August 25, 2022
We’ve received plenty of messages over the past few weeks, asking when we’re going to see the first full publication of Works – the new workplace design magazine (and sister title to IN) following the successful launch of its pilot issue. Well, we’re delighted to announce that the printer’s big red button has been pushed and said issue is on its way. And the digital edition is available to read free now. More →
August 24, 2022
A large proportion of workers (86 percent) feel they have too much work to be able to move during the working day, with chronic stress and anxiety becoming increasingly prevalent, according to a new report [registration] by Magic Mountain, supported by CIMSPA (The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity). Despite growing health issues linked with consistently spending too much time seated, the report claims that over half of workers remain sedentary for eight hours or more during the working day alone. More →
August 24, 2022
A new survey from 15Five claims that the workplace is in a state of upheaval, with one-third of workers planning to quit their jobs despite the potential economic downturn. Conversely, nearly one in five organisations are planning on layoffs, and more than one-third of HR leaders have rescinded job offers. The poll of 1,000 US full time employees and 500 HR leaders [registration] also claims that work-life balance is a top concern for employees, behind only pay and health benefits. When HR leaders were asked what was most important to their employees, work-life balance claimed the number one spot (64.6 percent), followed by health benefits (62.8 percent) and growth opportunities (54.6 percent). More →
August 15, 2022
New research from the CIPD suggests there needs to be a more balanced and nuanced debate about their place in the labour market, that recognises both the positives and downsides to zero-hours work. The CIPD’s new research ‘Zero-hours contracts – Evolution and current status’– claims that this kind of arrangement – where there’s no guaranteed minimum number of hours that must be worked – is an established part of the UK labour market. It finds that the number of people on ZHCs has changed little since 2015, making up just 3 percent of employment. Fewer than a fifth of employers (18 percent) use ZHCs, and they’re most often used in the hospitality and entertainment industries, in the voluntary sector, and typically in roles such as bar staff, waiters/waitresses, and care workers. More →
August 5, 2022
It’s been a couple of months now since 70 companies in Britain began their four day week pilot program, where thousands of employees went from celebrating the Queen’s 70th Jubilee to celebrating shorter work weeks without reduction in pay for the remainder of 2022. The pilot had been highly anticipated by workers and employers alike – and has already seen tremendous results — but it’s also created a heated debate on whether it’s actually workable across industries, demographics, and different sized companies. More →
August 1, 2022
Employees who practice mindfulness are less bored at work and less likely to quit, according to a new study. Researchers found that in monotonous jobs, employees who are more ‘mindful’ have greater job satisfaction, are less likely to quit and think their job is less boring. The study, entitled “It’s so boring – or is it? Examining the role of mindfulness for work performance and attitudes in monotonous jobs”, has been published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology and is co-authored by Andreas Wihler of the University of Exeter Business School, Ute Regina Hülsheger of Maastricht University, Jochen Reb of Singapore Management University and Jochen?Menges of the University of Zurich and Cambridge Judge Business School. More →
July 29, 2022
We all need to become more environmentally conscious, so there’s a greater focus than ever on workplace sustainability. Trying to find greener products, and making sure they truly are better than the alternatives, is a complex task. Once you’ve acknowledged that you really do need to make a purchase and other options have been exhausted, you’re in a prime position to swap to a cleaner, greener alternative, but choosing one product over another can be a headache. More →
July 28, 2022
Just over a quarter of European companies are using HR analytics tools for performance management, according to new research from Durham University Business School. The researchers also claim that firms that monitor and manage the performance of their employees using HR analytics are also the ones that use financial incentives to staff intensively. Hence, there appears to be a positive relationship on the role financial incentives have on performance of employees and the use of HR analytics. Whilst also, the researchers discovered that the larger the organisation, the more likely they were to invest in HR analytics for monitoring, although this effect appeared to taper off for the largest firms. More →
July 22, 2022
New research from Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, claims to have identified one reason why some first-time innovators struggle to repeat their initial creativity while others go on to continually produce creative works. Markus Baer, Professor of Organizational Behavior at Olin, and Dirk Deichmann, of the Rotterdam School of Management in the Netherlands, discovered that recognising first-time producers of successful novel ideas with an award or recognition can significantly decrease the likelihood that they will produce future creative work. More →
July 21, 2022
Damaging habits from the office have been imported into remote work, with a pervasive culture of digital presenteeism taking hold, according to a new report Killing Time at Work from Qatalog and GitLab Inc. The research also claims to reveal a new phenomenon which the authors have dubbed ‘async privilege’, with C-suite execs taking advantage of new freedoms to work on their own schedule, but not providing those same opportunities to junior members of staff. More →
July 21, 2022
Resistance to change and lack of resources are holding back real estate firms on digital transformation, a new report [registration] claims. The study involved more than 175 innovation leads in corporate real estate organisations at locations worldwide, including British Land, JLL, Cushman & Wakefield and Buro Happold. Authored by Swedish PropTech academic Olli Vigren, the report sets out to explain why the sector has fallen behind other industries in adopting new technology. More →
August 23, 2022
Firms need a better understanding of their psychological contract with employees
by Anthony Thompson • Comment, Workplace