Search Results for: environment

BCO Awards dominated by South East offices yet again but Glasgow office takes top spot

BCO Awards dominated by South East offices yet again but Glasgow office takes top spot

Barclays’ Glasgow campus was celebrated as the Best of the Best at the British Council for Offices BCO AwardsBarclays’ Glasgow campus (pictured) was celebrated as the Best of the Best at the British Council for Offices (BCO) National Awards last night, also taking home the prize for Corporate Workplace. Seven further winners of BCO Awards were recognised as leading examples of excellence in workplace design in the UK. There were no winners in any category in the Midlands or North of England, Northern Ireland or Wales, although two offices in Manchester and Widnes were commended and the President’s Award went to HMRC for its ongoing national estate management programme. More →

Over a quarter of women think menopause has had a negative impact on their career

Over a quarter of women think menopause has had a negative impact on their career

Over a quarter of women (27 percent) aged 40-60 in the UK, who are currently in employment and have experienced menopause symptoms - an estimated 1.2 million - say that menopause has had a negative impact on their career progressionOver a quarter of women (27 percent) aged 40-60 in the UK, who are currently in employment and have experienced menopause symptoms – an estimated 1.2 million – say that menopause has had a negative impact on their career progression, according to new research from the CIPD. In addition, 36 percent of women with a disability or long-term health condition say their symptoms have had a negative impact on their career progression, compared with 24 percent who don’t have one. More →

Investment and new powers essential to unleash the vast potential of UK cities

Investment and new powers essential to unleash the vast potential of UK cities

Unleashing the potential of the UK’s cities is critical to boost growth, repair their social fabric and meet our net zero targets according to a new reportUnleashing the potential of the UK’s cities is critical to boost growth, repair their social fabric and meet our net zero targets according to a new report, produced in partnership between the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) and Core Cities UK. The report calls on the government to move away from the current trend of short-termism, witnessed in recent weeks in debates on HS2, net zero and the future of local government. More →

Beady-eyed employee monitoring is also subject to data protection law

Beady-eyed employee monitoring is also subject to data protection law

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is calling on organisations to consider both their legal obligations and their workers’ rights before they implement any employee monitoring in the workplaceThe Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is calling on organisations to consider both their legal obligations and their workers’ rights before they implement any employee monitoring in the workplace. With the rise of remote working and developments in the technology available, many employers are looking to carry out checks on workers. The ICO has today published guidance to help employers fully comply with data protection law if they wish to monitor their workers. More →

Act now on retrofitting if you want to boost commercial property values, new report argues

Act now on retrofitting if you want to boost commercial property values, new report argues

For European real estate owners and investors already on a journey to net-zero-carbon through retrofitting, upfront spending has the potential for long-term rent and capital-value accumulation, according to a new report from Colliers. Europe’s Renovation Wave [registration] explores the regulatory and societal pressures the authors claim is now driving an era of accelerated asset renovation, and the proactive actions investors, owners and occupiers can take to make sure their assets are not ‘left behind and stranded’ in the race to decarbonise the built environment by 2050. Retrofitting is also the subject of a special supplement published in the new issue of IN Magazine. More →

What doesn’t kill leaders makes them stronger, say academics

What doesn’t kill leaders makes them stronger, say academics

People that experience frequent disruptive events are much more likely to become aware of their own identity as leaders, according to new researchPeople that experience frequent disruptive events are much more likely to become aware of their own identity as leaders, according to new research by Durham University published in the Journal of Business and Psychology. Whilst many believe that impactful, disruptive, and novel events could be detrimental to building a leader’s confidence, the study proves the term “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”, as experiencing strong events made people more aware of their leader capabilities. More →

