more than 145,000 workers has revealed that a significant number of employees feel disconnected to their colleagues and organisation, while others struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Over a third of home workers (35 percent) feel disconnected to their organisation when working from home and a further 31 percent feel disconnected to their colleagues, Leesman data has revealed. More →

November 6, 2020

Furlough schemes are leaving isolated staff down in the dumps

by Steven Buck • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace

Since March, Glint has been creating a dataset which now consists of 7 million survey responses from employees around the world and across a broad range of industries. Our aim is to take the pulse of the global workforce to see how it’s faring with our ongoing global health crisis and to understand its effects on work. The recent August report shows that pandemic-related layoffs and furloughs have hit employees hard. 56 percent of respondents report feeling less happy at work after seeing co-workers furloughed or laid off. Half of respondents say their organisation’s layoffs or furlough plans have had a negative impact on their workload (50 percent) and their sense of belonging or community at work (47 percent). More →

November 6, 2020

IT decision-makers back transition to hybrid workforce

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working culture, Working lives

New research conducted on behalf of eFax by independent research organisation Vanson Bourne, claims that the majority, more than three quarters (76 percent) of UK IT decision-makers believe their organisations could have made the transition to a hybrid workforce sooner, if they were aware of the pros and cons of moving to a hybrid working model, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic began. More →

November 6, 2020

Human error has posed cybersecurity challenges during the pandemic

by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Technology

80 percent of companies say that an increased cybersecurity risk caused by human factors has posed a challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in times of heightened stress. This is according to Cyberchology: The Human Element, a new report that explores the role employees and their personality play in keeping organisations safe from cyber threats. More →

November 4, 2020

Presenteeism pressure endures, despite rise in flexible working

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working culture

Workers are feeling compelled to demonstrate presenteeism and availability to employers in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, claims a new global study from the ADP Research Institute. This is despite a rise in flexible working, with the percentage of organisations who have official flexible working policies nearly doubling compared to before the pandemic. More →

November 4, 2020

Upskilling opportunities during lockdown: UK employers miss the mark

by Jayne Smith • News, Technology, Working lives

According to new research from Pluralsight, Inc. (NASDAQ: PS), the technology skills and engineering management platform, 43 percent of UK office workers are worried they will be left behind as companies seek new skills to cope with the rapid pace of change. Yet, despite these upskilling concerns, 47 percent have neglected learning any new skills since the lockdown began in the UK on March 23rd. More →

November 3, 2020

Should employers require people to use the NHS COVID-19 App when at work?

by Helen Farr • Comment, Legal news, Workplace

The NHS COVID-19 App was introduced on 24 September. Many welcome its arrival as another step to contain the spread of COVID-19. Others are concerned about using the app for data and privacy reasons. Employers face a dilemma. It is not mandatory for staff to use the app. Employers can do nothing and leave the choice to download to the employee or express a view about whether the app should or should not be used in the workplace. This is particularly relevant for those businesses who provide work devices. More →

November 2, 2020

Third of fathers unaware of their flexible working rights

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

A new study in the British Sociological Association’s journal Work, Employment and Society has found that 10 percent of mothers and 30 percent of fathers do not know that they have the right to ask their employer to consider changes to how they work as part of flexible working regulations introduced as much as 17 years ago. More →