September 1, 2022

Working from home can lead to fathers doing less childcare and mothers doing more

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

An analysis of survey data on 1,694 parents of young children found that working from home can result in a “traditional division of housework and childcare”, with men fearing they may lose their masculinity when taking on more routine tasks. Although the research, by Professor Heejung Chung, of the University of Kent, and Dr Cara Booker, University of Essex, uses data from 2010-16, they believe its conclusions are still valid now, at a time when the pandemic has greatly increased home working. (more…)

August 31, 2022

Growing number of people regret career moves, claims Gartner research

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

Nearly 60 percent of candidates who recently made career moves report that they would still make the same choice, according to a poll from Gartner. The survey of more than 1,800 candidates conducted in June 2022 claims that candidates who reported they would repeat an offer decision reached a peak of 83 percent in 2021, after increasing steadily in 2019 (60 percent) and 2020 (70 percent), before decreasing dramatically this year. The same survey suggests that nearly half of surveyed candidates say they are still open to other offers, while 28 percent say if they had to make the decision again, they would stay at their previous employer. (more…)

August 31, 2022

Central London office market take-up returns to pre-Covid levels

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

The Central London Office leasing market has seen occupiers expanding their footprint at record levels, according to the research from real estate advisor, CBRE. Following what CBRE claims was an unprecedented downturn in activity as a result of the pandemic, Central London office take-up reached 12.7m sq ft for the 12-months to the end of Q2 2022, an increase of 153 percent when compared to the same period last year and 5 percent above the ten-year average. (more…)

August 25, 2022

How Microsoft’s social listening research highlighted changing attitudes to work

by Camila Angio • Comment, Technology, Wellbeing

The current state of the talent market is putting significant pressure on business. Employers are experiencing an acute skills gap, with average vacancies across industries per 100 jobs ranging between 5 and 8, according to data compiled by the Office for National Statistics in June 2022 – the highest average since records began. As more and more roles require digital skills, businesses are looking to younger generations whose upbringing may have been organically framed by digital tools, platforms and devices. (more…)

August 16, 2022

Confidence, capability and capacity: The state of HR in 2021 with Perry Timms

by Freddie Steele • Podcasts, Premium Content, Workplace

In this final episode of the current season of Workplace Geeks, Chris and Ian welcome the inimitable Perry Timms, HR magazine’s most influential thinker of 2022. Perry heads up PTHR, a B Corp-certified organisational design, performance and change consultancy that most definitely walks its talk, has written two books, and holds various academic positions. The discussion takes ‘The state of HR: 2021’, a report he wrote last year with Anna Hobson and Katy Stanley for HRZone as a starting point, and explores current and future themes for HR, workplace professionals and business more broadly. (more…)

August 16, 2022

Employees at large firms only in office for 1.5 days a week on average

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Workplace design

A global study of nearly 80 offices in 13 countries with nearly 80,000 employees has revealed a seismic shift in working pattens, with people now coming into the office an average of just 1.4 days a week, versus nearly four days a week before the Covid-19 pandemic. The Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA) Hybrid Working Index study [registration], conducted during June and July this year, found that on an average day two thirds of desks are unused and just over a quarter of people are coming into the offices, with the attendance figure dropping to just 12 percent on Fridays. (more…)

August 5, 2022

The four day week might be the wellbeing solution workers need

by Mark Hall • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

It’s been a couple of months now since 70 companies in Britain began their four day week pilot program, where thousands of employees went from celebrating the Queen’s 70th Jubilee to celebrating shorter work weeks without reduction in pay for the remainder of 2022. The pilot had been highly anticipated by workers and employers alike – and has already seen tremendous results — but it’s also created a heated debate on whether it’s actually workable across industries, demographics, and different sized companies. (more…)

August 4, 2022

Microsoft Teams now offers Welsh and English translations during meetings

by Freddie Steele • Company news

You can now attend scheduled Microsoft Teams meetings even if you don’t understand the languages your fellow participants are speaking. The new solution, developed by Microsoft in partnership with the Welsh Government, allows designated interpreters to translate what is being said during a scheduled Teams meeting, and attendees can choose which language they want to listen to, in real-time. They are also able to switch between languages during the meeting.[Note-all stories on Workplace Insight can be translated automatically into numerous languages via the tab in the bottom right hand corner of your screen]. (more…)

August 4, 2022

UCC Coffee launch brand new e-commerce website

by Freddie Steele • Company news

UCC Coffee, the world’s fifth largest global coffee company, has announced the launch of their e-commerce website, UCC Direct, which allows small businesses and consumers alike to purchase a large range of UCC branded coffee, hot beverages, and side products in bulk. One of the largest coffee roasters in the UK, UCC Coffee supply outstanding fresh coffee, coffee machines and servicing to some of the UK’s largest high street chains coffee shops, hotels, restaurants and catering companies alongside thousands of independent customers of all sizes across these channels. (more…)

August 3, 2022

We can re-imagine the future of human resources

by Richa Gupta • Comment, Workplace

The world of work is changing rapidly. Businesses are having to make fundamental shifts to adjust to the emergence of new business models, technologies and the changing expectations of the workforce. This has left human resources teams all over the world needing to efficiently adapt the way they hire, develop and take care of their staff, with the most significant challenge being managing the needs of the current workforce, and addressing their future demands. (more…)

July 28, 2022

Personal space is not merely an issue of hygiene, but a biological imperative

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design

The current debate about how much space we will need in the office from now on is not new. As with many of the debate’s facets, the point at which we find ourselves has long been our destination. We’re just here earlier than we might have expected. (more…)

July 28, 2022

KI furniture helps Crunch Digital reimagine Swansea HQ for hybrid working

by Mark Eltringham • Company news

As part of their ‘return to the office’ following the COVID-19 pandemic, Crunch Digital, a digital media specialist that focuses on SEO, pay-per-click-social media, programmatic, technical, and creative services, wanted to create a new office space that promoted both safety and collaboration. The office design, carried out in partnership with Ministry of Furniture and KI furniture also needed to reflect the ethos and culture of the company and cater to a young and innovative workforce. (more…)