November 20, 2023

Most women say menstruation symptoms have a negative impact on their work

The latest findings from the CIPD’s report Menstruation and support at work, which surveyed more than 2,000 women, found that more than two thirds (69 percent) of women have a negative experience at work because of their menstruation symptoms. In response, the CIPD is calling on organisations to create awareness, tackle the stigma associated with menstruation and train managers to be confident, comfortable and inclusive when talking to employees about menstrual health. More →

November 15, 2023

People spending more time in offices in search of social interaction

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Office workers now spend more time in the office, with the average creeping up to three and a half days per week compared to three days in 2022, according to a new report from international law firm, Gowling WLG. The report, titled Strategic moves: why the office is now a business-critical decision [registration], surveyed senior representatives responsible for making office lease decisions in companies, and a selection of office workers. It identifies that a more permanent approach to office usage is now emerging, as the shadow of the pandemic recedes, as well as demonstrating the changing metrics being applied by occupiers to decisions relating to premises requirements and the more complex environment for landlord asset management. More →

November 15, 2023

‘Return-to-office’ rates vary widely across Europe

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

A new survey from JLL, Is hybrid really working? [registration] claims that the majority of international organisations (87 percent) are encouraging employees to work from the office at least some of the time. In fact, only 20 percent of employees who can work remotely all of the time or one-two days in the office now do so, down from 39 percent a year ago. However, the data demonstrates varying approaches to the so-called return to office across Europe, with France and Belgium leading, spending an average of 3.5 days working from the office. Germany, Netherlands, Spain and the UK are however lagging behind with an average of 2.5 days working from the office. More →

November 15, 2023

Firms make lots of noise about social mobility but don’t always act on it

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

A new report on social mobility, conducted by the charity Making The Leap, claims that only a third of employers (35 percent) took any action on the retention and inclusion of job candidates from less advantaged socio-economic backgrounds (LSEB) candidates this year. This is down from 53 percent in 2022, showing a significant decline in prioritising a key element of social mobility, and significantly lower than those that say they are focussed on recruiting candidates. More →

November 9, 2023

Inadequate provision for menopause and menstrual health driving women away from jobs

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

The workforce could lose millions of female employees unless more is done by employers to support women with menopausal and menstrual health symptoms, according to a new poll from workplace health provider Simplyhealth.? The research suggests almost a quarter (23 percent) of women have considered quitting due to the impact of menopause or menstrual symptoms at work, and over one in ten (14 percent) are actively planning to quit. More →

November 6, 2023

One in ten working mothers quit jobs because of childcare pressures

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

The ongoing challenges that come from balancing childcare with work have forced over 249,124 working mothers of children aged 4 or under to leave their employer due to a lack of childcare support, according to new research. The new report from Totaljobs and the Fawcett Society, Paths to parenthood: Uplifting new mothers at work, claims to demonstrate the disproportionate impact childcare responsibilities have on women and their careers. More →

November 3, 2023

Workspace Design Show announces first names for speaker programme at 2024 London event

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Workplace design

Following on from successful shows in both the UK and the Netherlands this year, Workspace Design Show is pleased to announce the first names to be added to the speaker programme for its London 2024 show. Held from 27-28 February 2024 at the Business Design Centre, Islington, the event will feature an impressive mix of senior professionals from architects and designers to developers and end users, who will come together to discuss the most pressing issues facing the workplace design community now and into the future. More →

November 3, 2023

Reimagining the workplace: three keys to wellbeing, connection, and change

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Miller Knoll has introduced a new framework that helps organisations uncover the purpose of their workplace. The approach addresses the human needs of employees to improve their wellbeing, fosters a sense of community and connection, and helps organisations navigate, prepare, and design for change. The firm sets out its thinking here. More →

November 2, 2023

People from ‘Gen Z’ expect to change career at least three times during their working lives

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Workplace

While 73 percent of people from ‘Gen Z’ are willing to take a pay cut to pursue more fulfilling opportunities, two thirds of them plan to quit their current job by 2025, according to a new poll. Perceptions on careers and how often employees need to reskill and alter their career route has evolved significantly for the newest generation of workers, reveals the national survey of 2,000 working adults by Resource Solutions. The results suggest Gen Zs expect to change industries at least three times throughout their working life – once more than any other generation before them. More →

October 30, 2023

Half of people would reject a job with no flexible working

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News

The latest report outlining how the lack of some or other workplace feature would lead to mass resignations and job rejections arrives from recruitment firm Robert Half. And yes, we do wish PR companies and their clients would knock it off now. If we added up all these polls, nobody would stay in or accept any job. According to the poll, a lack of flexible working would drive almost half of UK workers to reject a job offer. More →

October 26, 2023

Working while unwell doesn’t necessarily make it presenteeism, new report argues

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

A new report from wellbeing consultancy Robertson Cooper claims to have debunked the accepted wisdom which classifies all instances of working whilst unwell as ‘presenteeism’. The authors argue that this paves the way for a change in how organisations manage employee ill health and its relationship with productivity and absence. The research, which included consultation of the existing research on presenteeism and analysis of new data collected by the firm, categorises three types of working whilst unwell, only one of which it says should be classed as presenteeism and eradicated from businesses. More →

October 23, 2023

People who work full time from an office now outnumber hybrid workers

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

British workers who come into the office every day to work now outnumber those who spend part of the week working from home, for the first time since the end of pandemic restrictions, according to a new survey from recruitment firm Hays. Of nearly 15,000 white-collar staff and employers who took part in the poll last month, around 43 per cent said they were now working entirely from the office, up from 36 per cent a year earlier. Meanwhile the proportion of people who said they spend some time working from home, fell to 39 per cent from 43 per cent in 2022. Fewer than one in five now work entirely remotely. More →