Search Results for: financial

The changing shape of the insurance workplace

The changing shape of the insurance workplace

by • News, Workplace design

HOK’s WorkPlace group has released The New Insurance Workplace (registration required), a report which sets out to examine the forces reshaping the insurance industry and how workplace design can position these companies for success. The report’s concludes that insurance firms take pride in their conservative approach to risk management and traditional business models. They also have high-performance cultures that demand strong results. Yet changing regulations, emerging technologies and increasingly obsolete work processes have left many legacy players with underutilised, outdated office and retail space that hinders their ability to meet the fast-changing expectations of customers.

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Overwhelming majority of workers have changing workplace expectations

Overwhelming majority of workers have changing workplace expectations

by • Flexible working, News

New research from Aon claims that 97 percent of employers agree that employees’ expectations of their experience in the workplace are changing. Aon’s Benefits and Trends Survey 2019 (registration required) suggests that employers are saying that employees’ top priorities now include flexible working hours, agile working, mental health, diversity and inclusion and parental leave. Aon’s Benefits and Trends Survey, now in its ninth year, is formed from the responses of over 200 employers of all sizes, including those with fewer than 100 employees to many thousands, who work across a broad range of sectors, with 75 percent of them working internationally. This year, a number of new questions were introduced, including changing workforce demographics, to support employer benefit strategies and provide industry analysis.

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CIPD highlights gap between ‘fat cat’ top earners and the rest of the workforce

CIPD highlights gap between ‘fat cat’ top earners and the rest of the workforce

by • News, Workplace

CIPD highlights gap between 'fat cat' top earners and the rest of the workforceJust three days into the New Year, today (Friday 4 January), the UK’s top bosses will have made more than a typical full-time worker will earn in the entire year, according to calculations from independent think tank the High Pay Centre and the CIPD. The average (median) full-time worker in the UK earns a gross annual salary of £29,574, while the average FTSE 100 CEO, on an average (median) pay packet of £3.9 million, only needs to work until 1pm on Friday 4 January 2019 to earn the same amount. The £3.9 million figure was calculated by the CIPD and the High Pay Centre in their 2018 analysis of top pay and it marks an 11% increase on the £3.5 million figure reported in their 2017 analysis. The pay increase means that FTSE 100 CEOs, working an average 12-hour day, will only need to work for 29 hours in 2019 to earn the average worker’s annual salary, two hours fewer than in 2018.

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Cyber security fears as employees and ex staff able to access sensitive company data

Cyber security fears as employees and ex staff able to access sensitive company data

by • AI, News, Technology, Workplace

Cyber security fears as office workers given unfettered access to sensitive company dataHuge numbers of employees have or have had access to mission critical company systems which should be reserved only for staff that require it, claims a new study by CyberArk. Specifically, it found that almost half (48 percent) of employees have or have had access to sensitive financial documents; 46 percent to confidential HR information; nearly a third (29 percent) have or have had direct access to company bank account and over a third (37 percent) access to research and development plans or blueprints for new products/services. Credential theft remains the most common and effective route to a successful cyber-attack.

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Bruntwood launches design now, pay later service for occupiers

Bruntwood launches design now, pay later service for occupiers

by • Company news, Property, Workplace design

Property and flexible office firm Bruntwood has launched ‘Made & Managed’ which it claims is a service enabling occupiers to benefit from a ‘design now, pay later’ approach to designing and creating bespoke offices. The service is based around the idea that tenants absorb design and fit-out costs into a monthly bill, meaning no upfront costs.

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The scale and complexity of public sector procurement makes a change of direction difficult

The scale and complexity of public sector procurement makes a change of direction difficult

by • News

A new report from the Institute for Government claims that the British  government spends around £284bn – almost one-third of its total expenditure – with external suppliers. Given its scale, public sector procurement could not easily be abandoned even if politicians wanted, the report concludes. It says that four departments spent more than half of their entire budgets with external suppliers last year. It also finds that the largest suppliers are winning more and more government business.

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Report into the glass cliff claims women still need to break the glass ceiling

Report into the glass cliff claims women still need to break the glass ceiling

by • News, Workplace

Research into the “Glass Cliff” finds “Glass Ceiling” for women is still to be brokenGiven the latest U turn regarding Brexit, with beleaguered British Prime Minister Theresa May announcing the cancellation of a commons vote on the agreement, a new report into the so called “glass cliff” appointment of women is pretty timely.  The term “glass cliff” was coined by researchers Ryan and Haslam in the early 2000s to describe a phenomenon in which women are more likely than men to be promoted to precarious management positions with a higher risk of failure. Aside from May, exemplar cases often used to support the theory include Marissa Mayer, former CEO of Yahoo and Andrea Nahles, Social Democrat party leader in the German Bundestag. (more…)

Asia increasingly challenging economic hegemony of western cities

Asia increasingly challenging economic hegemony of western cities

by • Cities, News

Oxford Economics has published its annual Global Cities research report projecting the shifting landscape of the world’s leading cities from 2019 to 2035. It examine which major cities will be the urban superpowers of the future and which are poised for the most rapid expansions of their economies, populations and business heft. Its main finding is that Asia’s cities, especially those in India such as Surat (pictured) and Agra are making huge strides, although New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles and London stay as the metropolitan superpowers. New York maintains pole position while Tokyo falls below Los Angeles and London in the ranking.  (more…)

Government report calls time on late payments, addresses productivity puzzle

Government report calls time on late payments, addresses productivity puzzle

by • Facilities management, News, Property

The culture of late payment by large firms has led to the failure of many small businesses in the UK and prevented even more from thriving and improving their productivity, according to a parliamentary select committee report published today. The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) committee has called on the government to enforce tougher measures on large firms who treat small businesses “disgracefully” by enforcing long payment terms or paying their suppliers late. The Small businesses and productivity report said that, for an SME to succeed, it is crucial they are paid fairly and on time.

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The war for talent is over and we need to face up to new opportunities and challenges

The war for talent is over and we need to face up to new opportunities and challenges

by • Comment, Workplace

The ‘War for Talent’ is a concept which has dominated the industry for the last twenty years and has shaped how many organisations view talent acquisition around the world. But perhaps this war is already over. As initially reported by McKinsey & Company in 1998, the war for talent explored the challenges businesses face when attracting, retaining and developing talent. While talent acquisition is a fundamental foundation for any business looking to grow, after twenty years, recent studies have reported a seismic shift from this ‘War for Talent’ to a ‘War for Skills.’

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Firms and employees need to do more to address climate change

Firms and employees need to do more to address climate change

by • Environment, News

A new report claims to have found a lack of commitment amongst UK businesses to address their impact on the environment and contribution to climate change, with only 10 percent having set a carbon reduction target, while just under half of companies (49 percent) use even the most basic sustainability measures, such as recycling bins for office waste.

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Economy could achieve significant economic boost by addressing skills gaps in younger people

Economy could achieve significant economic boost by addressing skills gaps in younger people

by • News, Workplace

The UK could boost GDP by around £40 billion a year in the long run if it reduces the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) to match Germany, the best performing EU country. Despite making improvements in recent years, the UK only ranks 19th out of 35 countries across the OECD on a PwC index based on a range of indicators of youth employment, education and training. But this is slightly better than the UK’s ranking of 21st across the OECD on a similar PwC index for older workers released earlier this year. Across England NEET rates vary significantly, reflecting the disparity in educational attainment and job opportunities across the country. In 2017, the West Midlands had the highest NEET rate for 19-24 year olds at 16.7 percent, followed by the North East by 16.3 percent. Meanwhile the South East and South West have the lowest rates, both at 11.5 percent (see table below). (more…)

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