January 30, 2024

Return to office mandates linked to higher business travel costs

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Technology

The majority of UK travel managers (89 percent) say travel is a growing business priority in 2024, anticipating increased budgets driven by return-to-office policies, inflation and ESG requirements. This is a key finding in new research by Uber for Business which claims to reveal a resurgent demand for business travel. The research, drawing insights from over 250 corporate travel managers across the UK, sets out to explore the top business travel trends and challenges to watch in 2024. In this landscape of shifting dynamics, where emphasis on ESG requirements is intensifying, there is an increasing need for innovative travel management solutions, the firm says. (more…)

January 16, 2024

Employers must act to offer more choices to people

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Henley Business School’s World of Work Institute has published a new report on what it calls The Omniployment Era The report claims to identify which what a post-Covid, post-Great Resignation workforce looks like. The study identifies six distinct worker ‘segments’* in the UK workforce and quantifies what attracts and retains them in jobs, and provides advice to businesses on how to build a strong workforce. (more…)

December 19, 2023

Flexible working is delivering the gift of seasonal productivity

by Frank Weishaupt • Comment, Flexible working, Technology

Employees have made it clear that they are keen for flexible working arrangements to stay. In fact, according to the Owl Labs 2023 State of Hybrid Work report, 40 percent of employees would decline a job if they were required to be in the office five days a week. With the festive season in full swing, employees will look to utilise the benefits of flexible working as they return home to their families. (more…)

October 25, 2023

Not even a third of employees say they feel engaged at work

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

Less than one-third of employees report they are engaged, enthusiastic and energised by their work, according to a new report from Gartner. The survey was showcased during the Gartner ReimagineHR Conference, which took place this week. Gartner defines engagement in three ways: employees feeling energised; employees finding purpose in their work; employees feeling empowered to do valuable work. (more…)

October 25, 2023

Five reasons why (Framery) office pods help to solve the great workplace debate

by Freddie Steele • Company news

It’s a fact – pods are taking over the office. In 2010, Framery introduced the first pod to the market and now there are over 200 suppliers globally. Framery, the market leader in this space, was a major pioneer of their development and subsequently has supplied 70 percent of Forbes 100 companies with office pods. (more…)

June 1, 2023

Resenteeism. Destructive, contagious and in your workplace right now

by Stephanie Fitzgerald • Comment, SF, Wellbeing, Workplace

You measure absenteeism. You are aware of presenteeism. But what are you doing about the new kid on the block – resenteeism? This occurs when employees stay in a job despite being fundamentally unhappy. They don’t want to be at work and when they are there, they actively resent it. Increasingly employees are fed up, across varying sectors, and showing some common threads or ‘symptoms’ of resenteeism. One of the most noticeable, and frustrating for employers, is employees resenting being asked to do their job. (more…)

May 9, 2023

Employees care more about work culture than flexible working

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Workplace

New findings from Cpl’s Talent Evolution Group suggest employees care less about flexible working than generally thought. The survey, to 1,500 UK employees, reveals Brits are more than twice as likely to leave their job due to negative work culture or a toxic working environment than because of limitations with flexible working. Whilst organisations may be prioritising flexibility for working parents, over 80 percent of 25–44-year-olds would not actually consider limitations to flexible working a reason to leave their position. (more…)

January 24, 2023

Hybrid working remains a key recruitment tool

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Over four in five (83 percent) HR professionals across the UK say that hybrid working is essential in attracting the best talent, according to a new survey from flexible workspace operator IWG. The poll of 500 UK HR professionals suggests that benefits like hybrid working, which give employees a better work/life balance, are crucial for attracting talent. Almost two thirds (64 percent) of HR professionals have experienced applicants turn down a job because of a lack of wellness benefits such as flexible working and exercise options. (more…)

November 10, 2022

UK will be only developed country in world with lower employment in 2023 than pre-pandemic

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

A new report claims that the UK is undergoing one of the worst employment recoveries in the world, fuelled by a shrinking workforce and lack of access to effective employment support. Coming the week after the Bank of England forecast that unemployment could rise by half a million next year, and a week before the government announces its new spending plans, the case for reforms to how we help people and employers to fill jobs has never been stronger. (more…)

November 3, 2022

Are digital skills the key to a happier, more productive workforce?

by Katy Liddell • Comment, Technology, Workplace

The rising cost-of-living is impacting life and work in all four corners of the UK. Research from BCC has found that businesses feel compelled to increase their own prices. With costs rising, businesses are facing growing pressures. Not least the need to attract and retain the talent they can depend on to deliver. Research has shown that taking time to upskill current employees, especially in terms of their digital skills, benefits both productivity and engagement at all levels of an organisation. Our own Tech and Battle for Talent report recognises that 42 percent of employees in organisations across the UK would be more likely to stay in their current role if employers provided regular and intensive training, while 47 percent would be happier. (more…)

October 13, 2022

The success of hybrid working hinges on creating a great workplace experience

by Lee Rubin • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing, Workplace

Recent statistics underline the extent to which hybrid working is now a permanent fixture of US business life. A recent report suggests that 74 percent of US companies are using or plan to implement a permanent hybrid working model, whilst 44 percent of US employees prefer a hybrid work model, compared to 51 percent of employers. 55 percent of employees want to work remotely at least three days a week and 59 percent of employees are more likely to choose an employer that offers remote work opportunities over one that doesn’t. (more…)

June 14, 2022

Employee engagement falls to record low

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

The UK is home to one of the most dissatisfied workforces in Europe following a two percentage-point fall in employee engagement levels over the last year, according to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace Report. Employee engagement among UK workers has declined steadily over the last decade. Just nine per cent of UK workers feel enthused by their work and workplace today – compared to 16 per cent in Germany and 33 per cent in Romania, home to Europe’s most engaged workforce. Across Europe, just 14 per cent of people feel engaged with their work, with rates also dipping below ten per cent in Spain, France and Italy. This compares to average engagement levels of 33 per cent in North America and 27 per cent in South Asia. (more…)