Search Results for: pandemic

Business leaders are told to move fast and break things. But sometimes they shouldn’t

Business leaders are told to move fast and break things. But sometimes they shouldn’t

by • Business, Comment

Business leaders are often told to embrace uncertainty, shake things up, and move fast. But this mantra masks the dangers of disruption, which can just as easily harm as help.Business leaders are often told to embrace uncertainty, shake things up, and move fast. But this mantra masks the dangers of disruption, which can just as easily harm as help. In recent research with Richard Haynes, Ingo Marquart, and Hai Anh Vu, we examined a disruptive leadership approach called “annealing.” My summary view: Although annealing can prompt change and innovation, most leaders should pause and reflect before trying. (more…)

Service charges rise as firms invest to encourage people to spend more time in the office

Service charges rise as firms invest to encourage people to spend more time in the office

by • Flexible working, News, Property

Office occupiers faced a 9 percent increase in service charges last year as landlords and managing agents invested more heavily in maintenance and amenities to encourage people back into workplacesOffice occupiers faced a 9 percent increase in service charges last year as landlords and managing agents invested more heavily in maintenance and amenities to encourage people back into physical workplaces. The findings come from BDO’s latest PropCost benchmarking report, which tracks more than £600 million of expenditure across over 1,000 commercial properties. The data shows the average cost increase for offices followed a 15 percent rise the previous year, underlining the pressure on both landlords and tenants from higher running costs. (more…)

Lead boldly, pivot strategically: redefine change leadership, before it redefines you

Lead boldly, pivot strategically: redefine change leadership, before it redefines you

by • Business, Comment, JB

The question isn't whether change will continue to accelerate—it's whether we'll rise to meet it with the leadership our times demand. Change management is no longer just a discipline, it’s a mindset. In today’s hyperconnected, rapidly evolving business landscape, the ability to lead through constant transformation has become the defining characteristic of exceptional leadership, and one that is weighing heavily on all leaders. When leaders claim that “people don’t like change,” they’re missing a fundamental truth about human nature. We navigate change every single day, adapting our morning routines when a loved one falls ill, finding alternative routes when our train is cancelled, or pivoting our plans when circumstances shift. Change itself isn’t the problem. The issue is that people don’t like being changed or having transformation imposed upon them without agency, understanding, or involvement. (more…)

In spite of some headlines, hybrid working is not in decline in the US

In spite of some headlines, hybrid working is not in decline in the US

by • Flexible working, News

Gallup’s latest research on working patterns among remote-capable employees in the United States suggests that hybrid working is proving far more resilient than some headlines about a wholesale return to the office would implyGallup’s latest research on working patterns among remote-capable employees in the United States suggests that hybrid working is proving far more resilient than some headlines about a wholesale return to the office would imply. The data shows that hybrid work remains the dominant arrangement and has not significantly declined, even as political and organisational pressure grows to increase in-person attendance. The survey finds that just over half of employees who can work remotely are now in hybrid arrangements. This represents a slight decline from the previous two quarters, falling from 55 percent to 51 percent. (more…)

BCO pilots new office grading system as industry calls for reform

BCO pilots new office grading system as industry calls for reform

by • News, Property

The UK’s office grading system is no longer fit for purpose, according to new research from the British Council for Offices (BCO).The UK’s office grading system is no longer fit for purpose, according to new research from the British Council for Offices (BCO). A report authored by JLL for the BCO found that fewer than three percent of professionals in the sector support the current system, with almost all calling for change. The report, Redefining the Market: Beyond Grade A, proposes a new scoring-based framework designed to reflect the shifting priorities of occupiers, investors and developers in an era shaped by flexible working. It sets out a 100-point matrix across four categories – physical quality, sustainability, technology and amenity – aiming to provide a more transparent and adaptable standard. (more…)

Younger people want more office time as remote work leaves many feeling isolated

Younger people want more office time as remote work leaves many feeling isolated

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

A new poll suggests that younger people are increasingly seeking a return to office working, as large numbers report that remote work has left them feeling lonely and disconnected. The survey from Bupa, based on responses from employees aged between 16 and 24, found that around 40 percent say they feel lonely when working from home. Many of those in this group began their careers during the pandemic, with limited experience of office-based work and the informal social interactions that accompany it. (more…)

