May 22, 2019

New guidance on making meetings more accessible

by George Eltringham • News, Workplace design

To mark the launch of its new guide, Meetings Matter, Business Disability Forum is offering advice to all businesses on how to make meetings and events more accessible for disabled employees and clients. The 10-point meeting checklist is adapted from the not-for-profit membership organisation’s new 24-page guide. The practical and up-to-date resource provides advice on arranging meetings which meet the needs of all colleague and attendees. More →

May 21, 2019

Overconfidence can be misinterpreted as competence, claims study

by Mark Eltringham • News, Workplace

The higher a person rates their social class, the more likely they are to overestimate their talents and the more likely they are to be promoted to a level beyond their competence, a new study from researchers at Stanford and the University of Virginia claims. According to the study published by the American Psychological Association in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, people who see themselves as being in a higher social class tend to have an exaggerated belief that they are more adept than their equally capable lower-class counterparts, and that overconfidence can often be misinterpreted by others as greater competence in important situations, such as job interviews.

May 16, 2019

Firms must log employee working hours, ECJ rules

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, Legal news, News, Workplace

EU member States must require employers to set up a system to measure daily working hours for each employee, according to a new ruling from the European Court of Justice. The decision came following a case brought by the Spanish trade union, Federación de Servicios de Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) which initially brought an action before the Audiencia Nacional (National High Court, Spain), seeking a judgement declaring Deutsche Bank SAE to be under an obligation to set up a system for recording the time worked each day by its members of staff. The union considered that such a system would make it possible to verify compliance with the stipulated working times and the obligation, laid down in national law, to provide union representatives with information on overtime worked each month.

May 15, 2019

Workers will put in extra hours for growing firms

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

The majority of British workers would put in an extra ten hours a week for growing firms, according to a new survey report from Kimble Applications According to the firm’s Business Growth Report, which surveyed 1,000 full-time employees in the UK, 56 per cent of British workers would commit to an extra ten hours of work per week if it meant working for a growing company. Moreover, nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of employees say that the growth and success of their employer directly contributes to their personal happiness. Eighty per cent believe that working for a growing company will help them grow more professionally.

May 9, 2019

People find connected devices creepy and intrusive

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

A survey conducted in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, France and the United Kingdom by IPSOS Mori on behalf of the Internet Society and Consumers International found that around two thirds (65 percent) of people are concerned with the way connected devices collect data. More than half (55 percent) do not trust their connected devices to protect their privacy and a similar proportion (53 percent) do not trust connected devices to handle their information responsibly.

May 8, 2019

The dark side of wearables and wellbeing

by Freddie Steele • Features, News, Wellbeing, Workplace design

While the use of wearables, Internet of Things (IoT) devices that are worn or inserted as implants, in smart building applications will give people completely new ways of interacting with their surroundings, their potential could be tempered by an increased risk to privacy due to the type and quantity of data being collected. The good news is that, combined with automated building controls, occupants will be able to control and automate their own ‘personal’ environment as well as improve their wellbeing. More →

May 7, 2019

Hiring the best people is bad for creativity

by Scott E Page • Comment, Workplace

While in graduate school in mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I took a logic course from David Griffeath. The class was fun. Griffeath brought a playfulness and openness to problems related to creativity and other issues. Much to my delight, about a decade later, I ran into him at a conference on traffic models. During a presentation on computational models of traffic jams, his hand went up. I wondered what Griffeath – a mathematical logician – would have to say about traffic jams. He did not disappoint. Without even a hint of excitement in his voice, he said: ‘If you are modelling a traffic jam, you should just keep track of the non-cars.’

May 7, 2019

Green Building Council launches framework for net zero carbon

by Neil Franklin • Environment, Facilities management, News, Workplace design

The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has launched a framework for the UK construction and property industry which it claims will shape the transition new and existing buildings to become net zero carbon by 2050, in line with the ambitions of the Paris Climate Agreement and a new government ambition.

May 7, 2019

Retention of EU workers no more difficult for many UK employers

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

More than half of UK companies say the referendum result hasn’t affected their ability to retain EU staff so far, according to research from REED. Despite this positive news, the poll of nearly 500 UK senior professionals for its research revealed that a third singled out getting access to EU workers as the biggest issue for their organisation around Brexit. However, there is also strong support for getting access to the EU market (44 per cent) with 70 per cent of those asked wanting a close relationship with the EU when and if the UK leaves the EU. More →

May 1, 2019

The impact of technology, cyber-risk and the future of corporate real estate ⁰

by Kate Langan • Features, Property, Technology, Work&Place, Workplace design

It’s no surprise to say that technology is having a significant impact on the workplace and the use of corporate real estate. The fast pace of change has seen technology impact all aspects of business, government and culture, as well as personal life, with a constant flow of new innovations and solutions helping us to do things more quickly and efficiently. Equally, technology also provides a challenge to business and, more specifically, corporate operations, with a whole array of disruptive technologies.

April 29, 2019

Governments must do more to prepare people for the future of work

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

Governments need to overhaul their approach to employment and jobs to reduce further social and economic tensions, according to a new report from the OECD which explores the future of work. Without rapid action, many people, particularly the low skilled, will be left behind in the fast-changing world of work. The OECD Employment Outlook 2019 is part of the OECD’s Future of Work initiative and the “I am the Future of Work” campaign, which aims to make the future of work better for all, helping to transform learning and social protection systems and reduce inequalities between people and across regions.

April 29, 2019

Majority of organisations fail to offer menopause support

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Forth With Life, a company that provides blood sample analysis and bio-marker tracking to promote and support health and wellbeing, recently undertook a survey exploring the existence and effectiveness of menopause support options available in the workplace. Their sample group consisted of 1000 women, all over 45 years of age and in either full time or part time employment, from all around the UK. Of those women, 77 percent had already been through the menopause, or were currently experiencing symptoms.