‘Levelling up’ development is new home for 1,400 civil servants

‘Levelling up’ development is new home for 1,400 civil servants

The UK government has purchased land for the permanent site of the new Darlington Economic Campus as a key part of its so-called levelling up programmeThe UK government has purchased land for the permanent site of the new Darlington Economic Campus as a key part of its so-called levelling up programme. The Darlington Economic Campus (DEC) was established in August 2021 and currently houses 674 government staff. McLaren Property has now sold its option on a 7,926 square metres site on Brunswick Street in Darlington to the Government Property Agency for a permanent base for the Treasury’s second headquarters and Department for Business and Trade. More →

Poor workplace design means a quarter of people may consider quitting job

Poor workplace design means a quarter of people may consider quitting job

A new poll claims that over a quarter (27 percent) of workers would consider leaving their job due to poor workplace designA new poll claims that over a quarter (27 percent) of workers would consider leaving their job due to poor workplace design, as an increasing number of companies phase out remote working.  Commissioned by design and architecture studio MoreySmith, the survey of 2,000 UK adults by Yonder asked the public about the importance of the office environment for their wellbeing at work. Half of those that responded said that the amenities of a workplace would impact their decision on whether to work for a company, rising to 57 percent of 25-34 year olds. More →

Innovative ideas and artistic expression converge at the Workspace Design Show Amsterdam

Innovative ideas and artistic expression converge at the Workspace Design Show Amsterdam

Discover a unique event experience that transcends the boundaries of artistic inspiration at the upcoming Workspace Design Show, taking place from 11 - 12 October at RAI, AmsterdamDiscover a unique event experience that transcends the boundaries of artistic inspiration at the upcoming Workspace Design Show, taking place from 11 – 12 October at RAI, Amsterdam. This event will bring together the Benelux workplace interiors community in a dynamic exploration of the future of experiential workspaces. The Workspace Design Talks will host 13 panel discussions and over 50 leading speakers. Renowned firms such as UNStudio, D/DOCK, Booking.com, EDGE, MVRDV, Turner & Townsend, KAAN Architecten, CBRE Design Collective, Miro, Cushman & Wakefield, and many others will be there to share their insights. More →

Remote and hybrid working may have significant impact on carbon footprint

Remote and hybrid working may have significant impact on carbon footprint

Fully remote workers can have a 54 percent lower carbon footprint compared with fully in-office workers and hybrid working also helps to cut emissionsFully remote workers can have a 54 percent lower carbon footprint compared with fully in-office workers, and all forms of remote and hybrid working have the potential to cut emissions, according to a new study from researcher at Cornell University and sponsored by Microsoft. The authors conclude that lifestyle choices and work arrangements playing an essential role in determining the environmental benefits of remote and hybrid work. More →

Smart technology needs to start with people if it wants to get smarter

Smart technology needs to start with people if it wants to get smarter

A wood carving of a blank, slumped person sitting at a desk with a laptop to depict the dehumanization potential of smart technology“My engineering students had come to class with technology on their minds.” So says artist and design researcher Sara Hendren, author of What a Body Can Do: How we Meet the Built World. It’s a fascinating book in which she consciously pushes back against the prevailing narrative that so-called smart technology has a fix for every problem. As a professor teaching design for disability at Olin College of Engineering, Massachusetts, Hendren draws attention to the assumptions that drive normative behaviours to define what is a ‘problem’ in the first place. More →

Wellbeing, flexibility and work-life balance top most employees’ wish list in 2023

Wellbeing, flexibility and work-life balance top most employees’ wish list in 2023

around 9 in 10 employees consider wellbeing facilities and offerings are 'critical' when choosing a workplace, and 82 percent expect support from their employers in achieving a work-life balanceThe latest Employee Wellbeing Data Report [registration] from flexible office provider Mindspace claims that around 9 in 10 employees consider wellbeing facilities and offerings are ‘critical’ when choosing a workplace, and 82 percent expect support from their employers in achieving a work-life balance. The report argues that whilst the trend of ‘quiet quitting’ may be abating and the ‘return-to-office’ mandates are increasing, the survey suggests that attitudes towards the workplace and work-life balance continue to shift, with the majority of employees putting more emphasis on mental and physical health and overall wellbeing. More →