November 24, 2020

Area becomes founder membership of Studio Alliance network

Workplace design and fit out company Area has become a founding member of Studio Alliance, a formal group of workplace experts who share common values, ethics and goals when delivering projects across Europe. Studio Alliance has been formed in response to accelerating globalisation and offers corporate occupiers and landlords local market knowledge combined with the experience of designing and delivering projects in over 5,000 buildings throughout 24 countries. More →

November 20, 2020

HR professionals must seek a new connection with the IT team

by Joseph Morley • Comment, Technology

It has now been more than eight months since the government first advised people to work from home if possible, due to COVID-19. The shift to remote working happened suddenly in March and quickly became part of everyday life; in April 2020 alone, 47 percent of people in employment did some work at home, compared to just 16 percent in the whole of 2019. IT teams were extremely successful in getting staff up-and-running with the right technology, but there was little time for organisations to fully train users before driving adoption, or personalise the approach based on individual need. This places a new onus on HR teams. More →

November 20, 2020

Plan submitted for London`s first net-zero carbon commercial property

by Jayne Smith • Company news, Environment, Property, Workplace design

Climate change has accelerated the urgency to address the way people live and work. With the UK’s aim to become carbon neutral by 2050, CIT and Foster + Partners want to help realise this ambition sooner, submitting a planning application for London’s first ever net-zero carbon workplace and commercial hub at Colechurch House, on the banks of the Thames. More →

November 19, 2020

Covid-19 is levelling the playing field for disabled workers

by Ruby Gullon • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

As many of us cope with yet another lockdown, optimism is easy to misplace but, for disabled workers, this could result in monumental change for future employment. On the month commencing the 25th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act and the run-up to International Day of Disabled Persons, could this be the final push for change? As we swing in and out of remote-working, whether you love it or loathe it, one thing is abundantly clear – it can be done. Something that the 2 billion people currently living with disabilities have always known. Life can be accessible anywhere if you put your mind to it. More →

November 18, 2020

The new era of elemental change for the workplace

by Neil Franklin • News

In the latest issue of IN Magazine, Chris Kane talks about his new book Where is My Office? and how this is possibly the best time to publish a book about workplace transformation, in spite of the upheavals of the last year. Another author and world-famous workplace expert to publish on a related theme is Neil Usher. His new book, Elemental Change, is also timely as many organisations look to a post-pandemic era in which they must challenge many of their previous assumptions about their structure and how, where and when they work. More →

November 16, 2020

Millions will struggle to access the Government’s new Lifetime Skills Guarantee

by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Working lives

New analysis published by the Work Foundation and Totaljobs claims that millions of low paid workers will struggle to access the Government’s new Lifetime Skills Guarantee (LSG) when it is launched next year amidst a growing jobs challenge. More →

November 16, 2020

How to manage workplace capacity in 2020

by Freddie Steele • Company news

The pandemic has totally shattered workplace norms, so it’s going to take a while before we see organizations returning to work at full capacity. When it does happen, it will require extensive planning and constantly evolving styles of people management. In addition to the logistics of phasing people back into the office and staggering shifts, you’ll need to work with your team to address their anxieties and make sure they feel comfortable in their environment. More →

November 13, 2020

Mental health continues to deteriorate as a result of the pandemic

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Morneau Shepell has published its monthly Mental Health Index report, which claims there is a a consistent trend of negative mental health among Britons at the seven-month mark of the pandemic. The Mental Health Index for October is -13.4, suggesting that Britons’ mental wellbeing continues to be at risk, with declining workplace productivity and the need for support adding to the continuing strain of the pandemic. More →

November 9, 2020

More stability in sight for employment but three in ten employers still planning redundancies

by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Working lives

The pace of deterioration in UK job prospects is starting to slow this autumn due to very modest improvements in planned recruitment activity and a slight decrease in employers’ intentions to make redundancies. This is according to the latest quarterly CIPD/the Adecco Group Labour Market Outlook (LMO) survey – involving more than 1000 employers and covering all sectors of the economy. More →

October 30, 2020

Organisations shift attitudes on meeting costs of home office setup

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Workplace design

Eighty-two percent of US based employers now believe the organisation should absorb the cost of a home office setup for employees that work from home full-time. This is a dramatic increase over those who did so before COVID-19. These and other findings from The Future of Home Office Cost Sharing survey from Global Workplace Analytics and Design Public Group, will lead to profound changes in how companies procure and distribute technology and furniture, budget for workplaces, attract and retain talent, and manage safety risk, according to the report’s authors. More →

October 28, 2020

British Sugar HQ named best corporate office in England’s central region

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace design

CPMG Architects is celebrating success after its designs for the British Sugar head office scooped the title of Corporate Office of the Year at the British Council for Offices (BCO) Midlands and Central England Awards last week. More →

October 23, 2020

KI helps transform RFIB headquarters in The Gherkin

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Workplace design

Insurers RFIB have transformed their workplace strategy to embrace both traditional and new ways of working at ’s the firm’s new global headquarters at 30 St Mary Axe in London. Located on the twelfth floor of this landmark building, the new offices feature panoramic views and generous natural light. Offering an enhanced user and visitor experience, they are bright, open, flexible and high quality. More →