Search Results for: media

March 19, 2013

Japan’s Toyo Ito wins 2013 Pritzker Architecture Prize

by Sara Bean • Architecture, News, Workplace design

The 2013 Pritzker Architecture Prize, considered architecture’s highest accolade is to go to Toyo Ito, a 71 year old Japanese architect whose work includes the Sendai Mediatheque library in Sendai City, Japan, which withstood the 2011 earthquake, Tokyo’s Tama Art University Library, and London’s 2002 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion. Ito, whose architectural practice is based in Tokyo, said of the award: “Architecture is bound by various social constraints. I have been designing architecture bearing in mind that it would be possible to realize more comfortable spaces if we are freed from all the restrictions even for a little bit.”

March 18, 2013

Two thirds of workers sit at desk over six hours a day

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, News, Workplace

Two-thirds of office workers sit at their desk for over six hours a day – putting themselves at risk of back complaints. A survey by Office Angels found that 63 per cent of workers spend six hours or more sitting at their desk, over half (51 per cent) slouch in their chair and nearly half (48 per cent) admit to not leaving the office all day. A fifth (21 per cent) of people also admitted to taking their work home with them and a third (32 per cent) work late on a regular basis. The study ‘Work happy, Work well”, which looks at the nation’s wellbeing and bad habits in the workplace reveals that sales, media and marketing (60 per cent) and finance (54 per cent) are the sectors with the highest number of desk bound workers.

March 13, 2013

Third of global employers have formal wellness plans

by Sara Bean • Knowledge, News, Workplace

Bosses favourites Less than half of organizations worldwide actively apply the basic elements of a health management programme, with just a third having a formal strategic plan for health and wellness. This is according to Mercer’s Talent Barometer research which explores key accelerators of talent effectiveness – education, health and wellness, and career experience – and their impact on successful workforce practices. While employers are investing in talent, with 60 per cent of organizations increasing spending in this area in recent years, only 24 per cent say their current plans are highly effective in meeting immediate and long-term human capital needs.

March 12, 2013

US wellness programmes failing to impact the bottom line

by Mark Eltringham • Knowledge, Legal news, News, Workplace

A new study from researchers in the United States has indicated for the first time that the benefits of workplace wellness programmes may not be reaching the bottom line of organisations as much as is commonly claimed. The results of the research were published this week in the peer reviewed Health Affairs journal. The researchers followed a wellness programme at a hospital in St Louis and found that, while the numbers of hospitalisations for employees and their family members fell by over 40 per cent on a specific set of conditions, the savings were more than offset by the increased costs of the scheme.

March 11, 2013

Flexible working: Falling out of fashion

by Pam Loch • Comment, Legal news, Workplace

Image credit: <a href='https://www.123rf.com/photo_8784138_young-attractive-female-fashion-designer-working-at-office-desk-drawing-while-talking-on-mobile.html'>nyul / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

Just as ACAS concludes its consultation on flexible working, the practice has been declared démodé by none other than Alexandra Shulman, the editor of British Vogue. Writing in response to the recent news that Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer ordered the company’s 11,500 staff back to the office, the Vogue editor has argued that working from home is not an adequate alternative to showing your face in the workplace. Ms Mayer goes on to note that in a creative environment, important opportunities are missed when absent colleagues are tottering, undressed around their kitchens. The best stories, she says, arise from chance remarks, gossip and jokes between colleagues working alongside each other. More →

March 11, 2013

Portland House is London’s latest major offices to homes conversion

by Mark Eltringham • Architecture, Products, Property, Technology

Land Securities is the latest developer to announce a major office to flats conversion in the wake of the Government’s change to the relevant parts of the planning system that make it easier to change the use of buildings. The firm has submitted plans to convert the 29 floors of Portland House in Victoria into 206 flats along with ground floor retail units. Land Securities is one of the first firms to take advantage of the new planning rules which have been the subject of much criticism by organisations such as the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) as well as local authorities throughout London who have almost unanimously sought exemptions.

