October 11, 2021
New polling, carried out to mark the start of National Work Life Week (Oct 11–15), highlights a wide gulf in how working mothers, parents and carers are managing to balance their work and home lives as we come out of the pandemic. Outdated cultures and practices still hold sway in many workplaces around the UK. More →
September 30, 2021
In less than two months, Workspace Design Show will open its doors, welcoming the commercial interiors community to discover and discuss tomorrow’s places of work at London’s Business Design Centre from 4-5 November 2021. More →
September 28, 2021
Collaboration furniture specialist Logovisual have expanded their range of ThinkingWall® mobile walls. The range answers the increasing demand on modern office spaces to be flexible to meet the needs of different workers and tasks. From small team huddles to a video call, the team at Logovisual believe building in visual and acoustic privacy is key in an open plan space. The new ThinkingWall® Mobile Acoustic Curve and ThinkingWall® AV Divider fit with other units from the ThinkingWall® Mobile range to create amazing, adaptable collaboration spaces. They are quick and simple to switch out and move around as often as required to divide workspaces and make flexible layouts. More →
September 27, 2021
A new study of 61,000 Microsoft employees claims that the sudden shift to remote working had a profound effect on their work behaviours and output. Overall, remote workers spent less time in meetings, had fewer real time conversations and worked in more siloed ways. Crucially it found that there was a reduction in the strengths of ties between people and fewer networking opportunities. While not suggesting that office based work and remote work are necessarily better than the other, the study concludes that the drop in loose connections and chances of networking with other teams could have a negative impact on higher quality work outputs and working culture. More →
September 23, 2021
Since offices reopened, there has naturally been a much greater focus on health and safety. Office managers everywhere have deployed one-way corridors, anti-viral disinfectant wipes, and daily temperature checks in order to ensure that those who have returned to the office feel safe. Globally, businesses have learned to cope with these adverse circumstances, but there are other lessons from the past year that we should use to refresh the workplace as well. More →
September 9, 2021
Christoph Kargruber will be taking over as Sedus Stoll AG’s Chief Marketing and Sales Officer from 1 October 2021. The native Austrian graduated in business administration with a focus on corporate management from the Leopold Franzens University in Innsbruck and brings with him over twenty years of international management experience in the B2B2C sector. More →
September 8, 2021
Disruption, cost, building style, individual goals, responsibility and shared space are cited as the key sustainability challenges for the flexible office sector, according to the latest research report from The Instant Group. But while there is still a lot of work to be done in the sector as the role of the workplace evolves, Instant says that flex operators have an opportunity to lead the way in meeting the challenge of climate change. By creating innovative, low-carbon buildings, curating a clear engagement strategy with occupiers and landlords, and ensuring a low-carbon ambition is understood and adopted by everyone, flex operators can be the first to implement highly sustainable workplaces. More →
September 2, 2021
The World Economic Forum has published a new study on how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to accelerate a more equitable energy transition and build trust for the technology throughout the industry. As the impacts of climate change become more visible worldwide, governments and industry face the urgent challenge of transitioning to a low-carbon global energy system. More →
September 2, 2021
The Aeron Chair Portfolio, including new colourway Onyx Ultra Matte, and other product and packaging solutions will incorporate mismanaged plastic waste found near waterways as part of the company’s commitment to use 50 percent recycled content in all materials by 2030. More →
August 27, 2021
I’m a Luddite. This is not a hesitant confession, but a proud proclamation. I’m also a social scientist who studies how new technologies affect politics, economics and society. For me, Luddism is not a naïve feeling, but a considered position. And once you know what Luddism actually stands for, I’m willing to bet you will be one too — or at least much more sympathetic to the Luddite cause than you think. More →
August 13, 2021
As the UK government has withdrawn its advice for employees to work from home, more organisations than ever will be instituting what have become known as hybrid working models: 68 percent globally, according to research from Steelcase. Definitions of “hybrid work”, however, are often contradicting and unclear – leaving business leaders without definitive guidance about how to approach the future of work. To provide businesses with a more concrete view of what hybrid working looks like in reality, and provide tangible actions to help streamline productivity and collaboration, Steelcase have researched the experiences and needs of workers worldwide in their report: Changing Expectations and the Future of Work. More →
September 28, 2021
Developing a future of work strategy depends on asking the right questions
by Mark Caskey • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace design