Search Results for: flexible working

February 8, 2017

Take up of flexible space confirms London’s status as a global coworking pioneer ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Property

The ‘gig economy’ continues to drive London’s thriving flexible workplace sector which accounted for 8.8 percent of total office take-up in 2016, according to a new study from Cushman & Wakefield. The report claims that the pace of development will continue for the foreseeable future, not least because of the number of corporate occupiers taking on coworking space. Flexible office space accounted for more than 4.5m sq ft of take up in London over the past five years as the capital has cemented its place as the leading global market for coworking, according to the research. In 2016, flexible office take-up amounted to 842,888 sq ft across Central London, representing 8.8 percent of total take-up – slightly above the five-year average of 8.4 percent.

June 17, 2016

Homeworking loses appeal as workers prefer flexible office environment ⁰

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, Flexible working, Furniture, News, Workplace design

Most workers now look for flexibility in where and how they work finds a new survey from the British Council for Offices. But this doesn’t mean homeworking; as less than a third (28 percent) of workers now say they would prefer to work from home, a figure that has dropped from 45 percent in 2013, when the research from the BCO and Savills was last conducted. Over three-quarters of respondents (77 percent) said that they currently work in a traditional office, with the majority (60 percent) choosing to work from a dedicated workstation compared to only four percent that are asked to share desks with colleagues. This desire for a dedicated desk has increased over the past three years, rising from a figure of 41 percent in 2013; but despite demand for a dedicated desk, most workplaces (70 percent) now also include a communal environment to work from, providing a space for more dynamic working.

September 22, 2015

Top employers for working families praised for flexible approach ⁰

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, Legal news, News, Workplace

The financial sector is well represented in this year’s annual list of Top Employers for Working Families as announced by charity Working Families. American Express, Barclays Bank, Citibank, Deloitte and Lloyds all made the list, while just two public sector organisations Ministry of Justice and Southdown Housing Association were in the top ten. Employers with up to 250 employees that reached the Small Employer’s Benchmark – ranged from law firm Sacker & Partners LLP to Bristol Students’ Union. To enter the awards, which are sponsored by Computershare, organisations must complete a benchmark survey which examines in detail their flexible and family friendly working policies and practices. As flexible working becomes embedded in more organisations, Working Families is calling on employers to ‘adopt a ‘flexible by default’ approach, to continue the rise in flexible working and help everyone to achieve a work life balance that works for them.’

September 8, 2015

Over a fifth of working mothers denied flexible hours are forced to quit ⁰

by Sara Bean • Comment, Flexible working, News, Workplace

Discussions about the gender pay gap and increasing the number of women on Boards need to acknowledge that the greatest obstacle to female empowerment in the UK is balancing home and family. Just last week the TUC revealed that many women felt compelled to take time out of work to care for young children while another survey found over half of working women believe they would need to alter their career in order to have a child. Now the latest figures fromthe workingmums.co.uk 2015 Annual Survey show that over a fifth of working mums have been forced to leave their jobs because a flexible working request was turned down. Although the right to request flexible working was extended to all employees last year, this new policy has a less rigid timetable for employers and no statutory right to appeal if a request is turned down.

July 8, 2024

Book review – Working Assumptions by Julia Hobsbawm

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Facilities management, Flexible working, Workplace design

This is almost certainly the most important book about work and workplaces to appear in the first half of this year. Working Assumptions by Julia Hobsbawm will be one of the two most important published this year, as we shall soon discover. It is also one packed with wisdom, knowledge and a central premise that is undoubtedly true. Namely that the events of the past four years have given us the opportunity to rethink how we work and so how we spend our days and our lives more generally. More →

June 28, 2024

Majority of working parents say they would look for a new job if they were required to travel

by Jayne Smith • News

New research among working parents claims that three quarters (74 percent) would look for a new job if they were asked to travel to a central office five days a week. The study, undertaken by International Workplace Group among more than 1,000 parents in hybrid working roles, highlights that 83 percent said they were better parents as a result of the flexibility offered by hybrid working. 89 percent say they are closer to their children and are more present (92 percent), while 86 percent say their family’s quality of life has improved. More →

June 23, 2024

North American office design lagging behind new working cultures

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace design

A report from design firm Hassell and workplace analytics business Density paints what it claims is a concerning picture of North American tech offices. It says that tech firms, once considered pioneers in innovative office design, are lagging behind the evolving work landscape. The report [registration] analysed over 1.4 million square feet of workspace usage between May 2023 and May 2024, revealed what it says is a troubling trend: underutilisation. On average, these tech offices only reached a peak occupancy of 34 percent, meaning a significant portion of the space – potentially costing companies up to $40 million annually in wasted rent – sits empty. More →

June 17, 2024

People say hybrid working has reduced their risk of burnout

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Property, Wellbeing

A new poll claims that the vast majority of workers who have shifted to a hybrid working model say that it has helped them to greatly reduce burnout in their working lives. The survey of more than 1,000 people, undertaken by hybrid working firm International Workplace Group, suggests that three quarters (75 percent) reported a dramatic reduction in burnout symptoms, defined as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplaces stress, since moving to a hybrid model. More →

June 11, 2024

Two thirds of working parents considering quitting because of childcare costs

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Workplace

More than two-thirds (70 percent) of working parents in the UK have quit or are considering quitting their job due to lack of affordable childcare options, according to a new poll from Remote. The research explores the financial and mental impact return to office mandates and a lack of flexible hours has on parents, as well as outlining the consequences of what the report calls the ‘Working Parents Crisis’ on the UK’s workforce shortages. More →

May 1, 2024

Most firms lack the right tech for hybrid working

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Technology

A new poll from Ricoh Europe claims that the majority of organisations lack the technology to support flexible working, with only 30 percent of European employees saying they have all the technology to collaborate seamlessly when working with other colleagues. More →

April 22, 2024

Hybrid working ‘allows organisations to cut energy use by a fifth’

by Neil Franklin • Environment, Flexible working, News

Hybrid working has enabled UK businesses to cut energy usage by a fifth as they replace large city centre office space with smaller, more energy efficient spaces including flexible workspaces, according to a new report from IWG, whose brands including Spaces and Regus. surveyed more than 500 leaders and facilities managers at businesses that have adopted hybrid working policies. The findings revealed that average energy consumption in those companies has fallen by 19 percent since the introduction of hybrid working policies, benefiting both the environment and their bottom line. More →

April 11, 2024

A definitive new book on the madness of hybrid working goes one step beyond

by Paul Carder • Comment, Flexible working

In any crisis, there are people who spot an opportunity. One such opportunity, in early 2020, was to seize the term “hybrid” and apply it to the world of work and place. And for the past four years, we have seen the emergence of polarised commentators, arguing over two extremes; work from home, and ‘back to the office’ and the nominally new construct ‘hybrid working’. Mostly, entirely missing the spectrum of work and workstyles which can co-exist. More →