March 11, 2013

Time to mothball facilities management’s stuffed shirts

by Simon Heath • Comment, Facilities management

Much hand-wringing and angst in the world of Facilities/Workplace Management at the moment. The usual existential paranoia about relevancy and the need for a seat at the top table; the search for differentiation when pretty much the whole industry does the same things in the same way; hoping to standardise as much as possible under the guise of best practice and looking for ways that add value that won’t put a further pinch on already tight margins. As ever, new legislative and regulatory frameworks will keep the talking heads occupied and BIM (and other new tools) will continue to keep the cash tills ringing at software companies.

March 9, 2013

Information Commissioner warns on poor BYOD practice

by Mark Eltringham • Legal news, News, Technology

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published new guidance on the practice of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) following the findings of a YouGov poll which reported that while nearly half of UK workers use their own phones, tablets and other devices for work, under a third of have been offered any form of formal guidance by employers. The ICO warns that without a policy or guidance in place, staff run the risk of theft of their personal information and other data. In addition, employers need to be reminded that the Data Protection Act is also relevant for personal technology used in a work context.

March 5, 2013

Only half of businesses vet suppliers for Bribery Act compliance

by Sara Bean • Legal news, News

Image credit: <a href='https://www.123rf.com/photo_18126426_close-up-of-businessman-with-handcuffed-hands-over-white-background.html'>wavebreakmediamicro / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

Under half of British firms are failing to vet suppliers for compliance with the Bribery Act, and only 6 per cent would re-tender if they discovered their suppliers didn’t comply. A poll of procurement managers and directors by Ernst & Young found that only 48 per cent of firms carry out third- party due diligence. The study found that even though 60 per cent of firms with a turnover of £5m to £50m vet suppliers to assess if their practices comply with the Bribery Act, 16 per cent of midmarket firms would ‘do nothing’ if their suppliers failed to comply. The research also revealed that only 40 per cent of firms with a turnover of more than £50 million would remove suppliers from their supply chain if they fail to comply.

March 5, 2013

Challenge for Ecobuild is reducing greenwash and white noise

by Mark Eltringham • Architecture, Comment, Environment, Facilities management, Workplace design

Today is the first day of Ecobuild, which claims to be the world’s largest exhibition dedicated to sustainable construction and fit-out. Some 1,500 organisations are taking part in the event in East London which last year attracted 58,000 visitors from around the world. While undoubtedly successful, influential, with great intellectual content and a showcase for some truly innovative and effective products, the approach of Ecobuild invariably begs the question: in a world in which every supplier claims to be environmentally friendly, how are their customers expected to make the right choices?

March 2, 2013

Google and Yahoo office strategies teach us the value of the velvet glove

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Facilities management, Technology, Workplace, Workplace design

It’s a week now since the whole Yahoo-ha kicked off and since that time everybody has had their say on the matter including – refreshingly – those in the mainstream media. The story has followed its own narrative arc, from the initial gasps of horror at Yahoo’s audacious challenge to a cherished piece of contemporary received wisdom (coupled with the reminder that Yahoo still exists) to something more thoughtful and circumspect as we learned more about the thinking behind the decision.What has become apparent is that Yahoo’s actions were based on a tacit understanding that people work better on certain tasks when they are together.

February 28, 2013

Survey finds global support for wellness initiatives

by Sara Bean • Knowledge, News, Workplace

Working well

Wellness programs are no longer a “soft” issue for organisations around the globe with employers increasingly recognising the value of employees’ health and well-being to their organisations’ bottom line. According to the latest report from Buck Consultants, global employers – regardless of location, identify improving worker productivity and reducing presenteeism as one of their top wellness objectives. Wellness initiatives also continue to add value over time and while significant results can take years to realize, the survey shows how the impact of wellness programs differs by short-term and long-term payoff.