September 22, 2020
Search Results for: information
September 21, 2020
Singapore, Helsinki and Zurich are top of the world`s smart cities
by Neil Franklin • Cities, News, Technology
Singapore, Helsinki and Zurich have taken the top three places positions in the 2020 IMD-SUTD Smart City Index Report, a collaboration between IMD and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). The 2020 Index ranked 109 cities, 7 more than in last year’s inaugural edition, by using both economic and technological data, taken together with citizens’ perceptions of how “smart” their cities were. It is published under the aegis of the IMD Smart City Observatory (SCO). (more…)
September 16, 2020
Almost a third of UK workers have cancelled annual leave in 2020
by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives
A report by HR software and employment law advice service BrightHR claims that 28 percent of UK workers have cancelled annual leave in 2020. The report, which uses data from over 300,000 BrightHR users, also claims that, predictably, the two highest months for cancelled leave were while the UK was in full lockdown. April had the highest number of leave cancellations, with 31,762 users withdrawing holiday requests. It was followed by May, which saw 25,083 users cancel their leave. (more…)
September 14, 2020
Redundancies set to double the peak reached in the 2008 recession
by Jayne Smith • News, Working lives
New analysis of official data released to the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) claims that between May and July 2020, employers notified government of nearly 380,000 potential redundancies. This is more than double the peak reached in the Great Recession, when 180,000 staff were notified as being at risk between January and March 2009. (more…)
September 11, 2020
The mental health consequences of COVID grow increasingly clear
by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives
The number of self-employed people saying they have “poor” or “very poor” mental health has increased from 6 percent to 26 percent since the beginning of the pandemic (a 300 percent rise), claims new research by IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed). The number saying they had “good” or “excellent” mental health has also dropped significantly since the beginning of the pandemic – from two-thirds (68 percent) to just over a third (39 percent). This was most severe among women (a drop of 54 percent) and young freelancers aged 16-34 (a drop of 49 percent). (more…)
September 10, 2020
Progression is hard, but promotion is rewarding
by Jayne Smith • News, Working lives
Highly talented workers join prestigious firms, claims new research by the University of Cologne, Bielefeld, Braunschweig and the California State University, East Bay. The study, conducted by Professor Oliver Gurtler, suggests that it is harder to advance in a competitive firm, but the promotion is higher valued by the labour market. (more…)
September 8, 2020
Artificial Intelligence is critical to organisations, but many unprepared
by Jayne Smith • News, Technology
A new report from information technology company Wipro Limited claims that enterprises of the future will be built on a foundation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Analytics, Machine Learning, Deep Learning and Automation. According to the ‘State of Intelligent Enterprises’ report, these technologies are central to solving business problems and driving innovation. Most businesses consider AI to be critical to improve operational efficiency, reduce employee time on manual tasks, and enhance the employee and customer experience. (more…)
September 7, 2020
The London showroom of KI goes virtual
by Freddie Steele • Company news
KI’s Central London HQ & showroom has been refreshed with the newest product displays and work settings, which for the first time can be viewed online via a virtual showroom tour. Whilst the space is open and receiving visitors, this new interactive, self-guided tour is particularly helpful in the current climate of restricted travel and social distancing concerns. With a few clicks on the KI Europe website, you can visit the office and showroom anytime and anywhere – you can even walk around the showroom using a VR headset. Whether you are refreshing your memory of a recent visit or viewing the space for the first time, this is a great way to preview KI furniture in situ. (more…)
September 2, 2020
New strategy tackles the post-COVID climate emergency
by Jayne Smith • Environment, News
Supported by its Green Building Councils and their members, the WorldGBC (World Green Building Council) network has launched Sustainable Buildings for Everyone, Everywhere — a new strategy to accelerate and mainstream the transformation of built environments around the world. Based on climate science and the Global Goals of Sustainable Development (SDGs), the strategy tackles global warming, health and wellbeing and resource impacts to deliver quality infrastructure — a critical need for our planet, communities and economies in the context of the COVID pandemic.
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September 2, 2020
Stress and burnout threaten the benefits of working from home
by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing
A new study by Adaptavist, suggests the threats to long-term productivity and employee wellbeing posed by improvised solutions during the transition to remote work. Overall, 82 percent of people report they are equally (47 percent) if not more productive (35 percent) working from home, and company-wide communications have improved during the pandemic. However, the lack of a shared understanding of which tool to use and how to communicate with it, combined with the ‘always on’ nature of working from home, brings added stress and motivational challenges for remote workers. (more…)
September 1, 2020
Large majority of people want to continue some form of flexible working
by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News
Nine out of ten employees who have worked at home during lockdown would like to continue doing so in some capacity, research suggests. The report, by academics at Cardiff University and the University of Southampton, presents the first analysis of employee survey data focusing on homeworking, which was gathered for the Understanding Society Covid-19 Study. (more…)


















September 8, 2020
Frontline and front of mind; communicating with employees away from HQ
by Julien Lesaicherre • Comment, Flexible working, Technology