Search Results for: london

Annual commuting time is up 18 hours compared to a decade ago, finds TUC

Annual commuting time is up 18 hours compared to a decade ago, finds TUC

Commuting to and from work now takes 5 minutes longer than a decade ago, according to a new analysis published by the TUC to mark the annual Commute Smart Week organised by Work Wise UK. Rail commuters face the longest journeys, taking an average of 2 hours and 11 minutes every day – an increase of 4 minutes on the last decade.  Drivers spend 52 minutes on the road to work and back (up by 3 minutes), while bus commuters must set aside 79 minutes a day (up by 7 minutes). Cyclists (44 minutes) and walkers (29 minutes) have the quickest daily journeys.

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Is leadership the missing variable in the productivity equation?

Is leadership the missing variable in the productivity equation?

Quality of leadership is reported to be the single most important factor to impact the level of productivity in an organisation according to a new international research study. The report, The Puzzle of Productivity: What enhances workplace performance? was compiled by the Fourfront Group, The United Workplace (TUW) and WORKTECH Academy. It found that more than half of respondents surveyed (53 percent) named leadership as the most important factor in raising organisational performance. Less than a fifth of respondents named environment, technology or wellness as being the most important factor. Environment came second to leadership, but a long way behind on 18 per cent of the survey. More than half of the organisations surveyed worldwide (54 percent) said that ‘inspiring leadership’ is the best way to motivate staff to improve performance, whereas a ‘well designed workplace’ scored much lower on 19 percent with ‘a focus on wellness’ (14 percent) and ‘seamless tech’ (13 percent) even further down the field.

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The commuting gap: men account for two thirds of commutes lasting more than an hour

The commuting gap: men account for two thirds of commutes lasting more than an hour

commutingMen undertake almost two-thirds of commutes lasting more than an hour, a new analysis from the Office for National Statistics shows. It also reveals that women tend to undertake shorter journeys to work, accounting for more than half (55 percent) of commutes lasting 15 minutes or less. But, for all people, commuting times are most likely to last 15 minutes or less and least likely to last more than an hour.

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Flexible office market to grow by a third each year for next five years

Flexible office market to grow by a third each year for next five years

Gig economy leading to growth of flexible office space says JLLThe gig economy has helped lead to the doubling in size of the flexible office space sector since 2014 and it’s set to grow by up to 30 percent per year over the next five years claims new research published by JLL. Disruption or Distraction, a report delving into the growth of flexible office space across Europe explores the main drivers of the sector’s boom – including evolutionary changes in how, when and where people work, shifts in lifestyle, and rapid advancements in technology – and provides unique insights into the risks and rewards for both companies and real estate investors in Europe. (more…)

A little local difficulty, treating people as pets, designing for serendipity and some other stuff you might like

A little local difficulty, treating people as pets, designing for serendipity and some other stuff you might like

The big news to be on the lookout for this month is the BIFM’s impending name change to the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management. Now the interesting thing about this development is what it might tell us about the changing world of work and the distinction between the physical office and the places we actually work, including in digital space. So that’s what everybody’s focussed on right?

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Organisations at risk of falling behind due to a lack of AI strategy, training and experience 

Organisations at risk of falling behind due to a lack of AI strategy, training and experience 

UK organisations risk falling behind oversees competition due to a lack of Artificial Intelligence strategy, according to a new report (registration required) published by Microsoft UK and Goldsmiths, University of London. In the face of significant disruption, the research reveals that 41 per cent of business leaders believe their current business model will cease to exist within the next 5 years. Despite big questions over the longevity of their business models, more than half (51 per cent) of business leaders surveyed revealed they do not have a relevant strategy in place to address these challenges.   (more…)

Channel 4 confirms Leeds as National HQ with Bristol and Glasgow as Creative Hubs

Channel 4 confirms Leeds as National HQ with Bristol and Glasgow as Creative Hubs

Channel 4 has confirmed that Leeds will be the location of its new National HQ with Bristol and Glasgow as the locations of its two new Creative Hubs. Channel 4 announced its 4 All the UK strategy in March 2018, the biggest change to the structure of the organisation in its 35-year history. At the heart of it is a significant increase in the organisation’s Nations and Regions content spend – from 35 percent to 50 percent of main channel UK commissions by 2023, worth up to £250m more in total.

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Businesses may be blowing billions on unused office space

Businesses may be blowing billions on unused office space

Big businesses in England and Wales are squandering £10 billion a year on under-used office space, a new study claims. The report by flexible workplace specialist Abintra draws together data from its work with more than 100 corporations worldwide. In London alone, it claims that the cost of office space being under-utilised is more than £4 billion annually with large firms in other regions collectively ‘squandering’ billions more. (more…)

What is in a name for the UK facilities management sector?

What is in a name for the UK facilities management sector?

Westminster. Home to fiery debate, unwavering scrutiny, calls for change, and cries of “Order! Order!”. Once again, RICS’s HQ, on Parliament Square, was jam-packed with a passionate and feisty crowd, panellists and audience alike, all set on pushing the industry conversation forward. While some were keen to maintain order during FMJ’s most recent RICS-IFMA debate concerning facility management’s place in the 21st century, others were set on redefining FM in order to pinpoint what this yet unestablished definition means for the future of the profession.

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Conversations may be more productive when held in the great outdoors

Conversations may be more productive when held in the great outdoors

Conversations are more responsive in natural environments such as parks and gardens than indoors, finds new research by the University of Manchester and Cardiff University. The researchers recorded conversations between three- and four-year-old children and their parents while they explored a city park and the park’s indoor education centre and found that the conversations in the park were more responsive and connected compared to those recorded indoors. The study ‘Responding to nature: Natural environments improve parent-child communication’ is published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.

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A doctor writes: keeping employees well and positive as the days get shorter

A doctor writes: keeping employees well and positive as the days get shorter

Winter is coming. The clocks in the UK have just changed, and the long, dark nights are starting. There are still only a few weekends to Christmas, and some employees may be thinking, “How am I supposed to get through the winter? How am I going to stay productive and positive?”. Is it possible that some of your staff may be experiencing seasonal affective disorder (SAD), more commonly known as the winter blues?

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This design and fit-out firm would like to give its time to a charity

This design and fit-out firm would like to give its time to a charity

Burtt-Jones & Brewer is giving away its time for free as part of its tenth birthday celebrations. Formed ten years ago over a cup of coffee between Steve Brewer and Adam Burtt-Jones, the workplace designers are celebrating by giving away ten thousand pounds’ worth of its workplace consultancy time to a single charity. So, instead of putting a birthday present list – they are sharing their experiences from a decade of design, development and delivery – from Moorgate to Milan, banks to brand agencies, lawyers to lottery operators, insurers to investors, the Bank of England to The Treasury.

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