March 25, 2020
One of the first research projects aimed at gauging the UK public’s attitude and responses to the coronavirus pandemic is being launched. Experts at Cardiff University and Cardiff Metropolitan University are urging people from across the UK to take part in a survey to assess how people feel about – and how they are responding to – one of the biggest health crises facing the country in recent history. (more…)
May 26, 2026
Former health secretary Alan Milburn has warned that Britain risks a “generational, societal and economic catastrophe” unless employers and government adapt to rising levels of poor mental health among young people. An interim review led by Milburn into the growing number of 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training argues that businesses will need to provide greater flexibility, pastoral care and mental health support to what he describes as an “anxious generation”. (more…)
May 18, 2026
Business leaders, policymakers and workplace experts have warned that the UK’s fragmented approach to work, wellbeing and welfare is undermining economic resilience, with comparisons to Denmark highlighting the pressure placed on the NHS and benefits system in Britain. The warning came during a Westminster roundtable for the Policy Liaison Group on Workplace Wellbeing chaired by Dame Carol Black on 13 May. The discussion followed shortly after the King’s Speech opened the new parliamentary session with a renewed emphasis on “economic security”. Participants argued that Britain’s rising levels of long-term sickness and economic inactivity will require a more coordinated approach involving employers, government departments, healthcare systems and insurers. (more…)
May 15, 2026
A new report from Turner & Townsend claims that a combination of a rise in demand for premium, Grade A office space and a shortfall in supply in many markets has led to double digit percentage increases in office fit-out costs over the past year in major global cities including Miami, Dublin and Bangalore London is now the second most expensive office fit-out market in the world, with Dublin 18th, Edinburgh and Glasgow 21st, Birmingham 22nd, and Manchester 25th. The year-on-year picture is mixed, as while Edinburgh and Glasgow saw costs rise by 12 percent, Manchester and Birmingham saw prices rise in line with inflation at 2 percent and 3 percent respectively, while in London costs fell by -1 percent, albeit they have increased significantly in recent years. (more…)
May 12, 2026
Prime office costs in major global cities continued to rise in the first quarter of 2026, driven by strong demand for high quality workspace and limited availability, according to Savills. The real estate adviser says net effective occupier costs, including rents and fit-out costs, increased by 0.7 percent globally during the quarter. That brings the annual increase to 5 percent and the rise over the past two years to 9.1 percent. Savills tracks 47 cities worldwide and found that occupier costs increased in 23 of them during the first three months of the year. Costs rose by 1 percent across EMEA, 0.7 percent in North America and 0.4 percent in Asia Pacific. (more…)
April 23, 2026
A new report suggests that fears of artificial intelligence triggering widespread job losses in the UK have yet to be borne out by evidence, with little indication so far of major disruption to employment. The study, published by think tank The Centre for British Progress, examines labour market data since the rapid emergence of generative AI tools and finds no clear signs that the technology has led to large-scale displacement of workers. Despite frequent predictions that AI could significantly reshape or reduce the workforce in the near term, the report concludes that such effects are not yet visible in aggregate employment trends. (more…)
April 13, 2026
Originally 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…)
April 10, 2026
Global employee engagement has declined for a second consecutive year, despite rapid investment in artificial intelligence, according to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report. The study, based on one of the largest ongoing surveys of employee experience, suggests that organisations are struggling to translate technological change into measurable improvements in performance or working life. Employee engagement fell to 20 percent in 2025, down from a peak of 23 percent in 2022 and its lowest level since 2020. This decline has significant economic implications, with Gallup estimating that low engagement costs the global economy around $10 trillion in lost productivity, equivalent to 9 percent of global GDP. (more…)
March 13, 2026
Office workers in London are returning to workplaces in increasing numbers, according to data suggesting that remote working may be receding more quickly in the capital than in many other European cities. Analysis by lift manufacturer KONE examined more than a billion elevator journeys across ten cities in seven countries and found a notable rise in lift usage in London office buildings during 2025. Activity increased by around 11 percent in January compared with the same month a year earlier, with the upward trend continuing through the year. Lift usage in large commercial buildings is often seen as a proxy for workplace occupancy and broader office attendance patterns. (more…)
March 9, 2026
In the coming weeks it will be six years since the UK entered lockdown and working life changed overnight. While much has stabilised, the impact of the pandemic still shapes how people experience work, particularly when it comes to connection and belonging. Loneliness is widely recognised as a growing societal issue and government data shows that around a quarter of adults in Great Britain report feeling lonely at least some of the time, rising significantly among younger age groups. Hybrid working has not created this challenge but it has highlighted that for many people the workplace was a consistent source of social interaction. (more…)
February 26, 2026
Refurbishment projects account for the largest share of the office development pipeline across the UK’s major regional cities, as new build activity remains subdued and occupiers continue to favour high quality, sustainable space. According to new figures from Avison Young, refurbishment schemes now represent the majority of space under construction in the Big Nine regional office markets. The volume of refurbishment space in the pipeline has risen by 12 percent year on year, reflecting a sustained shift towards upgrading existing stock rather than delivering entirely new buildings. (more…)
March 17, 2020
Pandemic highlights precarious reality of workplace legislation
by Tony Wilson • Comment, Legal news