Search Results for: pandemic

To boost productivity in the UK, we need to think big and different

To boost productivity in the UK, we need to think big and different

by • Comment, Technology

olicymakers, businesses, and society must recognise the importance of productivity and collaborate to implement the necessary reforms and initiatives to unlock the country's full economic potentialThe decline in UK productivity since the Great Recession of 2008/2009 has been a matter of concern for business leaders, policymakers, and economists alike. Despite hopes that the pandemic would act as a catalyst for transformation and boost productivity, recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the UK still lags behind several other G7 economies. (more…)

Generations in the workplace: setting the record straight

Generations in the workplace: setting the record straight

by • Comment, Workplace

A middle aged man and a younger male colleague sit in comfortable chairs having a conversation to illustrate a conversation between generations of workersIf there were an algorithm to create a word cloud in response to searches for ‘What millennials want in the workplace?’, you’d expect to see Google spew out terms such as ‘flexibility’, ‘meaning’, ‘fairness’, ‘equality’, ‘inclusivity’, ‘opportunity’, ‘connections’, ‘socialising’ and ‘experience’. Do the same with ‘Gen Z’ replacing ‘millennials’ and – guess what – you’ll see the exact same word cloud, although perhaps in a different colour and order so you don’t think it’s based on the same homogeneous assumptions about younger generations. (more…)

Improved support for menopause could help women stay in work

Improved support for menopause could help women stay in work

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

more than half (54 percent) feel it would be difficult for them to raise issues, including menopause, with their employersWomen in the UK are urging politicians and business leaders to take steps that help them remain productive in the workforce for longer, as research shows more than half (54 percent) feel it would be difficult for them to raise issues, including menopause, with their employers and three fifths would also feel uncomfortable bringing up health and wellbeing issues with a male manager. (more…)

Members of European Parliament back charter to ‘revolutionise workplace wellbeing’

Members of European Parliament back charter to ‘revolutionise workplace wellbeing’

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

The Future Workforce Alliance (FWA), a consortium of policymakers, researchers and firms such as Zoom and Remote, has launched the European Charter for Digital Workplace WellbeingMembers of the European Parliament have backed a new charter from a consortium of organisations that sets out to ‘revolutionise workforce policy’. The Future Workforce Alliance (FWA), a consortium of policymakers, researchers and firms such as Zoom and Remote, has launched the European Charter for Digital Workplace Wellbeing and claims that the step by MEPs signals the beginning of the life/work revolution and solidification of workers’ rights in the face of  what it refers to as ‘return to office lobbying’. (more…)

Half of traditional non-tech firms now consider themselves tech firms

Half of traditional non-tech firms now consider themselves tech firms

by • Business, News, Technology, Workplace

Nearly half (49 percent) of ‘traditional’ enterprises now consider themselves tech firms, and are adopting more ‘tech-like’ strategies, roles and tools to drive innovation and growth.The pandemic years forced traditional industries to digitise their operations at speed, but three years on, non-tech enterprises across the UK – from sectors including finance, advertising, manufacturing and more – are actively embracing the ‘tech mindset’ more than ever, according to a new report. The poll from Pendo [registration], claims that nearly half (49 percent) of ‘traditional’ enterprises now consider themselves tech firms, and are adopting more ‘tech-like’ strategies, roles and tools to drive innovation and growth. (more…)

City dwellers take advantage of hybrid working to relocate to suburbs, towns and countryside

City dwellers take advantage of hybrid working to relocate to suburbs, towns and countryside

by • Flexible working, News, Property

A new report claims that suburbs and small towns across are booming, as people take advantage of hybrid working to migrate from larger citiesA new report from IWG claims that suburbs, small towns and rural areas across the US and UK are booming, as people take advantage of hybrid working to migrate from larger cities. The study, undertaken in partnership with Arup, suggests that an estimated 500,000 people will leave US cities this year – 59 percent higher than pre-2020 levels – with most moving to suburbs, revitalised former dormitory towns and rural areas. Similarly, outbound migration across the UK is continuing at a faster rate than pre-pandemic levels, and there is strong evidence that suburbs and small towns have higher levels of economic activity than before 2020. (more…)

Works roundtable explores the changing face of wellbeing and how to deliver it

Works roundtable explores the changing face of wellbeing and how to deliver it

by • Features, Wellbeing, Workplace design, Works Magazine

we looked to lift the lid on the strategies used to foster wellbeing, productivity, and employee satisfaction in the workplace

