Search Results for: employers

The Workspace Design Show London to emphasise the design of human-centered workplaces

The Workspace Design Show London to emphasise the design of human-centered workplaces

The Workspace Design Show returns to the Business Design Centre, London on 24–25 February 2027, unveiling its new theme: “The Human Experience of Work”The Workspace Design Show returns to the Business Design Centre, London on 24–25 February 2027, unveiling its new theme: “The Human Experience of Work”, a direction placing wellbeing, inclusion, sensory comfort, belonging, neurodiversity and emotional experience at the centre of workplace design. As organisations continue to rethink what makes people want to come together in person, the 2027 edition will explore how workplaces can move beyond functionality to become environments that genuinely support people. Spaces designed around human connection, comfort, mood, acoustics, hospitality, inclusivity and how work environments make us feel. (more…)

Why the organisations seeing real returns from agentic AI are empowering employees, not cutting jobs

Why the organisations seeing real returns from agentic AI are empowering employees, not cutting jobs

The launch of the UK Government’s AI Skills Compact reflects an important shift in how policymakers and businesses are thinking about artificial intelligence. Rather than viewing AI simply as a route to greater efficiency or reduced headcount, leaders are starting to recognise that long-term competitiveness will depend just as much on equipping people with the skills to work alongside AI as investing in the technology itself. (more…)

Productivity gains from workplace AI mean little if they erase professional judgment

Productivity gains from workplace AI mean little if they erase professional judgment

Speed can become a dangerous proxy for the value of workplace AI when leaders stop asking what happened to the judgment behind the work.The strongest case for workplace AI rarely begins with a dramatic breakthrough. It begins with ordinary time savings: a report drafted faster, a plan assembled in minutes or a first pass produced without the usual blank-page delay. Those gains matter. Yet speed can become a dangerous proxy for value when leaders stop asking what happened to the judgment behind the work. (more…)

London named world’s most intelligent city in new AI benchmark report from BCG

London named world’s most intelligent city in new AI benchmark report from BCG

London has been ranked as the world's most intelligent city in the inaugural Intelligent Cities Index from Boston Consulting Group (BCG), reflecting the capital's ability to translate AI, digital technology and innovation into economic opportunity and improved public services.London has been ranked as the world’s most intelligent city in the inaugural Intelligent Cities Index from Boston Consulting Group (BCG), reflecting the capital’s ability to translate AI, digital technology and innovation into economic opportunity and improved public services. The study assessed 61 major cities across 39 countries against five measures of “intelligent city” maturity: resident outcomes, strategy, technology adoption, ways of working in government and enabling factors such as infrastructure, talent and investment. London topped the overall ranking ahead of Dubai, New York City, Washington DC and Amsterdam. (more…)

As hybrid working resets the office’s purpose, its small rituals carry more weight

As hybrid working resets the office’s purpose, its small rituals carry more weight

Hybrid working has changed the arrangement. Many employees can now complete focused work elsewhere, often without a commute or the interruptions of a busy workplace. A trip to the office therefore needs to offer something beyond access to a desk and a screen.The question of what the office is for has become harder to answer. For much of its history, the office had a clear practical role. It was where the people, information and equipment needed for work were located. Attendance was largely assumed, and the working week developed around that shared presence. Hybrid working has changed the arrangement. Many employees can now complete focused work elsewhere, often without a commute or the interruptions of a busy workplace. A trip to the office therefore needs to offer something beyond access to a desk and a screen. (more…)

Are we designing workplaces around evidence or assumption?

Are we designing workplaces around evidence or assumption?

