Search Results for: office design

That conversation about hybrid working? Same as it ever was

That conversation about hybrid working? Same as it ever was

The term hybrid working may only have been in widespread use for a few years, but the ideas behind it stretch back decadesRecently I wrote a short article based on a 1993 Architects’ Journal interview with IBM’s then design manager of property, Peter Wingrave. It reminded me how discussions about new ways of working – now including that neologism hybrid working – have been a constant throughout my career. In that interview, Wingrave is quoted as saying: “I think there are interesting times ahead for offices. We are already seeing the slow breakdown of the traditional office which people come to in the morning and leave at night…We would like our offices to catch the social spirit of an old gentleman’s club; you just pop in when you need to. You get more out of people that way… we’re lucky if our marketing areas are ever 40 per cent occupied … It’s crazy to build, run, heat, light and decorate a building as if people were there when 60 per cent of the time you know they are not”. (more…)

Beyond the jargon: what insurance benefits really mean to your team

Beyond the jargon: what insurance benefits really mean to your team

Here’s a jargon-free guide to the different insurance benefits you can offer your employees, and the real-life impact they have on your team.Offering a comprehensive employee benefits package is more important than ever, and  Drewberry’s 2024 Employee Benefits And Workplace Satisfaction Survey found that a fifth of employees want insurance to protect their loved ones. But with so many products out there, and terms like “Group Income Protection” and “Critical Illness Cover” making many people’s eyes glaze over, it can be hard to determine the right product for your people – and what they really offer. (more…)

Finger on the pulse: Is biometrics the future of workplace wellbeing?

Finger on the pulse: Is biometrics the future of workplace wellbeing?

For architects and designers, the trend to use wearable devices to track wellbeing in the workplace is a giftAround a third of companies already use wearables to track their team’s activity and better gauge their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, according to Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends Report. Deloitte predicts that usage will increase to two thirds by 2027. Neurotechnology, which uses electronics to read brain activity and can contextualise employee behaviour and interactions, is also anticipated to ramp up dramatically in use in that timeframe, from 3 percent to 31 percent. (more…)

The Workplace Depot team up with music licensing organisation to share how playing music helps them stay in tune

The Workplace Depot team up with music licensing organisation to share how playing music helps them stay in tune

Nottinghamshire based business The Workplace Depot have been getting into the groove in recent weeks by working with music licensing organisation, PPL PRSNottinghamshire based business The Workplace Depot have been getting into the groove in recent weeks by working with music licensing organisation, PPL PRS to share why playing music is important to their business. The industrial and workplace stockist based in Bingham, just outside of Nottingham, have teamed up with PPL PRS, the company who issue TheMusicLicence to businesses who use music, to create a video and Q&A about the positive effects music has on their team. (more…)

Shared Parental Leave (still) failing to deliver for working dads

Shared Parental Leave (still) failing to deliver for working dads

New research suggests that Shared Parental Leave (SPL) has failed to encourage greater take-up or longer leave by fathers, prompting calls for policy reformNew research suggests that Shared Parental Leave (SPL) has failed to encourage greater take-up or longer leave by fathers, prompting calls for policy reform. Introduced in April 2015, SPL was designed to let parents share the load of looking after their children, giving fathers a greater role at home and encouraging mothers to get back to work sooner. But new research by economists from the Economics Department and Institute for Policy Research (IPR) at the University of Bath and Cardiff University shows that the policy has fallen flat. Workplace Insight has been tracking the bumpy passage of the legislation over the past nine years. You can see our coverage here. (more…)

NHS to offer workplace health checks to middle aged staff

NHS to offer workplace health checks to middle aged staff

The NHS is set to launch a comprehensive initiative aimed at preventing heart attacks and strokes by conducting health checks in workplaces across the UK. Over the next six months, more than 130,000 middle-aged employees will be offered free workplace health checks in their places of work. This national drive, known as Health MoTs, is designed to identify individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes or heart disease through a 20-minute evaluation that includes weighing staff and measuring their blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

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Government hub named one of the world’s leading workplaces

Government hub named one of the world’s leading workplaces

 

This unprepossessing building in Peterborough has been named as one of the world's leading workplaces by the Leesman IndexThis unprepossessing building in Peterborough has been named as one of the world’s leading workplaces by Leesman. The Government Property Agency (GPA) office hub building is the second building belonging to the GPA that has achieved Leesman+ certification – global recognition of exceptional workplace experiences which only six public sector offices worldwide have ever attained. (more…)

HLW announces London leadership changes

HLW announces London leadership changes

Global architecture and design firm HLW has announced changes to its London Management Team to support growth across the UK and Europe. These leadership changes come off the back of significant new business wins and reflect the firm’s ambitious plans. (more…)

Crown estate announces details of latest London commercial property developments

Crown estate announces details of latest London commercial property developments

The Crown Estate has unveiled details of its pipeline of commercial property developments in London’s West End.The Crown Estate has unveiled details of its pipeline of commercial property developments in London’s West End. According to The Crown Estate, the first three projects, which have a Gross Development Value of over £430 million, will deliver 250,000 sq ft of office, leisure and retail space in the heart of the Capital, which it claims will help to stimulate the renewal of the West End, attract global investment and contribute to the wider success of London. (more…)

Bloom Clerkenwell tenants connected via world mobile first from Freshwave

Bloom Clerkenwell tenants connected via world mobile first from Freshwave

All the current tenants at Bloom Clerkenwell in London are now enjoying indoor mobile connectivity from all four mobile network operators (MNOs) thanks to a world first from Freshwave.All the current tenants at Bloom Clerkenwell in London are now enjoying indoor mobile connectivity from all four mobile network operators (MNOs) thanks to a world first from Freshwave. Connectivity infrastructure-as-a-service provider Freshwave’s Omni Network delivers 4G signal from all four operators combined into a single box, something which has never been done before with small cells. It was deployed at Bloom using CommScope’s ONECELL. (more…)

Living the dream of better times for a new generation

Living the dream of better times for a new generation

As a new Labour Prime Minister settles into office with a thumping majority behind him and with the Conservative opposition in utter disarray, it’s difficult not to think back to 1997 and the wave of euphoria that over took the nation. Here was a Labour government that seemed to understand the issues the country faced and the direction of travel it needed to take in the future. Tony Blair was 43 years old when he took office (nearly 20 years younger than Keir Starmer is now) and had an instinctive grasp for what Generation X craved. After all, he was the first British Prime Minster to grow up with rock and roll and appeared to embody a generational shift like no politician before him. (more…)

Incoming government sets out its plans for changes to employment law

Incoming government sets out its plans for changes to employment law

One of the Labour Party's key pledges during the election was to initiate a large-scale reform of UK employment law within the first 100 days of taking officeOne of the Labour Party’s key pledges during the election was to initiate a large-scale reform of UK employment law within the first 100 days of taking office. As a result, we can expect some changes relatively quickly, although it may take some time for many of them to become law. The proposed reforms are set out in their ‘Plan to Make Work Pay: Delivering a New Deal for Working People’ and highlight what UK employers can expect to see immediately and in the future. (more…)