Search Results for: opportunities

The raging truth about burnout

The raging truth about burnout

burnoutWe’re probably all familiar with an image of burnout. People sitting head in hands, or lying in bed staring at the ceiling, unable to get up and get going in the morning. Burnout is once again a topic of the moment as workplaces are left reeling by the “Great Resignation”, and those that are left behind are struggling to cover the resulting gap in knowledge and resource. More →

Physical activity could boost UK economy by up to £17 billion

Physical activity could boost UK economy by up to £17 billion

physical activityThe fitness and leisure sector holds the key to encouraging physical activity which could save the UK economy up to £17bn a year, according to a new report from ukactive. The report’s authors have called on the Government and its partners to work with the fitness and leisure sector to get the nation’s workforce physically active, as new research from Deloitte shows it could benefit the UK economy by up to £17bn a year.  The landmark report was commissioned by IHRSA (International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association) on behalf of the Global Health and Fitness Alliance. More →

We need to stop misusing the term ergonomic

We need to stop misusing the term ergonomic

Sedus ergonomic working from homeYou don’t have to search for long to find the word ergonomic; it pops up everywhere, in connection with every sort of product and device for the workplace (and elsewhere). You can – so the marketeers will tell you – buy an ‘ergonomic’ chair, desk, keyboard or mouse. What’s wrong with that? An awful lot actually. The word ergonomic has a particular meaning. Ergonomics (note the crucial addition of an ‘s’ at the end), from the Greek ‘Ergos’ for work or labour and ‘Nomos’, meaning natural law, is the discipline of designing and arranging an environment to optimise the comfort and performance of the individual. More →

Workplace discrimination remains ‘endemic’

Workplace discrimination remains ‘endemic’

workplace discriminationA poll from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) suggests that, despite the appearance of an “all-inclusive” working culture, many employees in the UK work for organisations that present them with systemic challenges when it comes to workplace discrimination and inclusion. The report claims that employees saw weaker representation of those from different backgrounds to them in management (69 percent saw such representation) and senior leadership (67 percent). More →

Birmingham BT HQ shows road ahead for its offices and the city

Birmingham BT HQ shows road ahead for its offices and the city

Birmingham BT HQIn January of 2020, shortly before that thing happened and before we knew much about the UK Government’s ‘levelling up’ programme, Birmingham was already a city on the rise. It had recently been announced that it was to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022 and was riding the crest of a number of high-profile developments and regeneration projects, not least those that arrived on the back of the controversial high speed rail station. More →

People are searching for better work, not just more pay

People are searching for better work, not just more pay

better workNew research from the CIPD claims that more than 6.5 million people in the UK expect to quit their job in the next 12 months, with those reporting the poorest job quality the most likely to have itchy feet. Better pay and benefits are the main motivator to leave, but people are also looking for increased job satisfaction and better work life balance.   In response, the CIPD is calling for employers to not treat pay increases as a ‘silver bullet’ for attracting and retaining staff, but instead look at overall job quality by being more creative with job design and people management practices. More →

Tech firms now less likely to offer fully remote working

Tech firms now less likely to offer fully remote working

tech talent remote workingFully remote working is no longer viewed as the ‘holy grail’ by tech employers, with hybrid working now viewed as the perfect model for aiding retention and recruitment of talent. That is the main conclusion of Robert Half’s Demand for Tech Talent report, which surveyed 750 tech hiring managers across the UK. The results of the survey suggest that remote working – which the report claims was widely touted as the ‘future of work’ both before and during the pandemic – is now being shunned by companies in favour of a flexible approach. More →

Loneliness might hold back hybrid working productivity gains

Loneliness might hold back hybrid working productivity gains

lonelinessLoneliness is defined as the difficult emotion we experience when our need for meaningful social contact and relationships is not met, and it’s something we’ve all had experience of. Nearly half of the UK population have reported feeling lonely at times, with other research showing that 39 percent say their wellbeing was negatively impacted because they were lonely too. Why people feel lonely can be attributed to many reasons. Humans have a deep need for attention, warmth, and attachment to others. When such relationships end, or if someone finds themselves in an abusive or emotionally non-existent relationship, this can lead to elevated levels of loneliness. More →

To provide people with better indoor air quality, we need a major upgrade of buildings

To provide people with better indoor air quality, we need a major upgrade of buildings

indoor air qualityGovernment must seize the post-pandemic opportunity to mandate long-term improvements to infection control in commercial, public and residential buildings to improve indoor air quality, reduce the transmission of future waves of COVID-19, new pandemics, seasonal influenza and other infectious diseases, according to a report published by the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC). Infection control must also be coordinated with efforts to improve energy efficiency and fire safety, to support the three goals of safe, healthy and sustainable buildings. More →

Workplace health and wellbeing needs a radical rethink

Workplace health and wellbeing needs a radical rethink

workplace health and wellbeingHealth and wellbeing lobby group ukactive has called for a radical rethink of health incentivisation in the workplace, including expanding the Cycle to Work scheme to cover gym memberships and equipment as more people work from home, in a new report called The Active Workforce. A study [registration] conducted by the ukactive Research Institute, informed by Sport England and business organisations including the Federation for Small Businesses (FSB), examined the state of workplace health and wellbeing for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) following the Covid-19 pandemic. More →

Young people should optimise the time they spend in the office

Young people should optimise the time they spend in the office

young people in the officeDuring the pandemic, around 100 million people in Europe switched to working from home – nearly half of them for the first time. This shift was rapid, with employees quickly noticing the benefits of remote work. These can include freedom from commuting, more time for personal wellbeing and increased productivity. As we move on from pandemic restrictions, we’ve seen a strong, global demand for more flexible forms of working, particularly to retain an element of remote work. While some employees want to work from home permanently, most want what’s coming to be regarded as the best of both worlds: hybrid working. Only a minority of workers now want to return to the office full time. More →

Work-life balance more important than pay for two thirds of people

Work-life balance more important than pay for two thirds of people

work-life balanceRising inflation and the UK’s cost-of-living crisis have put a lot of pressure on employers to increase wages and starting salaries this year, but a new survey suggests that there’s something that employees value more than pay – work-life balance. HR and payroll software provider CIPHR polled over 1,000 UK workers to find out which job aspects matter most to them. Based on the results, over two-thirds (70 percent of women and 65 percent of men) see work-life balance – albeit a term that can mean different things to different people – as being more important than their pay and employee benefits combined (selected by 60 percent of women and 57 percent of men). More →