Search Results for: employee

November 10, 2016

Nearly half of HR professionals don’t feel up-to-speed with new workplace legislation ⁰

New research from identity data intelligence firm GBG claims there are a startling number of HR professionals (41 percent) who are struggling to keep up with new and changing workplace legislation. Recent changes to UK law, such as those made to the Right To Work in the Immigration Act and Modern Day Slavery Act are met with anxiety by 34 percent of respondents. Only 26 percent feel prepared and just 4 percent feel optimistic that the changes will be advantageous for their organisation. Despite half of HR professionals not feeling prepared to handle legislation changes, 62 percent believe it’s their primary responsibility. Almost one in five (18 percent) said it was their manager’s obligation and 9 percent believed the Board should be in charge of monitoring for change.

November 10, 2016

The changing workplaces of Australia’s law firms; more in common with hotels than offices ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Architecture, Features, Workplace design

Features such as baristas, sky terraces and fine dining will continue a process of transformation at the workplaces of Australia’s leading law firms over the next few years, claims a study by Melbourne based architecture practice Bates Smart. The report claims that the legal workplaces of today are are already unrecognisable compared to what was considered typical yesterday, having more in common with a five star hotel than a traditional office. Bates Smart predicts an even greater shift towards flexibility, collaboration and hospitality from legal firms in the future with the publication of four key findings in its new whitepaper, The Legal Workplace 2020, The report analyses trends in over 135,000 sq. m. of legal practice workplaces and draws conclusions that are indicative of key trends for law firms and the wider market alike.

November 10, 2016

If we want to maximise productivity and wellbeing, how many hours should we work? ⁰

by Mike James • Comment, Flexible working

Some people cling to the idea that if you want to get more work done, the obvious solution is to put in more hours. But if that’s true, why are a number of companies in Sweden reducing their working schedule from eight hours a day to six? Is Sweden that economically successful that they can afford to give their staff a quarter of the day off? No – something different is going on. But to understand it, we need to look at where the idea of the eight hour working day and its association with productivity comes from. During the late 19th century, there was an increased demand for worker’s rights, and the debate about working hours was right at the heart of it. Improvements were slowly made, as standard 16-hour-a-day shifts reduced and reduced. As the 20th century arrived, significant progress had been made, but even then many stubborn companies held on to older working practices. Ten-hour, six-day-a-week schedules were still common.

November 9, 2016

Will Brexit mean business as usual for employment law? ⁰

by Michael Farrelly • Comment, Legal news, Workplace

The decision by the UK electorate to leave the European Union has created widespread uncertainty in almost all areas of law, with employment law particularly affected. A large amount of present UK employment law has its base in EU law, which means a withdrawal from the EU could result in UK employment rights no longer being guaranteed by the EU. This leaves both employees and employers in a state of flux and uncertainty, and the approach that has thus far been taken by the government appears to have been driven, to a very large degree, by a desire to create a sense of continuity. Both the Prime Minister Theresa May and Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, David Davis, have repeatedly sought to offer reassurances that the rights of workers will remain largely unchanged post-Brexit. Given the political situation, however, it is entirely possible that this may end up being simple rhetoric rather than a deliverable result.

November 8, 2016

Work-life balance is especially important to millennials, finds US study ⁰

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Work-life balance is especially crucial to millennials, with nearly six in 10 members of this generation (57 percent) saying that work-life balance and well-being in a job are “very important” to them. What’s more, millennials — whose propensity for technology has the potential to keep them constantly tethered to work emails and projects — care a lot about having a job that actively promotes their well-being. Results from the US-based Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey shows that millennials are more likely than those of other generations to be thriving in physical well-being and are improving in key areas of health. But it also shows that employees who are thriving in all five elements of well-being are 81 percent less likely than those thriving only in physical well-being to seek out a new employer in the next year. These findings are particularly compelling, considering that millennials are the most likely generation to job-hop.

November 7, 2016

Global case for healthy green building provided ‘for first time’ ⁰

by Sara Bean • Company news, Environment, Facilities management

A global business case for healthy green building design and management has been provided ‘for the first time’ in a new report from the World Green Building Council with examples of the benefits to employers, building owners, designers and developers. The new report Building the Business Case: Health, Wellbeing and Productivity in Green Offices highlights ‘the global momentum behind healthy and green office design and operation’ and showcases over 15 buildings from around the world. The research provides further evidence in the ways that green offices keep staff healthy and happy, improves productivity and boosts business’ bottom line. Steps like improving air quality, increasing natural light and introducing greenery – those which typically have environmental benefits such as using less energy – may also have an impact on the bottom line by improving employee productivity and reducing absenteeism, staff turnover and medical costs, according to the report.

