Search Results for: employer

Creativity, thinking and expertise in the workplace should be safeguarded from AI

Creativity, thinking and expertise in the workplace should be safeguarded from AI

Workplace professionals and general managers should proceed with caution if they want to use AI to improve efficiency and human capital in the workplace, and should take steps to ensure creativity and critical thinking are preserved, new research from the University of Bath School of Management suggests. The research team identified two types of knowledge which appeared partially compatible with AI – encoded knowledge, which encompasses rules, procedures, policies, and datasets; and embedded knowledge – essentially digitalised processes and routines. (more…)

Parliamentary group warns misuse of NDAs undermines workplace trust

Parliamentary group warns misuse of NDAs undermines workplace trust

While NDAs can serve a legitimate purpose, their use to mask harassment or discrimination risks undermining accountability and eroding trust within organisations.A cross-party group of parliamentarians, business leaders and experts has warned that non-disclosure agreements are “good for no-one” when used to conceal harmful behaviour in the workplace rather than address it. The warning followed a roundtable held in Parliament on 18 March, hosted by the Policy Liaison Group on Workplace Wellbeing. Participants agreed that while NDAs can serve a legitimate purpose, their use to mask harassment or discrimination risks undermining accountability and eroding trust within organisations. (more…)

AI users report stronger workplace connections, according to Gensler survey

AI users report stronger workplace connections, according to Gensler survey

New research from Gensler suggests that employees who make the greatest use of artificial intelligence tools are also among the most connected to their colleagues, challenging assumptions that increased use of technology leads to more isolated ways of working.New research from Gensler suggests that employees who make the greatest use of artificial intelligence tools are also among the most connected to their colleagues, challenging assumptions that increased use of technology leads to more isolated ways of working. The firm’s 2026 Global Workplace Survey gathered responses from more than 16,400 office workers across 16 countries. Around 30 percent of respondents were identified as “AI power users”, defined as people who regularly use AI tools in both their work and personal lives. (more…)

AI will either save work or destroy it. Apparently.

AI will either save work or destroy it. Apparently.

It's too early to know what precise impact AI will have on jobs, writes Jo Sutherland. Fortunately for us, the future is still ours to shapeAs someone who works at the intersection of communications and responsible AI, I spend a lot of time thinking about how emerging technologies are explained, sold, feared, embraced and misunderstood. Nowhere is that more palpable than in conversations about AI and the future of work, where certainty is sometimes projected before it’s earned. Over the past few months alone, taking part in debates at both the Westminster Employment Forum and the University of Cambridge, I’ve been struck by just how wide the spectrum of opinion still is. Depending on who has the floor, AI is framed either as a magical productivity fix or an existential threat to jobs. The reality probably lies somewhere in the middle. (more…)

Decline in number of jobs offering remote work could hinder efforts to get more people into work

Decline in number of jobs offering remote work could hinder efforts to get more people into work

A significant decrease in the availability of jobs offering fully remote work in the UK is a potential obstacle to government plans to boost employmentA significant decrease in the availability of jobs offering fully remote work in the UK is a potential obstacle to government plans to boost employment, according to research from the Work Foundation at Lancaster University. The study, part of a large mixed-methods research project examining remote and hybrid working among disabled workers, surveyed more than 1,200 people. Around 85 percent of respondents said access to remote or hybrid work was essential or very important when looking for a new job, and nearly half said they would prefer to work fully remotely. (more…)

Lack of innovation continues to hamper small business and startups

Lack of innovation continues to hamper small business and startups

Small business innovation in the UK has fallen for the fourth consecutive year despite record levels of entrepreneurial ambition,Small business innovation in the UK has fallen for the fourth consecutive year despite record levels of entrepreneurial ambition, according to the latest State of Small Business Britain report from the Enterprise Research Centre. The annual study draws together findings from a range of business surveys and shows that 36 percent of working age adults are now starting, running or planning to launch a business. This is the highest level recorded since the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor began tracking activity in 1999. Early stage entrepreneurial activity has doubled since the early 2000s and has stabilised at around 12 percent. (more…)

