August 13, 2021
The future of work will be shaped by the needs of workers
As the UK government has withdrawn its advice for employees to work from home, more organisations than ever will be instituting what have become known as hybrid working models: 68 percent globally, according to research from Steelcase. Definitions of “hybrid work”, however, are often contradicting and unclear – leaving business leaders without definitive guidance about how to approach the future of work. To provide businesses with a more concrete view of what hybrid working looks like in reality, and provide tangible actions to help streamline productivity and collaboration, Steelcase have researched the experiences and needs of workers worldwide in their report: Changing Expectations and the Future of Work. (more…)
Pent-up demand on hold in 2020 has returned with office take-up in the first half of this year nearly a quarter above the five-year average, according to 
The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has responded to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report, referring to it as a massive wake-up call. At the end of last year, the organisation set out 
Scotland and Wales are the two UK countries where the most companies offer remote work positions at 2.96 percent and 2.48 percent respectively, according to a new study by the 
Working from home has not only laid bare just how much we miss interaction with colleagues, but also how the office could and should support employees to work and feel better, so that they will not only feel safe to return, but will want to return. Through 
One of the least talked about potential casualties of the recent lockdowns is the printed page. In a sign that the arrival of the paperless office may have been accelerated, total worldwide page volumes printed from office and home devices plummeted nearly 14 percent year in 2020 after several years of stable but slow decline. According to the research from 
A gap is emerging between executive and employee perceptions on the future of the ’employee experience’, according to a report from Gartner. The 2021 Gartner Hybrid Work Employee Survey of 4,000 employees in January 2021 claims that there are six perception gaps that employers must resolve. The Gartner survey claims that 75 percent of executive leaders believe they are already offering a flexible employee experience, yet only 57 percent of employees indicate that their organisational culture embraces flexible working. Further, nearly three-quarters of executives believe the business understands how flexible work patterns support employees, but only half of employees share this view. 
‘Pleasanteeism’ – the pressure to put on a brave face – is undermining efforts to promote an open dialogue about mental health at work, according to new research by 
The removal of most Covid restrictions in the UK has increased calls for clearer practical guidance and the setting of specific indoor air quality (IAQ) contaminant targets to support the health and wellbeing of building occupants. The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has, therefore, produced a concise guide to good practice: 
After more than a year of remote working, the majority of UK workers are well-versed in office-free employment. We’ve had plenty of time to think about how the experience has affected our working habits. 
Research from 
August 5, 2021
We need to take a long term view on workplace sustainability
by Guenaelle Watson • Comment, Environment