June 6, 2019

BT to dispose of 90 percent of real estate

BT has announced that it plans to close more than 270 offices as part of a five-year programme to cut costs by around £1.5bn. The firm says it will retain 30 sites in its real estate portfolio, primarily those “containing modern, future-fit buildings, including corporate offices, contact centres and specialist sites”. BT has announced the first eight locations for its new consolidated offices as part of what it calls the “Better Workplace Programme”, which was first announced in May 2018. The offices will be located in London, Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Ipswich. (more…)

June 5, 2019

Workplaces around the UK are something to treasure

by Richard Kauntze • Comment, Property, Workplace design

The world is changing. Often without sense, often at startling speed. I need not mention the ‘B word’. However, there is a risk that this volatility leads to us being too negative. Today, too many people are speaking with too much pessimism. Don’t believe me? Try logging onto Twitter. In these challenging times, we need to also look at our strengths and celebrate areas where things are going well. The UK’s workplaces sector is one example of this, as shown by the BCO’s recent regional awards. (more…)

June 5, 2019

Workers want firms to improve environmental policies

by Marie Hillen • Environment, Facilities management, News, Workplace

Research commissioned to mark today’s World Environment Day claims employees expect their employers to commit to better environmental policies and sustainability, with three quarters of office workers (73 percent) wanting their workplace to improve its sustainability policy, and nearly a quarter (24 percent) claiming they would refuse a job at an organisation with a poor sustainability record.

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June 4, 2019

HR managers most concerned about AI job threat

by George Eltringham • News, Technology

A new study suggests that more than 7 in 10 Britons working in production are concerned that their jobs may be made obsolete thanks to developments in Artificial Intelligence in the coming years. What’s more, over two fifths of respondents believe AI could rebel against humans. As technology develops and more money and time is invested into AI, the public’s opinion has been explored, with those working in production, HR and construction uncovered to be the most worried that AI could take their jobs away from them. (more…)

June 4, 2019

Culture fit essential for personal productivity

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

Employees who feel they are a good fit for their role and the culture of their company are 36 percent more productive, claims a new report from ThriveMap (registration). The paper claims to reveal what a difference feeling like a natural fit for a job and organisational culture makes to employees. The survey of 1,000 people used in the report claims that employees who felt they fit their role and the culture of their employer rated their productivity at 7.2 out of 10. This compares to just 5.3 out of 10 for those employees who felt they were a poor fit for both these factors.

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June 3, 2019

Bisley modular storage system awarded Design Guild Mark

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Furniture, Workplace design

UK based storage firm Bisley has been awarded its second Design Guild mark for BOB, a hand-crafted modular storage and display system developed in collaboration with award winning British designer Paul Kelley. BOB’s configurations can be adapted for any use and environment, whether at home or in the workplace. The collaboration unifies Kelley’s design innovations with the craftsmanship and manufacturing expertise of Bisley. (more…)

June 3, 2019

Come for the rent, stay for the experience of coworking

by Aki Stamatis • Comment, Coworking, Workplace design

When attending last year’s CoreNet Global Summit in Boston, there was a poll of the real estate executives gathered to discuss the key trends affecting the world of commercial property. During the event we were asked about our attitudes to coworking by the event organisers and Cushman & Wakefield. What emerged was a portrait of genuine revolution in real estate thinking. The number of employees from the respondents’ organisations using coworking space had doubled in the previous two years and now stood at around 11 percent of all employees. (more…)

May 31, 2019

The far reaching impact of empathy in the workplace

by Beverley Nicholas • Comment, Workplace

The average career length is 50 years, and according to Gallup’s State of The Global Workplace report, during this time only 1 in 10 people are actively engaged. This illustrates that within the current landscape there is a need for companies to actively pursue strategies to better engage their employees. Embedding empathy in working culture is one way of achieving actively-engaged workers but it also has the added benefit of increasing productivity and business growth. This was revealed by a piece in the Harvard Business Review, which highlighted the top ten most empathetic companies outperformed the bottom ten by at least 50 percent in productivity, earnings and growth. (more…)

May 31, 2019

Commuters receive little help from employers to alleviate their stress

by Marie Hillen • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Over a third of respondents (36 percent) to a new survey report they are commuting for more than 90 minutes a day; yet despite a high demand for employer provisions to help alleviate the stress of the commute such as flexible or remote working and season ticket loans, 43 percent of employees stated that these were not currently offered by their employer. The Commuter Survey from Office Space in Town also claims that among the top commuting complaints were: lengthy journeys (32 percent); overcrowding (27 percent) and delays and frequent cancellations (26.01 percent). With the survey also revealing 75 percent take the commute into account when making their employment decisions, there is a lot that employers could be doing to minimise the negative impact on employee attraction and retention.

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May 31, 2019

Previous work experience poor predictor of future performance

by Mark Eltringham • News, Workplace

One of the most commonly used and longstanding recruitment practices should be reconsidered according to new research from academics at Florida State University. Screening job applicants based on their prior work experience is often a mistake for employers because there appears to be little or no correlation between previous experience and future performance, according to a paper from Chad Van Iddekinge, FSU’s Bank of America Professor of Management and an expert on human resources management. (more…)

May 30, 2019

Burnout recognised as a workplace phenomenon by WHO

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Although still not classified as a recognised medical condition, burnout has been included in the World Health Organization’s 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as an occupational phenomenon. It is described in the chapter: ‘Factors influencing health status or contact with health services’ – which includes reasons for which people contact health services but that are not classed as illnesses or health conditions. (more…)

May 30, 2019

Relationships with coworkers matter most for wellbeing

by George Eltringham • News, Wellbeing

A third of your life is spent at work, but what determines your workplace well-being? That’s the question that Dr. Martin Boult, Senior Director Professional Services & International Training, The Myers-Briggs Company, asked before starting a three-year international study on workplace wellbeing. His new report, titled “Wellbeing in the Workplace” from The Myers-Briggs Company explores the most effective activities for enhancing well-being and its benefits for both people and organisations. (more…)