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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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

by • Company news, Facilities management, Workplace design

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

by • AI, Comment

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…)

Is resilience a personality trait or a flaw in workplace design?

Is resilience a personality trait or a flaw in workplace design?

by • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Resilience is often ascribed to the individual, but are there other ways we could look at the issue, asks Carl LyonsResilience must be one of the most misunderstood issues affecting businesses right now. It’s used whenever people are struggling, and almost always aimed at the individual – be tougher, manage your stress, build a bit more grit. During countless conversations with leaders and teams over the last few years it has been seen that those words do real damage to people who are trying hard to do their best. When tiredness is no longer fixed by a weekend, when feedback lands as a threat, and when change is met with a sigh, it gets recorded under ‘poor personal resilience’, effectively telling people the problem is with them. I don’t think it is. I think we’re looking in the wrong place. (more…)

A beacon of hope in an uncertain world. Works magazine 20 digital edition is here for you

A beacon of hope in an uncertain world. Works magazine 20 digital edition is here for you

by • News, Premium Content, Technology, Workplace design, Works Magazine

The digital edition of issue 20 of Works magazine is now available for you to read here.  The new issue explores a workplace sector that is becoming increasingly confident about its future, even as it navigates rapid technological, social and economic change. The latest edition brings together major workplace projects, design debates and industry commentary that point to a common theme: the enduring value of connection, community and shared experience in an age of uncertainty. (more…)

How MSPs are shaping the future of the digital workplace

How MSPs are shaping the future of the digital workplace

by • Company news, Facilities management

Here’s why businesses are increasingly turning to outside experts for AI support and what to expect of the digital workplace as those experts modernize their service offerings in response.According to JLL’s 2026 Future of Work Survey, most C-suite and corporate real estate leaders now expect AI to redesign roles and grow headcount rather than reduce it. While this is likely a relief for those who previously worried about AI making their roles obsolete, it also creates new pressure on organisations to integrate AI into their operations. This pressure is increasing the demand across the board for managed service providers (MSPs). At the same time, it is increasing the scope of responsibilities modern MSPs are now expected to offer. Here’s why businesses are increasingly turning to outside experts for AI support and what to expect of the digital workplace as those experts modernize their service offerings in response. (more…)

Giving employees a say over office art may boost wellbeing and job satisfaction, review suggests

Giving employees a say over office art may boost wellbeing and job satisfaction, review suggests

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace design

visual office art can have a positive effect on employees' psychological wellbeing and workplace experience, with the greatest benefits seen when workers are able to choose or position artwork themselves.Giving employees more control over the artwork displayed in their workplace could improve wellbeing, job satisfaction and engagement, according to a new systematic review from researchers at the University of Roehampton. The review, published in Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, found evidence that visual office art can have a positive effect on employees’ psychological wellbeing and workplace experience, with the greatest benefits seen when workers are able to choose or position artwork themselves. (more…)

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