March 31, 2020
Members of the National Federation of Builders (NFB) have expressed concerns that the lack of clarity from the Government is causing the construction industry to close down. As well as reducing productivity to ensure on site social distancing, reduced access to materials and public opinion has made it extremely difficult for industry to operate. (more…)
March 20, 2020
IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed), the Creative Industries Federation and other organisations representing freelancers have written an open letter calling on Prime Minister Boris Johnson for a Temporary Income Protection Fund to support the self-employed during the Coronavirus crisis. (more…)
March 10, 2020
New research from Aon, claims that 94 percent of employers believe their employees’ expectations of work experience are changing. In Aon’s Benefits and Trends Survey 2020, employers say their employees expect flexible working hours, the ability to work from home, better awareness and handling of mental health, better approaches to diversity and inclusion and better parental policies. A surprise in this year’s report is the strength of opinion on environmental and sustainability policies, coming in at the seventh most important expectation in its first year in the survey. Fifty-four percent of employers believe that employees want clarity and positivity on this subject.
March 6, 2020
The future infrastructure of smart cities will rely on the analysis of data relayed by the sensors in buildings, infrastructure, transportation and power grids; enabling city authorities to make critical decisions in real-time, according to GlobalData’s latest report, ‘Smart cities – Thematic Research’ (paywall). (more…)
March 6, 2020
CIBSE has updated its Technical Memorandum 40: Health and wellbeing in building services (paywall), to reflect what it says are “significant changes in the environmental conditions we are exposed to and advances in our knowledge of how these environments affect our health, comfort and cognitive performance.” (more…)
February 25, 2020
With less than a month to go before the government sets out its economic predictions in its first spring budget, new research points to a 30 percent increase in people planning to start a business or register as self-employed this year. With 1.4 million new limited company or self-employed registrations in 2019, 2020 could see that rise to as many as 1.8 million new registrations, Intuit QuickBooks, which commissioned the research, claims. (more…)
February 24, 2020
In response to the coronavirus outbreak, Acas has published new advice to help employers understand their workers’ rights and how to handle the impact of the virus. The guidance includes tips on how to deal with sick pay, staff in quarantine and staff who do not want to come into work due to fears over catching the coronavirus. It also looks at what to do if the virus spreads widely in the UK or if a business needs to shut temporarily. (more…)
February 18, 2020
Slow progress is being made towards more women on boards across Europe and less gender pay disparity, a study has suggested. According to Korn Ferry’s latest ‘Non-Executive Directors in Europe’ report, the proportion of women on boards increased to 34 percent in 2019, up from 32 percent in 2018 and 30 percent in 2017. The number of committees without any female directors fell, with 19 percent of audit committees (down from 24 percent) and 25 percent of remuneration committees (down from 29 percent) being all male. (more…)
February 17, 2020
An increase in hiring intentions among public sector employers looks set to support further employment growth in the UK, according to a report from the CIPD and the Adecco Group. The latest quarterly Labour Market Outlook survey suggests that public sector employment growth is expected to increase in line with the private sector for the first time since 2008. (more…)
February 14, 2020
Nearly six in 10 British workers (58 percent) worry about disappointing their manager, with more than a third (36 percent) saying they rely on praise from their boss to help boost their confidence at work, a survey has claimed. CV-Library surveyed over 2,000 UK professionals for the study, which also suggests the younger generation are most likely to worry about letting their boss down (83 percent of under 18s and 62 percent of 18-24 year olds), while only 53 percent of 55-64-year olds are concerned about this. (more…)
February 14, 2020
Some local authorities in England have invested significant public money in buying commercial property over the past three years with the aim of generating a financial return. Debt has increased for many of these authorities as a result, with a small group seeing significant increases in the amount they owe and the cost of repayment, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). (more…)
February 18, 2020
Curiosity killed the stat: why we should avoid becoming slaves to data
by Anthony Tasgal • Comment, Technology, Workplace design
Hands up. How many of you spend much/most of your time peddling data, charts and other fact-based information? And how much time do you spend challenging yourself, learning new ideas, indulging your curiosity and feeling a sense of surprise and fulfilment? And finally how much of the inquisitive, itchy child do you feel your job appeals to rather than the “only- 30-more-years-of-wage-slavery-if-I’m-lucky” mindset?
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