August 7, 2024
Women have much more difficulty separating their working lives and their family lives when they work from home, than men do, according to new research from Durham University Business School. Remote work has often been lauded as a potential solution to gender inequality, given its flexibility, however these findings showcase that personal circumstances still have an effect on women’s careers. (more…)
July 23, 2024
The introduction of the Flexible Working Act is another sign that the concept of the ‘workplace’ has undergone a significant transformation. These shifts in work patterns, office usage and approach are all having dramatic knock-on impacts when it comes to the future of the physical infrastructure of the nation’s office environments, and the investor communities behind them. The growth of the adaptable office is one of the most obvious responses to the growing appetite for flexible working and agile property strategies. (more…)
July 18, 2024
Whatever you might hear, these times are far from unprecedented. History has lessons for us both in terms of how we view the events of 2020 and how we might respond to them, including how we progress as a species and make our lives and the world a better place. In 1832, there was an epidemic of cholera in the UK’s towns and cities. In those with a population of 100,000 or more life expectancy was just 26 years. The reasons for this were picked up on by a government official called Edwin Chadwick as a member of the Poor Law Commission. (more…)
July 15, 2024
CEOs are leading by example when it comes to hybrid working, with nine in 10 (93 percent) saying they have personally adopted flexible working patterns according to a new poll. The survey of more than 500 CEOs by International Workplace Group suggests that the vast majority now split their working time between locations. Just 7 percent said they spend five days a week working from a central office. (more…)
July 10, 2024
Campaigners advocating for a four day work week are gearing up for a fresh pilot project aimed at promoting flexible working practices. The initiative is set to launch in November, with participating companies currently being invited to sign up. The findings from this project will be presented to the government in the summer of 2025. The push for a four-day working week, notably with no reduction in pay, has gained significant traction in recent years, particularly following the Covid-19 pandemic which reshaped workplace expectations. In 2022, a previous UK pilot saw 61 companies participate, and 54 of them continued the practice a year and a half later. Similar initiatives have also been conducted in Germany, Portugal, Spain, and Iceland. (more…)
July 6, 2024
One of the Labour Party’s key pledges during the election was to initiate a large-scale reform of UK employment law within the first 100 days of taking office. As a result, we can expect some changes relatively quickly, although it may take some time for many of them to become law. The proposed reforms are set out in their ‘Plan to Make Work Pay: Delivering a New Deal for Working People’ and highlight what UK employers can expect to see immediately and in the future. (more…)
June 27, 2024
Cancer rates in under-50s have surged by 24 percent since 1995, despite common misconceptions that it primarily affects older generations. With this alarming increase, more young professionals are being diagnosed and returning to the work in the midst of their treatment and recovery. The growing number of people, especially young people, working with cancer creates a new challenge for HR leaders: are their organisation adequately supporting people? And what truly constitutes best practice in this context? (more…)
June 26, 2024
Undoubtedly, the remote work revolution is in full swing. But it’s messy. Kolekti’s new Save the Knowledge Worker report found a colossal 96 percent of workers desire some form of remote work, and one in three employees is willing to quit if forced to return to the office full-time. And yet, which business leader can say their organisation has perfected the strategy for remote work? Most are still experimenting, tinkering, and tweaking. Even the end destination may be unclear for some. (more…)
June 24, 2024
We are deeply sorry to announce that our dear friend and colleague, Stephen Bevan has passed away. Steve has been such an important part of so many of our lives over the years – through his work, as a mentor and as a friend – and we will miss him hugely. It is impossible to do justice to the impact that Steve has had over more than forty years at IES and the Work Foundation. Anyone who knew Steve was the better for it, and we will all have our own cherished memories of time spent with him. So, while we grieve his loss, it’s also a moment for us to celebrate his life and the impact he made. Steve encouraged us to think differently, challenged us to go further and inspired us to make a difference. And now more than ever, he would want us to carry this work on. (more…)
June 19, 2024
A new report from Indeed, released two weeks ahead of the UK General Election, suggests that more than 2 in 5 (42 percent) Brits are struggling to make ends meet. According to the survey of over 2,000 British people, those in the North East of England feel most comfortable, with less than a third (32 percent) struggling, while almost half (48 percent) of those in Scotland say their pay isn’t keeping pace. (more…)
June 17, 2024
To enable workplaces to evolve and adapt to employees’ changing needs, office provider Mindspace conducted the Employee Wellbeing Data Report in 2023. Findings indicate that around 90 percent or 9 in 10 employees value wellbeing facilities and offerings in the workplace, thus making this factor influential when choosing an employer. Meanwhile, 82 percent expect support from their employers when it comes to maintaining work-life balance, overall revealing the increasing value employees place on their physical and mental health and wellbeing. (more…)
July 17, 2024
Want a creative workplace? Make life difficult and chaotic for yourself
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Workplace