October 26, 2020

Office design should embrace the new digital workplace

by John Comacchio • Comment, Workplace design

It almost goes without saying that how we work and interact with each other has changed dramatically over the past few months. We have come to rely on technology to replace in-person interactions, be it for a meeting, birthday party, or dinner with friends. Thankfully, most people are able to stay digitally connected through the “three screens of our lives”—a mobile device, a tablet, and a desktop or laptop computer. This would not have been possible in the very recent past and it has profound implications for office design. (more…)

October 21, 2020

Future of work has arrived sooner than expected, WEF report claims

by Neil Franklin • AI, Flexible working, News, Technology, Workplace

The Future of Jobs 2020 report from the World Economic Forum claims that COVID-19 has caused the labour market to change faster than expected. The research suggests that what was recently considered the future of work has now arrived. By 2025, automation and a new division of labour between humans and machines will disrupt 85 million jobs globally in medium and large businesses across 15 industries and 26 economies. (more…)

October 20, 2020

BCO London Region Awards winners announced

by Neil Franklin • Company news, News, Property, Workplace design

Five businesses have been recognised in London at the annual British Council for Offices’ (BCO) regional awards. This year, the prestigious event was held virtually as part of the BCO’s Festival Awards Week, which recognises the highest quality developments in the UK and sets the standard for excellence in the regional and national office sector. (more…)

October 20, 2020

Remote work and the risks of employee surveillance

by Joe Aiston and Alexander Barnett • Comment, Flexible working, Technology

There has been a gradual shift towards increased flexible and remote work patterns in the last few years. The COVID-19 pandemic has created the perfect storm to force organisations to further consider their working practices, with all but essential physical roles usually involving an element of homeworking – nearly half of people in employment in the UK did some work at home in April 2020, according to the ONS. Many businesses are expecting to operate a largely remote workforce for the foreseeable future. The fear of declining productivity and concerns for people wellbeing has encouraged many employers to increase their employee monitoring arrangements. (more…)

October 20, 2020

Radical reskilling needed to ensure future of economy

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

Research carried out by the CBI prior to the pandemic suggests there is an urgent need for the UK to embark on a radical programme of reskilling that goes further and faster than current plans. According to the CBI, the UK faces a stark choice: invest more in lifetime learning and upskilling of millions of employees, or stick to business as usual, and risk sustained higher rates of unemployment and skills shortages. (more…)

October 19, 2020

Ten pandemic related responses with highest business impact

by Jayne Smith • Business, News

The Josh Bersin Academy, a development academy for HR professionals, has announced the release of its newest research-based report, Business Resilience: The Global COVID-19 Pandemic Response Study. The 38-page complimentary report is based on a survey conducted in August 2020 of 1,349 HR leaders and professionals across the globe and all industry segments. (more…)

October 19, 2020

Frontline leaders blocked from strategic decision making

by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Working lives

New research commissioned by Workplace from Facebook claims frontline managers are being shut out from making strategic decisions, due to a prevailing disconnect with leaders in HQ. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic highlighting the importance of the frontline and its leaders, managers in this environment have not been empowered to make decisions. (more…)

October 16, 2020

HR Directors worry about delivering a consistent employee experience

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

New research by Applaud, claims that 45 percent of HR Directors (HRDs) think the biggest challenge of delivering a good employee experience in the next six months will be making sure that all employees are receiving a consistent experience, regardless of whether they’re remote or office based. (more…)

October 15, 2020

The wellbeing needs of men and women can be very different

by Alaana Woods • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

There are currently 15.6 million women in work in the UK, and each of these women is likely to have differing wellbeing needs which must be supported to help retain talent and enable them to meet their full potential in the workplace. In short, business leaders need to do more to recognise and address women’s health. This will have both short-term and long-term positive effects on their business and employees. A McKinsey study found that gender diverse businesses are 25 percent more likely to financially outperform their counter parts. A separate report published in the Harvard Business Review found that such an approach can also increase innovation revenues by 19 percent. (more…)

October 15, 2020

Employees want to see a redesign for better hybrid meetings

by Jayne Smith • News, Technology, Working lives

A new global study by Barco ClickShare claims that employees worldwide are desperate to get back to the office and are looking for their employers to invest in a technology-driven hybrid working environment post-COVID-19. The study, which surveyed 1,750 employees around the world through global research panel provider Dynata – claims that only 15 percent of employees want to continue to work from home full-time after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. (more…)

October 14, 2020

Majority of U.S. employees fear returning to the workplace amid COVID-19

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

Envoy has released results from its Protecting the Workplace study, which claims that 73 percent of U.S. employees fear a return to the workplace could pose a risk to their personal health and safety. While a majority of employees say they do want to return to the workplace once COVID restrictions are lifted, 75 percent said they would consider quitting their job if they felt their employers’ actions to prevent COVID-19 were inadequate or inappropriate. (more…)

October 13, 2020

Matrix of pain threatens new era of hybrid working life

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, Working lives

Organisations could be caught up in a matrix of pain if they do not carefully manage the new realities of hybrid working, claims Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA). The management consultancy has identified at least five different classes of workers and failure to create strategies to manage them could lead to a potential loss of momentum and productivity for employers. (more…)