January 27, 2022

Firms that invest in sustainability are more resilient, research claims

Investing in sustainability increases the resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) because they become more creditworthy, according to new research conducted by Vlerick Business School and commissioned by ABN AMRO. Although large companies are under scrutiny from regulators, consumers and the media to become more sustainable, the sustainability transition is unachievable without the involvement of SMEs. Especially since SMEs constitute more than 60 percent of the value-adding economic fabric in Europe. (more…)

January 27, 2022

Flexible working models best for mental health of parents, research claims

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Employees who are able to split their working time between home and a formal workplace are 40 percent less likely to experience mental health difficulties, new research has shown. Wellbeing charity stem4 surveyed 1038 working parents and carers across the UK to mark Parent Mental Health Day (27th January). It suggests that four in ten overall (39 percent) were experiencing problems – most commonly stress (62 percent), depression (54 percent) and anxiety (50 percent). (more…)

January 18, 2022

Firms need to do more to engage, attract and retain staff

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Over 40 percent of employers are finding it more difficult to retain and recruit staff, according to Aon’s Benefits and Trends Survey 2022 (registration). The report claims that many employers have adjusted their benefits strategies to address an intense labour market, in which employee work motivations have shifted in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Forty-one percent of employers said they have found it more difficult to retain staff in the last year, while 44 percent have found it more difficult to recruit new staff. Many employers anecdotally expressed in the survey that they need to pay higher salaries or sign-on bonuses to entice new recruits. (more…)

January 18, 2022

How to provide a great place to work for remote workers

by Richard Guy • Company news, Flexible working

Remote working swiftly evolved from a stopgap lockdown solution into a globally successful workstyle – and it’s set to stay. According to research quoted by CityAM, “84 per cent of UK businesses plan on having a hybrid, flexible or remote workforce following the pandemic”. Some companies, like Deloitte, have placed all bets on remote in closing their offices and basing employees from home, enjoying a vast reduction in operational costs. This flexibility has offered immediate benefits for remote workers, ranging from lifestyle and financial to positive influences on wellbeing. Workers in particular social groups have experienced life-changing situations, securing work in previously inaccessible geographic locations. (more…)

January 14, 2022

Toxic workplace culture is driving staff to exit door

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Nearly two-thirds of employees who claim to have experienced a toxic workplace culture say the compensation they received did not make up for the emotional distress caused, according to new research from Culture Shift. The research from the impact software developer claims that 61 percent of those who have experienced problematic workplace behaviour have had to take a period of long-term leave, with over half (55 percent) saying the emotional distress lasted up to two years, while a third (34 percent) say it lasted three to four years. (more…)

January 4, 2022

So where are we?

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Property

That’s right. A New Year and still nobody knows anything. (more…)

December 20, 2021

Startups fuelling growth in demand for flexible offices

by Neil Franklin • Cities, News, Property

According to data from The Instant Group 584,097 companies have been registered in the UK since the start of 2021 – this equates to 1,781 per day. The most companies registered in 2021 so far have been in London, Birmingham, and Manchester. The growth in start-ups has fuelled an increase in demand for flexible offices across the UK’s cities, with large proportional increases outside London. Requirements for coworking and serviced offices has grown significantly in cities such as Bristol (41 percent), Manchester (28 percent), and Reading (27 percent) over the past year. (more…)

December 14, 2021

Corporate boards struggle to act on climate change

by Jayne Smith • Business, Environment, News

Heidrick & Struggles (Nasdaq: HSII) in partnership with INSEAD, have published a report titled Changing the Climate in the Boardroom. The report addresses corporate leadership’s take on climate change, what boards around the world are currently doing to address climate change, and what they should be doing moving forward. (more…)

December 6, 2021

We must wake up to the realities of workplace sustainability

by Oliver Cripps • Comment, Environment, Workplace design

Sustainability has been steadily moving up the business agenda over the past few years, with COP26 placing more emphasis on the need for organisations to demonstrate that their operations are sustainable and lessening their overall impact on the planet. Many businesses may feel daunted by the challenges ahead, and there are certainly big steps that need to be taken in order to reduce corporate carbon footprints and move to more sustainable models. (more…)

December 6, 2021

Office occupiers set to transform the design of their offices

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace design

Nearly three quarters of global office occupiers responding to a survey expect to transform their workplace design in the next two years, according to a report from Mace. The report, which was produced using data from a global client workplace survey issued by Mace to over 4,000 CRE professionals, shows that businesses worldwide are reviewing their current workplace offer following the pandemic, in a move to improve employee experience and attract people back into offices. (more…)

December 6, 2021

Introvert entrepreneurs outnumber extroverts by more than two to one

by Jayne Smith • Business, News

The UK is a nation of “intro-preneurs”, according to new research by Virgin Money. A third (36 percent) of entrepreneurs surveyed described themselves as being an introvert, compared to just 15 percent who said they are an all-out extrovert. The findings are part of Virgin Money’s campaign to celebrate ‘Upstarts’ – the people who have taken the leap and launched a business on their own. (more…)

November 26, 2021

Doing what you love may not automatically make you happier at work

by Dr Tracy Brower • Features, Wellbeing, Workplace

There is a classic saying which has shaped our job choices for years: “Do what you love, the money will follow.” New research suggests this may be true, although not in the way it was originally conceived. The typical logic train has suggested job interest shapes satisfaction and, in turn, satisfaction may drive better performance. However, new research published in the Journal of Vocational Behavior provides some fresh perspectives. It turns out satisfaction has many facets. While interest is one component in job satisfaction, it is not the primary component. Elements such as the organization, relationships with colleagues, leadership and compensation are actually more important than interest in predicting satisfaction. (more…)