The first day of Clerkenwell Design Week also marked the first birthday of Works, and we celebrated with a number of industry friends at the Goswell Road showroom of Andreu World. Before we could enjoy a birthday drink, however, we had to earn it, and did so by hosting a panel discussion on the subject of Designing Wellbeing at Work. Together with our elite panel of industry greats – comprising Alice Aldous – Associate at Squire and Partners, Beatriz Gonzalez – Director at Scott Brownrigg, Chris Crawford – Studio Director and Senior Associate at Gensler and Alejandro Pardo – North Europe Area Manager for our generous hosts, Andreu World – we looked to lift the lid on the strategies used to foster wellbeing, productivity, and employee satisfaction in the workplace. (more…)

Early detection of COVID-19 in the workplace

Early detection of COVID-19 in the workplace

by • Company news

A Thermo Fisher Scientific site has managed to avoid an uptick in cases of COVID-19 thanks to the installation of cutting edge techMost workplaces have returned to full operational capacity following the COVID-19 pandemic, with the majority of restrictions being lifted, much to the delight of staff. Unfortunately, the initial relief of newfound freedom has been short lived, as the relaxation of rules continues to result in surges of COVID-19 cases, forcing some production facilities to close down due to high levels of employee sickness. A Thermo Fisher Scientific manufacturing site in Erlangen, Germany, has managed to avoid this situation, thanks largely to the installation of air sampling equipment that flags any positive cases in its vicinity. This article describes how this early warning system allows individuals to test and self-isolate if necessary, and discusses how this has improved employee peace of mind and ultimately contributed to limiting the spread of the disease within the facility. (more…)

A balanced approach: making hybrid working work, and accepting it isn’t optional

A balanced approach: making hybrid working work, and accepting it isn’t optional

by • Comment, Flexible working

For most, there needs to be an acceptance that hybrid working is a long-term project – even if there is some short-term painHybrid working is back in the headlines – not that it ever really left. A recent report from the Centre for Cities warns hybrid working will result in an “unintended economic impact” and is calling on national government and the mayor of London to do more to remove barriers to getting people back into the office. It suggests a freeze on commuting costs and calls for better collaboration between the private and public sectors to make working in cities more appealing. (more…)

Managers struggling with workload in new era of work

Managers struggling with workload in new era of work

by • Flexible working, News, Workplace

managers are also facing increasing expectations and a greater workload from the organisation, including new responsibilities brought on by hybrid workMore than three-quarters of employees report that it has become more important for them to receive support from their manager, according to Gartner. Simultaneously, managers are also facing increasing expectations and a greater workload from the organisation, including new responsibilities brought on by hybrid working. A December 2022 Gartner survey of more than 6,000 individual contributors and managers claimed that managers are twice as likely to report an increase in responsibilities versus individual contributors, compared to before the pandemic. For example, 35 percent of managers say they have more direct reports and 49 percent report that the complexity of their responsibilities has increased. (more…)

Over half a million people with long-term sickness want return to work

Over half a million people with long-term sickness want return to work

by • News, Workplace

between January-December 2022, nearly a quarter (22 percent) of those forced out of the workplace because of long-term sickness said that they wanted a jobAnalysis of Office for National Statistics (ONS) data from consultants Broadstone, claims that between January-December 2022, nearly a quarter (22 percent) of those forced out of the workplace because of long-term sickness said that they wanted a job. With economic inactivity because of ill-health surging to 2.6 million people as per the latest estimates through February-April 2023, it suggests that over half a million people – around 560,000 – are keen to return to employment so long as they can improve their health. According to the firm, would be a major boost to the UK economy, employers struggling with staff shortages and employees grappling with the continued cost of living crisis. (more…)

Four in ten workers do not feel secure in their jobs

Four in ten workers do not feel secure in their jobs

by • News, Workplace

Companies are in danger of losing top talent due to lack of flexible workingAlmost four in 10 workers (38 percent) do not feel secure in their jobs, as lay-offs across industries continue to bite, claimsthe ADP Research Institute’s People at Work 2023: A Global Workforce View. Feelings of job insecurity are highest among the young. According to the survey of over 32,000 workers in 17 countries, half (50 percent) of Gen Z (those in the 18–24-year-old age bracket) say they don’t feel secure in their job. This is double the proportion of over 55s who say the same (24 percent). (more…)

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