November 4, 2016

Corporate responsibility now essential to attract and retain millennials ⁰

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Corporate social responsibility is no longer seen as more than a nice to have, with those working within the built environment for example, appreciating the role it has in reducing greenhouse gases. But it is also being increasingly seen as a positive way of attracting and engaging the right talent. Now according to a new survey carried out in the US, meaningful engagement around CSR is becoming a business – and bottom line – imperative, impacting a company’s ability to appeal to, retain and inspire Millennial talent. Three-quarters (76 percent) of Millennials consider a company’s social and environmental commitments when deciding where to work and nearly two-thirds (64 percent) won’t take a job if a potential employer doesn’t have strong corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices, according to the 2016 Cone Communications Millennial Employee Engagement Study. Because the millennial generation are the most likely to blend their personal and working lives, it’s more important to them than other generations to view their job as a way to make a positive impact on society, the study suggests.

November 4, 2016

Lack of flexible working a major reason for junior staff’s discontent ⁰

by Sara Bean • Comment, Facilities management, Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

As we highlighted last month, it seems that flexible working is becoming the 21st century equivalent of the ‘executive washroom,’ with only the more senior members of staff being afforded that perk. Now a new survey suggests that a lack of opportunity for agile working is one of the reasons why junior members of staff are the least happy people in the workforce. There appear to be a variety of factors contributing to this, including: low pay; individuals feeling overworked yet, significantly, unfulfilled and undervalued and of course the denial of flexible working measures. For Office Genie’s latest research into workplace happiness, UK workers were asked how they felt before and after the working day and junior staff members selected ‘quite negative’ and ‘very negative’ more than any other seniority level. Part of the reason may lie in the fact that 46 percent of junior staff report feeling overworked, however nearly a third admit to not feeling fulfilled (32 percent) or challenged (29 percent).

November 3, 2016

Quarter of staff off work with stress hide truth from employers ⁰

by Sara Bean • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

A startling number of people in the UK who are suffering from stress hide from their employers, according to new research from Aviva to mark National Stress Awareness Day. A quarter of people (25 percent) surveyed admitted taking a day off work with stress but then blamed it on a physical illness. Based on the current number of people working in the UK, it indicates that almost eight million people are suffering in silence. The data also suggests that a third of people (33 percent) have taken a day off work with stress at some stage in their career. 25-34 year olds were the most likely to have taken time off (46 percent) with those aged over 55 seemingly the least likely to need time away from work (25 percent). More than half of men (53 percent) who had taken a day off work with stress at some stage in their career said they had done so in the last year, compared to just a third of women (34 percent).

November 3, 2016

Employers worldwide are failing to keep senior female managers engaged ⁰

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Some of the world’s biggest and best-known companies have lower engagement than they should among senior-level women, claims a new report, which found significant engagement gaps in key areas, including mentorship, appreciation and cooperation with colleagues. Roughly three quarters of those surveyed for the rewards of an Engaged Female Workforce were found to have generated lower levels of employee engagement among female senior managers. The research from BCG looked at factors that contribute to engagement levels for more than 345,000 male and female employees across the world and found that in companies in the bottom three quartiles of overall engagement scores, the scores of women increase by just 4 percent from non-manager to senior manager level while men’s increase by a full 12 percent. The study also found that companies in the top 25% of overall engagement scores had virtually no engagement gap between senior female managers (4.5) and senior male managers (4.4 ) when scores are rated from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied).

November 2, 2016

Employers increased focus on wellbeing lacks adequate training and support ⁰

by Sara Bean • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Nearly half (46 percent) of employers say that their organisation has increased its focus on wellbeing over the last 12 months; and when asked the reasons for this, 63 percent of respondents to the 2016 CIPD/Simplyhealth Absence Management Survey said they want their organisation to be a great place to work, 47 percent said their organisation believes employee well-being is linked to business performance, and 43 percent said their organisation believes it’s the right thing to do. Additionally, nearly two-fifths (37 percent) of organisations that invest in wellbeing say they have increased their well-being spend over the last twelve months and almost two-thirds (64 percent) have improved communications to staff about the wellbeing benefits on offer and how to access them. However, the survey found that while more employers are recognising the value of line managers in managing absence at work, they are not giving them the tools and support necessary to do it effectively.

November 2, 2016

Calming office space and flexible hours best ways to combat workplace stress ⁰

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace, Workplace design

More flexible hours, a more caring attitude from management, a welcoming office design and space away from the desk to take a break are much more effective ways to reduce workplace stress than expensive office overhauls or the provision of mindfulness classes, a new survey claims. A study into the measures that help reduce stress conducted by Cascade HR, explored what workers feel bosses can do to reduce their stress levels, and found that introducing flexible working hours (47 percent), early finishes on Fridays (39 percent) and a caring, friendly management style (38 percent) would have the biggest impact. The research also revealed the physical aspects of the workplace which employees believe employers could change or introduce to improve their occupational mental health. In fact, the workplace being clean and tidy was the factor that workers felt could go the furthest to reducing their stress (35 percent), while almost 1 in 3 felt having music playing would help to keep their stress at bay; as would simply having a space away from desks in which to chill out (29 percent) or to eat (27 percent) during breaks.