Employment Rights Act is already putting the brakes on hiring, CIPD warns

Employment Rights Act is already putting the brakes on hiring, CIPD warns

New research from the CIPD suggests the Government’s Employment Rights Act could discourage employers from recruiting permanent staff, add to business costs and increase workplace conflictNew research from the CIPD suggests the Government’s Employment Rights Act could discourage employers from recruiting permanent staff, add to business costs and increase workplace conflict. The findings come from the CIPD’s latest Labour Market Outlook, based on a survey of more than 2,000 UK employers. It reports that overall hiring intentions remain at their lowest level on record outside the first year of the pandemic. (more…)

Hybrid working is stabilising around the world, office occupancy report claims

Hybrid working is stabilising around the world, office occupancy report claims

A new study of office utilisation trends around the world suggests hybrid working patterns have largely settledA new study of office utilisation trends around the world suggests hybrid working patterns have largely settled, with average occupancy remaining well below pre-pandemic norms and peak attendance continuing to cluster midweek. The Hybrid Occupancy Index 2025–2026 [registration] published by workplace analytics firm HubStar, draws on data from more than 300 million square feet of office space across 173 buildings in 13 countries, covering more than 27,000 workspaces between January 2023 and December 2025. (more…)

Wellbeing overtakes financial security as top workforce concern, study claims

Wellbeing overtakes financial security as top workforce concern, study claims

Wellbeing has overtaken financial security as the primary concern for UK employees, according to new research from MercerWellbeing has overtaken financial security as the primary concern for UK employees, according to new research from Mercer, reflecting a shift in workforce priorities after several years of economic and social disruption. The findings come from Mercer’s Inside Employees’ Minds: Building Confidence in a Changed World 2025 to 2026 report, based on responses from more than 4,000 UK workers. While financial pressures remain widespread, concerns around physical, mental and emotional health now dominate. The study found that 32 percent of employees report poor mental health, with higher prevalence among younger workers. (more…)

New white paper offers actions for managing trauma in the workplace

New white paper offers actions for managing trauma in the workplace

A new white paper offering practical guidance for employers on how to recognise, understand and respond to trauma in the workplace has been published by Nottingham Business SchoolA new white paper offering practical guidance for employers on how to recognise, understand and respond to trauma in the workplace has been published by Nottingham Business School (NBS), part of Nottingham Trent University. Recent national figures show that more than 8.5 million adults in England and Wales are survivors of childhood abuse, underlining the scale of trauma?related experiences within the UK workforce. Managing Trauma in the Workplace: Strategies for Wellbeing and Organisational Resilience brings together research, survivor perspectives, and evidence?based recommendations to help HR professionals and managers create psychologically safe working environments. (more…)

Artificial intelligence appears to cut more jobs than it creates

Artificial intelligence appears to cut more jobs than it creates

Artificial intelligence appears to be contributing to a net loss of jobs, according to a new analysis of how organisations are adopting the technology across their operations.Artificial intelligence appears to be contributing to a net loss of jobs, according to a new analysis of how organisations are adopting the technology across their operations. Research by Morgan Stanley, based on responses from nearly 1,000 companies that have been using AI for at least a year, suggests that British firms have shed more roles than they have created as a direct result of AI deployment. The study indicates a net reduction of around 8 percent of roles in the UK over the past twelve months, a higher figure than reported in comparable surveys of companies in the United States, Germany, Japan and Australia. (more…)

Beating Blue Monday: International Workplace launches free occupational health and wellbeing training for SMEs

Beating Blue Monday: International Workplace launches free occupational health and wellbeing training for SMEs

International Workplace is doing its bit to ease the New Year’s blues today by equipping small businesses with the tools to champion mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.International Workplace is doing its bit to ease the New Year’s blues today by equipping small businesses with the tools to champion mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. ‘Blue Monday’ – the third Monday in January each year – is often cited as the most challenging day of the year for the UK workforce. With the festive season over, wintery weather taking its toll, and a long wait for payday, it’s a time when a little extra support from managers can make all the difference. (more…)