October 15, 2021

Hybrid working will define the future of work, but firms are unprepared

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Technology

While the move to flexible and hybrid working is widely accepted by businesses, their preparedness to implement such a strategy is not yet fully realised. That is the key finding of a new report from Siemens subsidiaries Comfy and Enlighted. Commissioned by Siemens from analyst firm Verdantix, the study polled 75 corporate real estate (CRE) executives from global companies with annual revenues of over $1 billion on the strategic considerations of redefining workforce models due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (more…)

October 13, 2021

Shift to hybrid working highlights the value of weak ties

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace design

Something we can expect to hear a lot about in the near future is the power of weak ties. It’s a well-established idea in sociology, anthropology, and social network analysis theory. But it’s about to be invigorated as a way of thinking about workplaces in the wake of two major peer-reviewed studies into the effects of remote work and hybrid working on people and the way they work with each other. According to the most widely cited paper on the subject of relationships, Mark Granovetter’s The Power of Weak Ties, The relationships between people can be categorised as strong, weak or absent. The latter is self-explanatory. Strong ties exist between people who are related, friend or who interact on a day to day basis. (more…)

October 13, 2021

Business leaders concerned about digital inequality in the future hybrid working model

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Technology

A new report from Actual Experience, claims organisations are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact of digital inequality on employees, as hybrid working looks set to become the new normal. This new working model is causing concern across multiple sectors; 67 percent of C-Suite representatives cite that they’re worried these new ways of working will introduce inequalities in how people access and use digital tools. (more…)

October 6, 2021

Phlox – A collection of collaborative chairs and tables inspired by nature

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Furniture

Launched this week at Neocon, the Phlox Collection from Okamura is designed by Rainlight. Taking inspiration from nature the collection of collaborative chairs and tables beckon colleagues to connect with comfort and ease. Phlox was named after the unique Night Phlox flower and inspired by a close-up view into our natural world, welcoming its gentle influence and naturally curved arcs. (more…)

September 29, 2021

Majority of UK GPs report uptick in patients seeking help for work related stress

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Research from Perkbox, claims that 92 percent of UK GPs report an increase in people seeking medical advice for work related stress and anxiety since the pandemic began. What’s more, 68 percent of GPs surveyed agree they have seen a hike in patients seeking support for this over the past three months compared to the start of the pandemic, and 80 percent are preparing for levels to increase further, suggesting the worst is yet to come if action isn’t taken. (more…)

September 28, 2021

Developing a future of work strategy depends on asking the right questions

by Mark Caskey • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace design

The rapid changes to our working lives caused by the global pandemic have prompted a great deal of debate about the future of work, the workplace and corporate real estate generally. At the highest levels of management within many organisations, leaders are now reflecting on their experiences and asking searching questions about their ways of working. (more…)

September 23, 2021

Air quality guidelines from WHO aim to save millions of lives

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

New World Health Organization (WHO) Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) claim to provide clear evidence of the damage air pollution inflicts on human health, at even lower concentrations than previously understood. The guidelines recommend new air quality levels to protect the health of populations, by reducing levels of key air pollutants, some of which also contribute to climate change. (more…)

September 23, 2021

Resilient companies need the trust of their employees more than ever

by Kate Field • Comment, Workplace

Since offices reopened, there has naturally been a much greater focus on health and safety. Office managers everywhere have deployed one-way corridors, anti-viral disinfectant wipes, and daily temperature checks in order to ensure that those who have returned to the office feel safe. Globally, businesses have learned to cope with these adverse circumstances, but there are other lessons from the past year that we should use to refresh the workplace as well. (more…)

September 21, 2021

Low earners have lost out on job satisfaction to high paid staff

by Jayne Smith • News, Working culture, Working lives

Huge changes in the world of work over the past 30 years have led to people having a greater attachment to their work, but also rising levels of stress and falling levels of control, which has coincided with low earners losing their ‘job satisfaction premium’ over higher paid colleagues, according to new research from think tank the Resolution Foundation. (more…)

September 17, 2021

Over a third of UK adults have suffered discrimination at work

by Jayne Smith • News, Working culture, Workplace

New research into workplace discrimination, commissioned by CIPHR, claims just how widespread employment bias is in the UK. On average, one in six people (16 percent) report having suffered ageism, one in ten (10 percent) say they have been the subject of gender-based discrimination (12 percent of women and 7 percent of men), and around one in twelve feel that they have been on the receiving end of prejudicial treatment because of a disability, their race or sexual orientation (9 percent, 9 percent and 8 percent respectively), at some point in their careers. (more…)

September 10, 2021

The Great Workplace Conversation gets quieter and more interesting

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing, Workplace design

I recently stumbled upon the phrase epistemic trespass, which describes the phenomenon of people making judgements in fields in which they have no expertise. I came across it as it was used to explain the sudden explosion of opinions about Afghanistan from a hitherto unknown horde of experts. Which may or may not be the same horde that has been so very certain about immunology and public health during the pandemic. It’s an old idea and one that needs to be treated with care, for reasons set out by Noah Smith here. But it is useful in some ways because we all recognise the phenomenon and how social media amplifies it. (more…)

September 8, 2021

Landlords and occupiers must work together to meet climate change challenge

by Neil Franklin • Environment, Flexible working, News, Property

Disruption, cost, building style, individual goals, responsibility and shared space are cited as the key sustainability challenges for the flexible office sector, according to the latest research report from The Instant Group. But while there is still a lot of work to be done in the sector as the role of the workplace evolves, Instant says that flex operators have an opportunity to lead the way in meeting the challenge of climate change. By creating innovative, low-carbon buildings, curating a clear engagement strategy with occupiers and landlords, and ensuring a low-carbon ambition is understood and adopted by everyone, flex operators can be the first to implement highly sustainable workplaces. (more…)