Public sector productivity gap costs UK economy eighty billion pounds a year

Public sector productivity gap costs UK economy eighty billion pounds a year

by • News, Workplace

A widening gap in productivity between the UK’s public and private sectors is costing the economy around eighty billion pounds annually, according to new analysis from EYA widening gap in productivity between the UK’s public and private sectors is costing the economy around eighty billion pounds annually, according to new analysis from EY. The report, Mind the productivity gap, claims that if public sector productivity had kept pace with the private sector since 2019, the economy would now be three per cent larger. Instead, public sector productivity has fallen by over eight per cent since the pandemic. (more…)

UK office take-up reaches highest level in three years

UK office take-up reaches highest level in three years

by • News, Property

Office take-up across the UK has reached its highest level in three years, according to new figures from CBRE.Office take-up across the UK has reached its highest level in three years, according to new figures from CBRE. The total for the twelve months to the end of the second quarter of 2025 stood at 20.3 million square feet, the highest rolling annual figure since the third quarter of 2022. CBRE reports that activity was strongest in the first half of 2025, with occupiers continuing to focus on high quality, well-located space. The firm says demand is being driven by a combination of business expansion, lease events, and the desire to secure the best available stock in a competitive market. (more…)

Memories of the Office Age 

Memories of the Office Age 

by • Cities, Features, Working lives

memories of the office ageOriginally published in November 2021. No author uses the built environment like J G Ballard. In his 1975 novel High-Rise, the eponymous structure is both a way of isolating the group of people who live and compete inside it and a metaphor for their personal isolation and inner struggles. Over the course of three months, the building’s services begin to fail. The 2,000 people within, detached from external realities in the 40-storey building, confronted with their true selves and those of their neighbours, descend into selfishness and – ultimately – savagery.  (more…)

CBRE reports strong demand for premium office space and record data centre growth in the UK

CBRE reports strong demand for premium office space and record data centre growth in the UK

by • News, Property

the office market is benefiting from strong demand for premium office space and renewed overseas investment, the life sciences sector is seeing steady growth in funding but slower movement in transactions. At the same time, the data centre market is entering a period of exceptional expansionThe UK’s commercial property market is showing sharply contrasting performances across key sectors at the midpoint of 2025, according to CBRE’s latest UK Real Estate Market Outlook Mid-Year Review. While the office market is benefiting from strong demand for premium office space and renewed overseas investment, the life sciences sector is seeing steady growth in funding but slower movement in transactions.

At the same time, the data centre market is entering a period of exceptional expansion, with record levels of take up forecast and new developments extending beyond traditional hubs. The findings highlight how underlying supply constraints, shifting occupier needs and targeted government support are reshaping investment priorities across the country.

(more…)

Growing number of businesses want people back in the office, but not in all sectors

Growing number of businesses want people back in the office, but not in all sectors

by • Flexible working, News

Over two fifths (41 percent) of businesses have emphasised the need for people to work in a physical workspace such as an office over the past year, according to a new pollOver two fifths (41 percent) of businesses have emphasised the need for people to work in a physical workspace such as an office over the past year, according to a new poll from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). While most of the firms (67 percent) who require onsite working say it hasn’t impacted recruitment or retention, one in ten relevant businesses (9 percent) have seen staff leave in response. (more…)

Office utilisation reaches equilibrium, and demands a rethink of workplace strategy

Office utilisation reaches equilibrium, and demands a rethink of workplace strategy

by • News, Property, Workplace design

The British Council for Offices (BCO) has published a new report which claims that while office utilisation rates have stabilised, there has been a fundamental shift in how offices are usedThe British Council for Offices (BCO) has published a new report which claims that while office utilisation rates have stabilised, there has been a fundamental shift in how offices are used, with major implications for developers, investors and occupiers. The report, authored by Nigel Oseland of Workplace Unlimited, shows that the long-standing benchmark of 80 percent office utilisation is no longer fit for purpose. Post-pandemic data suggests a more realistic, but nevertheless conservative, figure of 66 percent equating to an effective density of 15 sq. m per occupant, up from the previous 12.5 sq. m. This recalibration reflects a maturing flexible working model that empowers organisations to right-size their space, reduce waste and enhance employee experience. With high-profile organisations in financial services and the public sector under the spotlight for space misalignment, the report offers timely, evidence-based guidance for the sector. (more…)

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