July 21, 2022

Flex office provider Mindspace opens its first Düsseldorf location

Mindspace is opening its first location in Düsseldorf: the flex office provider is moving into 4,100 square meters in the centrally located mixed-use commercial complex “Stilwerk” on a long-term basis. The location “Mindspace Grünstraße” will include 600 workstations overlooking an attractive atrium and will include the numerous Mindspace benefits and amenities such as meeting rooms, lounges and kitchens. Mindspace Grünstraße is scheduled to open in February 2023. More →

July 8, 2022

Flex office space market in UK set to increase by half over next four years

by Neil Franklin • Company news, Property

Hybrid working policies are driving demand in the flexible workspace market as companies are using coworking and serviced offices at record levels. In its annual UK Market Update Report, The Instant Group’s data claims that demand for flex office space across the country is up 22 percent in the last 12 months. Cities – such as Leeds and Manchester are leading the way in this increase although there are also signs of a recovery in central London. The size of the space being taken with flex operators has also increased by 44 percent since the pandemic as larger companies incorporate more flexible workspace in their real estate portfolios. More →

June 22, 2022

Four day week demands intensify as workers crave flexibility

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Workplace

According to a new report from ADP exploring employees’ attitudes towards the current world of work, six-in-ten (60 percent) UK workers would like more flexibility as to when they work, such as condensing hours into a four day week. This number increased to two-thirds (67 percent) in Greater London. This desire for great flexibility comes at a time when there is a mental health ticking timebomb happening in offices up and down the land. Over half (51 percent) of men and 45 percent of women admit that their work us suffering due to their poor mental health. This is leading to over a quarter (29 percent) of workers actively trying to change their job and/or move into another industry. More →

June 21, 2022

Flexible working options can support women in the workplace

by Dr Gabriella Rosen Kellerman • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

As of May 2022, more than one hundred years after the passage of the Sex Disqualification Removal Act – legislation which opened the workplace equally to women – more than half of the UK’s female professionals are at risk of leaving their jobs. As a recent study showed, 52 percent of women in the UK say they are either considering leaving or have already left a role due to lack of flexibility. The widespread nature of this “Flexidus” is chilling. The pandemic has already set back women’s participation in the workforce back 22 years behind men. How can businesses respond with the flexible working choices that many women are seeking? More →

June 15, 2022

How to manage flexible working requests (including turning them down)

by Chris Hadrill • Features, Flexible working

If an employee makes a flexible working request, then employers should have principles and procedures in place setting out how these requests should be dealt with. Avoiding disputes in the workplace generally means adhering to three principles: clarity, consistency, and fairness. So, here’s a brief (non-exhaustive) guide to handling flexible working requests. More →

May 23, 2022

Younger workers want flexible working, but are sceptical of remote

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

While remote and flexible working roles continue to grow in almost all countries, 20-24 year olds are the age group making the fewest applications to fully remote roles, claims a new poll from LinkedIn. LinkedIn analysed the labour market for career starters in the U.S., U.K, France and Germany – including job applications and hiring data – to understand which sectors offer the most opportunity for Gen Z job-seekers and employers looking to attract them. More →

May 17, 2022

Lack of flexible working could drive half of women out of current roles

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

New research from LinkedIn claims to highlight a potential impending ‘flexidus’ amongst women in the UK workforce, with 52 percent saying they’ve considered leaving, or have left, their role due to a lack of flexibility. According to the research, a perceived lack of flexibility at work is having a significant impact on women’s careers. Of the women who have left a job because of a lack of flexible working, more than one in five (21 percent) say their career progression has been hindered, and 25 percent decided to take a career break as a result. More →

May 12, 2022

Flexible working now arriving at aisle three

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

Remote workers might soon be able to do their jobs and shop for groceries at the same time, under a new “Spaces” project between Tesco and flexible office operator IWG. A trial at a branch of Tesco in New Malden that will start later in this month and will accommodate 12 private desks, 30 co-working spaces and a meeting room. The 3,800 sq ft space within the store would normally have been used for electrical goods, music, and other forms of entertainment, most of which are now mainly purchased online. The aim is to make better use of floor space and, if successful, Tesco stores across the country could become flexible working hubs. More →

