Search Results for: office

May 9, 2019

Workers value employers with right approach to sustainability

by George Eltringham • Environment, News

HP has published a new study underscoring the importance of sustainable business practices in recruiting, hiring and retaining top talent. It suggests that employees are more productive, motivated and engaged when working for an employer who is leading the charge in social responsibility. The global, 20,000-participant survey suggests that 61 percent believe sustainability is mandatory for businesses. Of those interviewed, 56 percent believe that ignoring environmental impact in the workplace is as bad as ignoring diversity and inclusion. (more…)

May 8, 2019

Some of the great ways progressive firms are increasing productivity in the workplace

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Productivity in the office is a big thing, as the more productive employees are, the more successful the business will be as a result. While most people go through peaks and troughs of productivity during their working life, it’s important for employers to give it their all when it comes to trying to keep the workforce as productive as possible. Therefore, many have come up with ways to make this happen.

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May 8, 2019

Workers tend to choose job happiness over pay

by George Eltringham • News, Wellbeing

Wrike has published a report From Positivity to Productivity: Exposing the Truth Behind Workplace Happiness (registration), which claims to offer new insights on what makes employees happy in a rapidly changing, digital workplace. The report sets out to challenge what it says are common myths about levels of happiness at work. The happiest employees – those that identify as being “elated” with their job – report diversity is above average in their workplace and say “doing meaningful work” is the most critical factor in their happiness, ranking even higher than compensation. (more…)

May 2, 2019

The best workplace events to look forward to in May

by Mark Eltringham • Events, News

The events season is in full swing every May and this year is no exception. So much so that we’ll never do justice to how much is going on in one story. As the workplace sector becomes increasingly well defined in its own right and the world sets out to address a number of pertinent challenges for the way we live and work, this might prove to be something of a seminal year and so it’s important to be out and about sharing ideas. Fortunately, you can find a full list of relevant happenings around the world on our Events page, the most comprehensive calendar of workplace related events in the world, in partnership with Herman Miller. Here are a few of the best to whet your appetite: (more…)

May 1, 2019

The impact of technology, cyber-risk and the future of corporate real estate ⁰

by Kate Langan • Features, Property, Technology, Work&Place, Workplace design

It’s no surprise to say that technology is having a significant impact on the workplace and the use of corporate real estate. The fast pace of change has seen technology impact all aspects of business, government and culture, as well as personal life, with a constant flow of new innovations and solutions helping us to do things more quickly and efficiently. Equally, technology also provides a challenge to business and, more specifically, corporate operations, with a whole array of disruptive technologies.

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May 1, 2019

Your company has a culture, whether you have designed one or not

by Jonathan Richards • Comment, Workplace

Company culture has been in the spotlight even more than usual recently, with stories continuing to surface about the impact that it is having on businesses. The most recent being Revolut, who were called out on their questionable culture and business practices. The issues were put down to “growing pains” and a lack of budget. The truth is, every company has a culture It’s not the state-of-the-art office, the bean bags or pool table. It boils down to the founding principals and the way business gets done. It is the feel of the work environment and the way people treat each other and your implicit attitudes and behaviours. Ultimately, all of these things are in your hands — if you take it seriously from the beginning.

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May 1, 2019

“First ever” dedicated UK India tech hub opens at Royal Albert Dock London

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Technology

A newly delivered building at Royal Albert Dock (RAD) in London has been launched as the UK India Tech Hub to provide a designated space for technology firms from India and the UK. It is claimed to be the first venture capital fund that has partnered with a business district to create a tech hub anywhere the world. Under the partnership agreement, developer ABP London and investors Pontaq will provide technology firms with work space while Pontaq’s tech fund will be invested in tech start-ups to assist them to develop and expand. India High Commissioner, Ruchi Ghanashyam, and Under Secretary of State at the Department for International Trade, Graham Stuart MP, along with Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz, witnessed the signing of an agreement between Royal Albert Dock developer ABP London and the venture capital firm Pontaq. (more…)

April 30, 2019

Best workplaces in London honoured at BCO annual Regional Awards

by Mark Eltringham • News, Property, Workplace design

Six London businesses celebrated success at the BCO Annual Regional Awards earlier today, with Facebook, 2TVC, Deloitte, Boden, Project North and Fora Borough all recognised as the capital’s best workplaces. The prestigious BCO Awards programme recognises the highest quality developments in the UK and sets the standard for excellence in the regional and national office sector. Today’s ceremony marked the third of the BCO Regional Property Awards dedicated to London, celebrating the best office space in the country. London winners will compete with those from other regions at the BCO National Awards in October this year.

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April 26, 2019

A third of accountancy professionals feel stressed at work

by George Eltringham • News, Wellbeing

Accountancy has joined the legal profession in a developing mental health epidemic within their respective workplaces. Recent studies found that just over a third (37 percent) of solicitors feel stressed by work, striking a worrying comparison between themselves and accountants. The accountancy profession is in the grip of a mental health crisis according to a new study which claims that a third (31 percent) of chartered accountants feel stressed on a daily basis. The research, conducted by CABA, a wellbeing charity, suggests that as few as 2 percent of respondents claim to be unaffected by stress. (more…)

April 26, 2019

Great expectations at work causing stress and rise in mental ill health

by Marie Hillen • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Employees feel expectations at work are playing an integral role in diminishing their mental health a new report suggests, which includes increasing pressures to work outside of office hours, through annual leave and even on sick days. Westfield Health’s inaugural Wellbeing Index, which claims to shine a spotlight on stress, found 61 percent of HR professionals identified mental health related issues as the main reasons for absences within their workforces, with over half (51 percent) noticing an overall increase in sick days. ‘Leavism’ – working outside of contracted hours and on annual leave days – is also prevalent throughout the British workforce, with 67 percent in HR saying it’s a very real issue for them.

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April 25, 2019

Space Matrix becomes the strategic Asia Pacific partner for The United Workplace

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Workplace design

Space Matrix, a major design and build workplace consultancy in Asia Pacific has joined The United Workplace (TUW), a global network of workplace consultancies and designers. The United Workplace’s existing partners include Fourfront Group in Europe, Amicus in Australia and New Zealand, Summertown in the Middle East, Ware Malcomb in the USA and Contract Workplaces in South America. Founded in 2001, Space Matrix is a dynamic, agile digital enterprise specialising in workplace design. The company operates from 14 office locations in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore (HQ) and New York. The firm has completed work across 55 cities, employs over 400 professionals globally and continues to push the boundaries in workplace transformation. (more…)

April 25, 2019

Lies about work, the limits of wellness programmes, sleepwalking architects and some other shoes

by Mark Eltringham • Architecture, Features, Flexible working, Wellbeing, Workplace design

There are lots of reasons to worry about where the World might be taking us, or perhaps where we are taking it. You can take your pick but for me one of the most worrying aspects of contemporary discourse is the obvious dearth of empathy. We might like to think of this as an innate characteristic of human beings, but it really isn’t. It’s something that we also need to learn. This idea is explored in this piece by Hanna Rosin who centres her argument around an analysis by Sara Konrath, an associate professor and researcher at Indiana University who has discovered that our willingness to empathise with people is eroding rapidly, especially for those who we see as ‘other’ or irrelevant. If you want an example of lack of empathy, you can see it in this footage of a banker being taken to task for it in a US committee hearing.