September 21, 2021

The commercial property market is changing rapidly, and for the better

Predicting behaviours in the commercial property market is never an easy thing, yet we know that the pandemic has drastically altered this market. Whilst some players have advocated ‘the end is nigh’ for all office space, research shows a different picture emerging – namely the office space as we know it is evolving into something different. The impact of prolonged uncertainty has fuelled change. However, there are other forces at work shaping a brighter and more varied future for office space. More →

September 21, 2021

iOFFICE + SpaceIQ announces strategic investment by Autodesk

by Freddie Steele • Company news

iOFFICE + SpaceIQ announce a strategic investment by Autodesk, a technology firm spanning architecture, engineering, construction, product design, manufacturing, and media and entertainment. The investment, which follows the recent combination of iOFFICE + SpaceIQ, will provide integrated solutions that give businesses unequaled ability to analyse and optimise all aspects of their real estate and mission-critical assets. Terms of the investment were not disclosed. More →

September 17, 2021

Over a third of UK adults have suffered discrimination at work

by Jayne Smith • News, Working culture, Workplace

New research into workplace discrimination, commissioned by CIPHR, claims just how widespread employment bias is in the UK. On average, one in six people (16 percent) report having suffered ageism, one in ten (10 percent) say they have been the subject of gender-based discrimination (12 percent of women and 7 percent of men), and around one in twelve feel that they have been on the receiving end of prejudicial treatment because of a disability, their race or sexual orientation (9 percent, 9 percent and 8 percent respectively), at some point in their careers. More →

September 8, 2021

Landlords and occupiers must work together to meet climate change challenge

by Neil Franklin • Environment, Flexible working, News, Property

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 →

August 30, 2021

Overseas investment in UK regional offices soars

by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Property

Investments in offices outside the capital for the first half of this year hit £3.58bn – 18 percent above the long-term average for the first half of this year, Savills research claims. Overseas investors accounted for two-thirds of the £3.58bn of investments from January to June 2021 – 38 percent above the five-year average. More →

August 20, 2021

Gig economy could lead to a labour shortage…but better off workers

by John Colley • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace

The long-term impact of COVID-19 on the economy (and the gig economy) will not be clear for some time. But in the UK, the easing of pandemic related restrictions has coincided with significant labour shortages and the driving up of wages. Statistics show that wages have risen 7.4 percent in the past year, and the number of job vacancies has continued to rise (up to 953,000 in July 2021). Those vacancies have appeared amid continued travel restrictions from abroad, and the prolonged furlough scheme, which is keeping over 1 million people tied to employers that don’t have work available for them. More →

August 20, 2021

Over two-thirds of employers are considering pay cuts for remote workers

by Jayne Smith • Business, Flexible working, News, Working lives

A new survey by CIPHR claims that over two-thirds (68 percent) of British businesses are contemplating pay cuts for staff who opt to work from home, despite many (53 percent) saying they’ve actually saved money by having more remote workers. More →

August 16, 2021

Castaway workers have forgotten the art of small talk, getting dressed and colleagues’ names

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Working culture

A third of UK workers admit they’ve forgotten the password to their computer, office entrance or locker, one in five workers have forgotten a colleague’s name or called them by the wrong name and say their small talk skills have been impacted by working from home. Those are some of the findings of a new report from Michael Page into the effects of a year and a half of lockdown and workplace disruption. More →

August 12, 2021

Southeast office take-up higher than five-year average

by Jayne Smith • News, Property

Pent-up demand on hold in 2020 has returned with office take-up in the first half of this year nearly a quarter above the five-year average, according to Savills‘ data. Demand is outstripping supply with a development pipeline equal to five months take up in an average year said the property agent. More →

August 10, 2021

Mid-Senior Level jobs offer the best remote work opportunities

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives

Scotland and Wales are the two UK countries where the most companies offer remote work positions at 2.96 percent and 2.48 percent respectively, according to a new study by the AA. More →

August 4, 2021

Commercial property shows signs of recovery this year

by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Property

More than half of respondents agree conditions are consistent with an upturn, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, RICS’ latest commercial property market survey. In the second quarter, 56 percent of survey participants predicted a recovery compared with 38 percent of respondents from January to March. More →

July 23, 2021

The unshocking truth about work and workplaces

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Workplace design

I recently read an interesting little book called Office by Sheila Liming. It’s a small book, easy to read in a sitting and linked to a series of essays in The Atlantic. The author is a Professor of English so it’s no surprise to find that it’s beautifully written and draws on a range of sources to illustrate its points. It’s pretty sound on its own terms but also illustrates perfectly what is wrong with so many current narratives about work. The writing may not be clichéd but the thinking often is. More →