May 12, 2022

Flexible working is the new hybrid working, apparently

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Flexible working is the new hybrid working as a third of European workers would decline a job if flexible hours were not offered. That is the key claim of a new report from Owl Labs, a collaborative technology company. The annual State of Hybrid Work study polled 10,000 full-time employees across UK, Germany, France, Netherlands and Scandinavia – which suggests that flexibility is key to retaining top talent in 2022 and beyond. Over a third (37 percent) of European employees are prepared to decline a job if flexible hours are not offered and just over two thirds (69 percent) would accept a pay cut to have flexible hours. More →

April 27, 2022

Codelocks facilitates future of flexible working

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Workplace design, Works Magazine

With organisations adopting a hybrid working model and moving towards flexible working also comes a need for flexible office solutions. International office and workplace solutions provider Kinnarps, approached Codelocks as it was looking to furnish a UK county council with an access control solution suitable for its hybrid working needs. Codelocks designs and distributes a wide portfolio of innovative, standalone keyless door locks and access products for a range of growing markets.

The UK county council has adopted a hybrid working model to best suit the needs and lifestyles of its employees. The council has multiple working hubs across the country, allowing its teams to choose the office space that is convenient and accessible to them on their chosen office days. However, despite not being tied to a specific location, the need for employees to store possessions in the workplace remains.

The council sought a storage solution that:

can be used on temporary basis
is easy to manage
is within its constrained budget
accessed by different people on different days, for varying time periods

Perfect partnership

Due to its longstanding relationship with Codelocks, Kinnarps is familiar with the wide range of KitLocks by Codelocks cabinet and locker locks.

Steve Newman, KitLock Sales Manager at Codelocks explains, “We understood the council wanted to avoid the need to cut keys or have lockers allocated to specific employees. And with the ongoing concern of Covid-19 and the transfer of germs, it was also important to give easy access to personal belongings whilst minimising touch. The KL1100 RFID offers the flexibility the council needs.”

The KL1100 RFID is a smart card operated lock designed for both public and private lockers. It is perfect for building and facilities managers that oversee large quantities of lockers, as they can benefit from managing cards remotely.

Kinnarps found a locker company that the KL1100 RFID could be installed on and combined the two products to create ‘hot lockers’, similar to hot desks for all of the county council offices. County council employees simply collect a card from the reception at the start of their day, use a dedicated locker to store their personal belongings, and then return the card so it can be used by someone else the next day.

Simon Cotter, Account Manager at Kinnarps said, “We needed to provide over 1000 lockers for the council, so we sought a supplier that had an innovative and stylish lock solution with enough available stock. Due to the volume of lockers we needed to provide, we were glad that the KL1100 RFID was straightforward to install.”

Convenient Contactless Access

The KL100 RFID is perfect for the council’s hybrid-working approach. “The council office manager has expressed the importance of being able to manage card access remotely, as their employees are all working on different days and at different times. It also removes the cost and hassle of having to cut and hand out keys.” explains Simon. “Council employees have found the lockers easy to operate and appreciate the fact the council has put a storage solution in place that is secure and requires minimal contact.”

Council employees can now be sure that whichever office they choose to work from, they have convenient access to lockers to store their belongings.

April 26, 2022

Growing number of firms link increased productivity to home and flexible working

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

The number of employers who believe that an increase in homeworking and flexible working has increased their organisation’s productivity or efficiency has jumped significantly over the last year, according to new research from the CIPD. When asked in December 2020, a third (33 percent) of employers said homeworking had increased their organisation’s productivity or efficiency. However, when asked about increased home/hybrid working in October/November 2021, over two-fifths (41 percent) said these new ways of working had increased this. More →

April 26, 2022

Flexible working means half of workers says they are more able to be ‘themselves’

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

A poll from Perkbox claims that moves towards hybrid and flexible working are changing the workplace experience for employees across the UK, with 57 percent feeling freer to be ‘themselves’ in this environment. This is particularly strong for women – 61 percent say they feel freer to be themselves when remote and hybrid working compared to 51 percent of men. In addition, 55 percent of employees say that remote and hybrid working has been a huge step forward in supporting more diverse and inclusive working environments. More →