Search Results for: environments

Urban environments and buildings needs a transformation, report claims

Urban environments and buildings needs a transformation, report claims

by • Cities, Environment, News

urban environments smart cityAhead of COP26, green business leaders around the world have called for government and industry action on buildings and infrastructure. The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) has published a new report, which it claims helps to identify opportunities for how a transformative, integrated approach to urban environments and buildings is essential to deliver change in line with the commitments of the Paris Agreement. (more…)

People struggle with home working environments and solitude

People struggle with home working environments and solitude

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

People are productive at home and want to retain flexible working after lockdown, but struggle with sub-optimal working environments and a lack of interaction with colleagues. That is the main finding from a survey by property technology company, Equiem. The firm has published the results of its most comprehensive global office occupier survey to date, providing landlords and tenants alike with valuable insights into occupier sentiment amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (more…)

Toxic workplace environments plague accountancy profession

Toxic workplace environments plague accountancy profession

by • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

The toxic workplace illustrated by a bottle of poisonToxic workplace environments plague the accountancy profession, according to new research from CABA, a wellbeing charity for chartered accountants. The survey of over 250 accountants suggests that over half of chartered accountants think their workplace is toxic. Communication issues, working unrealistic hours and cliquey colleagues are also cited in the study.  The survey found that 55 percent of respondents believe their workplace to be toxic.

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White paper: a new world of learning environments

White paper: a new world of learning environments 0

by • Briefing, Insight Briefings, Premium Content, Workplace design

The traditional structures of work and education were forged in the fires of the Industrial Revolution. They shared many characteristics. They were rigid, hierarchical and based on a patriarchal approach to achieving their aims. In education, this manifested itself in the traditional didactic form that was, until recently, seen as the ideal model, based on teachers, tutors and lecturers imparting knowledge and learning to their pupils and students as part of an agreed curriculum and to an approved timetable. How well this process turned out was checked with periodic testing. For some time now, people have been questioning this structure and, with it, the design of learning environments. Over the past few decades, we have not only developed the technologies to allow us to learn in new ways, we have also developed a far better understanding of the processes involved.

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Local authority staff frustrated by poor quality working environments

by • Public Sector, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Employees at UK local authorities are frustrated at their poor quality working environments and councils are suffering as a result, claims a new study from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Over two thirds (68 percent) of employees polled for the report claim their workplaces need to be upgraded and nearly all (92 percent) said they take the standard of workplace into account when deciding where to work. Furthermore, 80 percent of current employees claim they take the standard of working environment into account when making decisions about whether to remain in the current role. In an interview with LocalGov magazine, Paul Bagust, director of UK commercial property at RICS, also warned that short term cost cutting in the workplace is likely to be counterproductive in the long term.

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British workers suffer in silence in noisy office environments

by • News, Workplace design

Hanging onNew research from Avanta Serviced Office Group claims that noise in the office environment is severely damaging the productivity of British businesses. The study of more than 1,000 UK office workers found that although over 80 percent of employees claim to being regularly distracted by noise in the workplace, fewer than half complain about it. Instead around a third admit they simply take themselves somewhere quieter such as their homes or a cafe or library. The study also identifies the distractions that bother people the most, most deriving directly from their colleagues including overheard conversations, ringtones, loud eating habits, whistling, music and even people talking to themselves. Compared to these human sources, the racket generated by inanimate objects features low down the list of irritants.

