June 30, 2020

Younger workers careers suffer in lockdown, but are hopeful of better future

In the face of unprecedented health and economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, ‘millennials’ and ‘Gen Zs’ express resolve and a vision to build a better future, a new Deloitte survey claims. The 2020 Deloitte Global Millennial Survey, now in its ninth year, suggests that both generations remain resilient in the face of adversity and are determined to drive positive change in their communities and around the world. (more…)

June 29, 2020

One in four LGBT+ employees in the UK completely closeted at work

by George Eltringham • News, Working lives

Research from Accenture suggests that, despite some signs of progress, LGBT+ employees face significant challenges at work. Almost 70 percent of leaders surveyed believe they foster an empowering workplace environment, however 86 percent of LGBT+ employees do not feel fully supported. (more…)

June 26, 2020

Talkin` about the quarantine generation

by Anthony Brown • Comment, Wellbeing

The year is 2045. It’s well over twenty years since the Covid 19 pandemic created chaos and fear throughout the world. But just like the ‘baby boomer’ generation who were born, celebrated and cherished in the wake of World War II, so the ‘quarantinis’ are starting to make their way in the world of work. In contrast to baby boomers’ desire to throw off the societal shackles which paved the way for the swinging 60s, the quarantinis are much more reserved in their expectations, especially when their every move can be tracked and traced and their every conversation saved on surveillance software. (more…)

June 26, 2020

Work from home advocates beckon us to a living hell

by James Woudhuysen • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

Look, I work from home. The liberal in me says: if you want to and can work from home, then why not? Yes, few of Britain’s cramped homes – especially those occupied by young people – are well equipped for home working, which can be stressful. But, as I say, I see no problem in working from home if you choose to. It’s one thing to say people should be free to work from home (WFH). It’s quite another to endorse it as the New Normal, the way to go, and as a path to a low-pollution, low-emissions paradise on Earth, as many are now doing. (more…)

June 24, 2020

Investment in talent will drive market share gains as economy rebounds

by George Eltringham • News, Workplace

Organisations that favour agile working and make strategic investments in human capital during the coronavirus crisis will be best positioned to gain market share and overtake competitors, according to a new Talent Trends report released by Randstad Sourceright. (more…)

June 19, 2020

We are in danger of reanimating some bad ideas about work

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Working culture

Did you hear the one about a Swiss court ruling that firms should pay to rent space in the homes of remote workers? It’s a hell of a thing, especially when so much has been made of the cost savings of a reduction in office space. It’s a notion that is extremely likely to be tested in other countries, so brace yourself. It also illustrates why so many of the narratives about working life after lockdown aren’t as straightforward as they might appear. (more…)

June 19, 2020

Working parents and carers call for more flexible working post-COVID

by George Eltringham • Flexible working, News

New figures published today claim that more than 9 in 10 working parents and carers surveyed by work-life balance charity Working Families want their workplace to retain flexible working post-COVID-19. (more…)

June 19, 2020

A third of employees asked to commit furlough fraud in lockdown

by George Eltringham • News

New research on 2000 furloughed full time employees, suggests that a third of UK bosses are committing fraud and trying to ‘cash in’ by seeking to abuse the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (‘CJRS’) since lockdown. According to the survey by Crossland Employment Solicitors, 34 percent of employees have been asked by their boss to work while being furloughed by their company – an act of fraud under the current rules of the CJRS. (more…)

June 19, 2020

Three quarters fear lack of workplace safety for older workers

by George Eltringham • News, Wellbeing

A majority of the public believe it is safer for younger people to return to work than their older counterparts, according to a nationwide survey by Populus Data Solutions. The survey, carried out on behalf of student employer Stint, claims that 73 percent of respondents felt it was not safe for over 65s to return to work, while 52 percent said they believed it wasn’t safe for workers over 55. (more…)

June 18, 2020

Charles Handy was a true visionary about the modern workplace

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Technology, Workplace

It’s incredibly hard not to be impressed by Charles Handy and even harder not to find him likeable. The scope of his intellect and humanity is evident on the page, in his interviews and in his broadcasts. He reeks of credibility and warmth. Do a Google image search of him and the pictures you find epitomise English middle-class academic decency (despite the fact that he’s Irish); jumpers, churchyards, armchairs and a benign smile. (more…)

June 18, 2020

A third of workers feeling disconnected from company culture and colleagues

by George Eltringham • News, Working culture

Employee recognition provider Achievers, have today released research taking a look at whether employees in the UK feel connected to their company’s culture and colleagues during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research suggests that a third of British workers feel less connected to their workplace culture and colleagues due to the ongoing situation. (more…)

June 18, 2020

Half of workers feel more productive working from home

by George Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Productivity has increased due to the current lockdown situation, according to around half of UK workers. The majority (56 percent) of workers who don’t usually work from home feel more productive than in the office. Despite this, 50 percent of those currently working from home are looking forward to their workplace reopening, although 70 percent hope their employer lets them work from home more often in future. Nearly half (45 percent) of workers would therefore welcome a flexible office arrangement that allows them to split working time between the office and home. (more…)