April 4, 2019

People, not cost now most important factor behind corporate real estate decisions

by Marie Hillen • Facilities management, News, Property

The corporate appetite for flexible space continues to grow as around two-thirds of occupiers rank employee engagement (68 percent) and talent attraction & development (65 percent) as two of the three most important drivers of corporate real estate (CRE) strategy. According to the 2019 EMEA Occupier Survey by CBRE over a third of companies see labour and skills shortages as a key strategic challenge, double last year’s result. In line with last year’s survey, technology disruption (36 percent) economic uncertainty (43 percent) and cost escalation (31 percent) all feature highly as key challenges for occupiers.

April 3, 2019

Coworking and a new golden era for the workplace and the people who inhabit it

by Gary Chandler • Comment, Coworking, Workplace design

The idea of coworking is starting to resonate with a growing number of businesses and for a growing number of reasons. People new to the concept, or those who are aware primarily of its roots, may discover or retain a notion that it is a way for start-ups and freelancers to share space as a way of keeping down costs or networking with similar organisations. There is still a great deal of truth in this, given that the initial growth of coworking was based almost exclusively on the need for small tech and creative organisations to occupy space near to their larger clients, in precisely those urban enclaves that demand eye-watering rents and conventional leases.

April 3, 2019

Procurement fraud rampant in UK businesses

by George Eltringham • News, Technology

Procurement fraud is widespread in the UK and the country lags behind many countries in its detection capabilities, new research from SAS claims. British companies, on average, lose significantly more money to procurement fraud, and the country is far more reliant on ineffective manual detection techniques than other nations.Procurement fraud occurs when employees and suppliers behave fraudulently during the contract bidding process or over the course of the contract. This can range from employees colluding with their preferred vendor to give unfair advantage during procurement, to suppliers submitting multiple invoices for a single item. While procurement fraud is a serious crime that carries a jail sentence in many countries, perpetrators are often willing to take the risk for personal revenge or financial gain. More →

April 2, 2019

A quarter of a century ago, the newborn Internet set office design on a different path

by Colin Watson • Comment, Furniture, Workplace design

Because we are now so immersed in technology, we can sometimes forget just how young the Internet is. It was only in 1995 that the final barriers to its full commercial development were removed. In 1994, the number of people using it worldwide was estimated at around 20 million, there were under 15,000 company websites and the UK had one ‘cybercafe’. Even so, there was something in the air. A sense that everything was about to change – and change spectacularly.

April 2, 2019

Mind launches toolkit to promote better wellbeing in the built environment

by George Eltringham • News, Wellbeing

A new toolkit is online at the Mental Health at Work website. This UK-wide initiative allows all types of employers and employees to access free tools, advice and information – all in one place. The construction toolkit includes resources from a range of expert organisations. The resources include tips on how to start the conversation on mental health, mental health first aid training and five steps to building a positive and supportive culture in construction. Mind invited colleagues from Building Mental Health to put together this toolkit of resources. More →

April 2, 2019

Gaslighting widespread in the UK workplace

by George Eltringham • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

More than half of people questioned in research by HR software and services provider MHR claim they have experienced what they consider to be gaslighting at work. The Twitter poll of 3,033 people aged between 18 and 54 found that 58 percent of respondents have experienced what they consider to be gaslighting during their working lives. Thirty percent of respondents said they hadn’t experienced gaslighting in the workplace, with 12 percent saying they didn’t know. More →

April 1, 2019

Against metrics: how measuring performance by numbers backfires

by Jerry Z Muller • Features, Workplace

More and more companies, government agencies, educational institutions and philanthropic organisations are today in the grip of a new phenomenon. I’ve termed it ‘metric fixation’. The key components of metric fixation are the belief that it is possible – and desirable – to replace professional judgment (acquired through personal experience and talent) with numerical indicators of comparative performance based upon standardised data (metrics); and that the best way to motivate people within these organisations is by attaching rewards and penalties to their measured performance. More →

April 1, 2019

A chance to have a say on your experience of open plan office design

by Mark Eltringham • News, Wellbeing, Workplace design

The debate on open plan versus enclosed offices rages on, but it’s not binary, it’s not black or white, it’s not a dichotomy. Furthermore, office occupants appear to have different preferences from the wide range of workplace design solutions that are available. To inform workplace design, we need to understand what drives these individual preferences. Is it factors such as personality, personalisation, flexibility, sense of belonging and familiarity that affect where people prefer to work?

March 28, 2019

The rise of the digital workplace is transforming the physical office

by Giles Fuchs • Comment, Coworking, Workplace design

A recent survey by Gartner predicts that one in five workers will have an AI bot as their co-worker by 2022. It’s almost impossible to talk about the future of the workplace without mention of AI or robotics, and is therefore hardly surprising that there is a feeling of apprehension amongst workers. PwC’s 21st global CEO Survey in 2018 revealed that between 23 percent and 51 percent of respondents were “extremely concerned” about the speed of technological change, and indicated “anxiety about the impending promise and perils of AI.”

March 26, 2019

Over one in ten deaths linked to sedentary office life

by Mark Eltringham • News, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Sedentary office life which involves sitting down for at least six hours a day contributes to tens of thousands of people dying every year and costs the NHS £700 million each year, according to a new study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Researchers used previous analyses of the increased risks of heart disease, diabetes and cancer that have been associated with extended periods of inactivity. According to this meta-analysis, about a third of British adults spend more than six hours sedentary each day and almost 70,000 deaths a year in Britain – over one in ten of total deaths – could be attributed in some degree to the behaviour. More →

March 26, 2019

Automation could replace 1.5 million UK jobs, according to Government study

by Neil Franklin • AI, News, Technology

Around 1.5 million jobs in England are at high risk of some of their duties and tasks being automated in the future, Office for National Statistics (ONS) analysis shows. The ONS has analysed the jobs of 20 million people in England in 2017, and has found that 7.4 percent are at high risk of automation. Women, young people, and those who work part-time are most likely to work in roles that are at high risk of automation. More →

March 26, 2019

CIPD report finds employers can do more for women going through the menopause

by Sara Bean • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

CIPD: employers need to do more to help women going through the menopause The majority of working women experiencing the menopause say it has a negative impact on them at work, finds a new survey from the CIPD. The research found that three out of five (59 percent) working women between the ages of 45 and 55 who are experiencing menopause symptoms were finding it impacted them at work. In response, the CIPD has launched free guidance on managing the menopause at work to help break the silence surrounding the topic. More →