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AI and robotics could replace as many as 40 percent of US jobs, McKinsey report suggests

AI and robotics could replace as many as 40 percent of US jobs, McKinsey report suggests

by • AI, News

A new analysis from the McKinsey Global Institute suggests that about forty percent of jobs in the United States could be carried out by AI and robots if organisations chose to redesign how work is doneA new analysis from the McKinsey Global Institute suggests that about forty percent of jobs in the United States could be carried out by artificial intelligence (AI) and robots if organisations chose to redesign how work is done. The report claims that existing technology is already capable of automating more than half of all work hours across a wide range of roles, spanning both manual and cognitive tasks. (more…)

Many people lack the confidence to use life-saving defibrillators at work. Here’s what you can do

Many people lack the confidence to use life-saving defibrillators at work. Here’s what you can do

by • News, Wellbeing

To address workplace cardiac emergencies, St John Ambulance has launched its easy-to-use HEART defibrillators at work to empower employees to act quickly to save lives.Research from health charity St John Ambulance shows that a quarter of UK adults have experienced a cardiac arrest incident in some way, either as a first aider, bystander or patient. With more than one in seven cardiac arrest incidents occurring in the workplace, access to defibrillators is critical. To address workplace cardiac emergencies, St John Ambulance has launched its easy-to-use HEART defibrillators at work to empower employees to act quickly to save lives. Prompt CPR and defibrillation – which delivers an electric shock to restore someone’s normal heart rhythm – can more than double survival rates during cardiac arrest. Yet, over half of people don’t know how to give CPR, while almost two-thirds lack confidence to use defibrillators at work. (more…)

For the first time in its history, ORGATEC has an overarching theme

For the first time in its history, ORGATEC has an overarching theme

by • News, Workplace design

ORGATEC, the biannual international trade fair for the workplace sector, has announced the first central theme in the event’s history as it prepares for its 2026 edition.ORGATEC, the biannual international trade fair for the workplace sector, has announced the first central theme in the event’s history as it prepares for its 2026 edition. Under the title From rooms to relationships: designing spaces in an ever-changing world, the fair will shift its focus towards the role of human experience in the design of work and contract environments. The event, which takes place in Cologne from 27 to 30 October 2026, aims to highlight how functional settings can evolve into places that support connection, collaboration and a sense of belonging.

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Stress accounts for a quarter of UK short term workplace absence

Stress accounts for a quarter of UK short term workplace absence

by • News, Wellbeing

Stress now accounts for more than a quarter of short term workplace absence in the UK, according to new research from Simplyhealth and the CIPD.Stress now accounts for more than a quarter of short term workplace absence in the UK, according to new research from Simplyhealth and the CIPD. The latest edition of the Health and Wellbeing at Work report, one of the most extensive surveys of its kind, shows that 26 percent of short term absences are attributed to stress. The authors also suggest that almost two thirds of HR professionals reported stress related absence in their organisation during the past year. (more…)

World’s business districts regain strength but face ongoing challenges

World’s business districts regain strength but face ongoing challenges

by • News, Property

The world’s major business districts are recovering their appeal after the disruption of Covid-19, according to new research from EY and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). The 2025 Global Business Districts Attractiveness Report shows that nearly two thirds of surveyed stakeholders now consider these districts more attractive than before the pandemic. The study assesses 30 leading districts across Europe, North America and Asia using 2,400 data points measuring macroeconomic performance, talent, real estate, innovation and sustainability. The findings suggest that long-established hubs retain their dominance, with Midtown Manhattan, the Financial District in New York, Tokyo Marunouchi, Paris La Défense (pictured) and the City of London occupying the top five positions. Collectively, the districts generate USD 4.5 trillion in annual GDP and provide more than seven million jobs. (more…)

Lords Committee calls for clearer policy to address the future of home working

Lords Committee calls for clearer policy to address the future of home working

by • Flexible working, News

home working is now firmly embedded in the UK’s labour market but requires more coherent policy, better evidence and improved supportA House of Lords committee has called for a more coherent national approach to remote and hybrid work, warning that unclear responsibilities, inconsistent data, gaps in employer guidance and uneven access to flexible work risk undermining the UK’s ability to adapt to long-term changes in working patterns. According to the report, Is Working From Home Working?, published today (13 November) the rapid rise in home-based working since the pandemic has outpaced the Government’s ability to coordinate policy or collect reliable data. Responsibility for remote work is “split across government departments”, the Committee notes, with implications for employment, transport, digital infrastructure and housing policy. (more…)

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