People no longer use workplaces in the same way every day, every week or every season, yet many of the decisions shaping the future of our workplaces still assume that they do.A sudden, intense summer heatwave does more than test a building’s cooling systems; it exposes just how difficult workplace management has become across Europe. During these spikes, employees rethink their commute, meeting rooms fill and empty at different times, quieter corners suddenly become more attractive places to work, and facilities teams work hard to keep buildings comfortable while managing rising energy demands. While these changes may only last a few days, they serve as a useful reminder that workplaces are far more dynamic than we often give them credit for. People no longer use offices in the same way every day, every week or every season, yet many of the decisions shaping the future of our workplaces still assume that they do. (more…)

Inter-generational collaboration linked to stronger organisational performance, report claims

Inter-generational collaboration linked to stronger organisational performance, report claims

Organisations that encourage stronger inter-generational collaboration between different groups of employees are more likely to see improvements in innovation, trust and business performanceOrganisations that encourage stronger inter-generational collaboration between different groups of employees are more likely to see improvements in innovation, trust and business performance, according to new research from employee recognition firm O.C. Tanner. The company’s first State of Generations at Work Report, based on responses from more than 5,700 employees across 17 countries, argues that employers should move beyond generational stereotypes and instead focus on creating what it describes as “generational synergy” across their workforces. (more…)

Westminster event backed by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin tackles disability employment barriers

Westminster event backed by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin tackles disability employment barriers

An event at the Palace of Westminster this week will bring together politicians, business leaders and figures from the entertainment industry to discuss ways of improving employment opportunities for disabled and neurodivergent peopleAn event at the Palace of Westminster this week will bring together politicians, business leaders and figures from the entertainment industry to discuss ways of improving employment opportunities for disabled and neurodivergent people. The reception, organised by inclusive entertainment company 0UTLYER, takes place on 15 July and coincides with the launch of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Disability Employment. Titled Breaking Barriers, Backing Talent, the event aims to encourage collaboration between policymakers, employers and industry leaders on improving access to careers, particularly within the creative industries. (more…)

New mothers return to work early as financial pressures shorten maternity leave, report finds

New mothers return to work early as financial pressures shorten maternity leave, report finds

Financial pressures are prompting many new mothers to return to work before the end of their statutory maternity leave, according to new researchFinancial pressures are prompting many new mothers to return to work before the end of their statutory maternity leave, according to new polling from campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed. The organisation’s State of the Nation 2026 survey, conducted in partnership with Women in Data, suggests the impact is greatest on single parents, lower income families and parents of disabled children. (more…)

Most organisations are investing in AI. Far fewer are preparing leaders for it

Most organisations are investing in AI. Far fewer are preparing leaders for it

Businesses are racing to adopt new technologies, but many still lack the leadership frameworks, behaviours and organisational confidence needed to turn AI into meaningful, scaled value.The gap between AI adoption and leadership readiness is becoming one of the defining challenges facing organisations today. According to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workforce report, only one in five employees believe their manager actively supports their team’s use of artificial intelligence, while just one in four say their organisation has communicated a clear strategy for integrating the technology into work. While investment in AI continues to accelerate, leadership capability is struggling to keep pace. Businesses are racing to adopt new technologies, but many still lack the leadership frameworks, behaviours and organisational confidence needed to turn AI into meaningful, scaled value. (more…)

Hourly movement breaks offer best balance between wellbeing and productivity, study finds

Hourly movement breaks offer best balance between wellbeing and productivity, study finds

Taking five-minute movement breaks every hour offers the best balance between improving wellbeing and maintaining work performance, according to a large new study published in the British Journal of Sports MedicinTaking five-minute movement breaks every hour offers the best balance between improving wellbeing and maintaining work performance, according to a large new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Researchers found that regular walking breaks throughout the working day reduced fatigue, improved mood and increased work engagement without negatively affecting productivity. The findings suggest that hourly movement breaks may be a practical way for employers to help reduce the health risks associated with prolonged sitting. (more…)

Fathers who work from home fear ‘return to office’ rules could force them to quit, study claims

Fathers who work from home fear ‘return to office’ rules could force them to quit, study claims

More than one in six fathers who currently work from home say they would quit their job if required to return to the office full-timeMore than one in six fathers who currently work from home say they would quit their job if required to return to the office full-time, according to new research from King’s College London, which suggests employers risk losing experienced staff if they tighten office attendance policies. The report, When Fathers Work from Home, from the King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, argues that remote working has become an important part of family life for many fathers, but warns that workplace cultures continue to discourage men from making full use of flexible working arrangements. (more…)