September 1, 2022

Established businesses must do more to support local entrepreneurs and startups

With SME’s accounting for the employment of more than half of the UK’s workforce, supporting these businesses is of benefit to everyone while geopolitical events and the impact of the pandemic continue to cause economic uncertainty. Entrepreneurs and small businesses are vital for spurring on evolutions in our technology and creating new markets for services and products, therefore bringing about competition which in turn boosts productivity that benefits our own and other economies, helping them withstand and recover faster from financial downturns. More →

September 1, 2022

Skills gap is the most prominent hiring challenge facing HR leaders

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

New research from ECI Partners, a private equity firm, suggests that HR leaders believe the most prominent hiring challenge they currently face is a lack of technical skills and knowledge. Nearly a fifth (18.3 percent) of managers said this was their single biggest obstacle, highlighting the growing concern over the UK’s skills gap. The current labour shortages prompted by a range of factors including Brexit and Covid-19, appear to have further widened the skills gap for recruiters. More →

August 31, 2022

Half of employers support extension of statutory paternity rights

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

New data from the CIPD suggests that almost half of organisations support extending statutory paternity/partner leave and pay, with 29 percent of those backing an extension to either six weeks or more. In response, the CIPD is urging the Government to increase statutory paternity/partner leave to six weeks, either at or near the full rate of pay, to help families balance caring responsibilities and provide more financial support for working parents. Currently, under statutory paternity leave, employees can choose to take either one or two consecutive weeks’ leave if they have been employed for at least 26 weeks. Statutory paternity pay for eligible employees is currently either £156.66 a week or 90 percent of their average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. More →

August 31, 2022

People reconsider working from home in response to rising energy costs

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Around two thirds of people who can work from home say their employers aren’t planning to provide financial support related to energy costs and almost a quarter of under 35s currently working from home say they would consider coming into the office more due to rising energy prices. These are the key findings of a YouGov poll from Emburse. A sample of 1,015 British employees were asked a range of questions covering hybrid working patterns and employer financial support in light of the cost of living crisis and increasing utility bills. More →

August 31, 2022

Growing number of people regret career moves, claims Gartner research

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

Nearly 60 percent of candidates who recently made career moves report that they would still make the same choice, according to a poll from Gartner. The survey of more than 1,800 candidates conducted in June 2022 claims that candidates who reported they would repeat an offer decision reached a peak of 83 percent in 2021, after increasing steadily in 2019 (60 percent) and 2020 (70 percent), before decreasing dramatically this year. The same survey suggests that nearly half of surveyed candidates say they are still open to other offers, while 28 percent say if they had to make the decision again, they would stay at their previous employer. More →

August 31, 2022

Mindspace opens new Berlin flex office in renovated department store

by Freddie Steele • Company news

Mindspace is set to open its sixth Berlin flex office, by renovating a former department store in the heart of the city into a new space. Located at Münzstraße 12 / Max-Beer-Straße 2-4 in Berlin, near Alexanderplatz, the global flex office provider’s newest location Mindspace Münzstraße is being built across 4,100 m² and will cover over 700 workstations spanning five floors. Scheduled to open in spring 2023, the building has been part of the WertInvest Group portfolio since 2014 and combines the best inner-city location with an architecture steeped in history. More →

August 26, 2022

Automation presents some legal risks you really need to address

by James Crayton and Luke Jackson • Comment, Technology

Many think that robots making deliveries, ‘waitering’ in restaurants or working at hospitals is a long way off. However, breakthroughs in robotics, machine learning and other technologies are making automation a reality in many industries. This will accelerate in upcoming years. Indeed, the smart technologies are forecast to add a whopping $15 trillion to the global economy by 2030. Among their many advantages for businesses are increased, faster output and slashed error rates. They also give employees the time to concentrate on people processes, such as sales and marketing or client relationships. More →

August 25, 2022

New collection from Interface tailormade for growing resimercial trend

by Freddie Steele • Company news

Interface, Inc. a worldwide commercial flooring company and global leader in sustainability, unveils its new collection of modular carpet, nora® rubber floor and LVT exclusively crafted to support the emerging resimercial trend. The trend, named for its fusion of residential and commercial aesthetics, provides designers with an extended palette combining home styling with durability and the functional demands of a commercial setting. It aims to support wellbeing and encourage creativity and collaboration by introducing home comforts into the workplace. More →

August 25, 2022

How Microsoft’s social listening research highlighted changing attitudes to work

by Camila Angio • Comment, Technology, Wellbeing

The current state of the talent market is putting significant pressure on business. Employers are experiencing an acute skills gap, with average vacancies across industries per 100 jobs ranging between 5 and 8, according to data compiled by the Office for National Statistics in June 2022 – the highest average since records began. As more and more roles require digital skills, businesses are looking to younger generations whose upbringing may have been organically framed by digital tools, platforms and devices. More →

August 25, 2022

Company culture improved thanks to pandemic, think half of workers. Half don’t.

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

A new survey from Qualtrics claims that workers have mixed views on the impact of the pandemic on company culture. Half of European employees felt the pandemic had a positive impact on company culture – according to employees in France (50 percent), Germany (48 percent) and the UK (62 percent). Those who experienced positive changes to company culture in the last two years, cited this as being a result of an increase in open and honest communication from the business and feeling heard by the organisation. In fact, over half of workers across all markets say receiving increased communication from the company has been important (FR: 55 percent, DE: 56 percent, UK: 59 percent). More →

August 25, 2022

Friendly colleagues make an organisation a good place to work, poll claims

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

A new poll by HR and payroll software provider Ciphr suggests that most people (85 percent) can name at least three positive aspects that make the company that employs them a good place to work. ‘Good people / friendly employees’ was the top pick for two-fifths (40 percent) of the 1,006 British workers polled, with a further third citing good pay and job security (35 percent and 34 percent respectively). Having a supportive manager is the fourth most important consideration for around a quarter of respondents, followed by a good employee benefits package (27 percent and 24 percent respectively). More →

August 25, 2022

How to find top tech talent for your business

by Freddie Steele • Company news

Finding the right tech talent for your business is essential for its success. The right employees can help your business grow and reach new heights. When looking for tech talent, there are a few things to keep in mind. Keep reading to find out where to find the best tech talent for your business. More →