Search Results for: people

Standing desks may not be any better for you than office chairs

Standing desks may not be any better for you than office chairs

by • Furniture, News, Wellbeing

A new large scale study from researchers in Australia suggests that the use of standing desks does not have the impact claimed and that the risks of some conditions may even be worsenedLast week at Orgatec, many firms continued to repeat the claim that “sitting is the new smoking” in their marketing spiel. There’s something in this. The risks of a sedentary lifestyle include health problems such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Standing desks have been seen as a way to reduce the time people spend sitting while at work as a fix for such health problems. But a new large scale study from researchers in Australia suggests that the use of standing desks does not have the impact claimed and that the risks of some conditions may even be worsened with their prolonged use. Instead people should look to move more, regardless of their workstation setup.  (more…)

Sick days rise 41 percent over last three years as business productivity falls post-pandemic

Sick days rise 41 percent over last three years as business productivity falls post-pandemic

by • News

sick daysSick days have surged by 41 percent over the past three years as employers continue to struggle with declining levels of productivity. The latest Hiring Trends Index by Totaljobs, surveying 1000 UK HR decision-makers, highlights how this rise in absenteeism is perpetuating a cycle of poor business performance affecting both employers and employees. (more…)

Issue 22 of IN Magazine is here for you

Issue 22 of IN Magazine is here for you

by • IN Magazine, News, Premium Content

The new issue of IN Magazine is available for you to read here.The new issue of IN Magazine is available for you to read here. In this issue: it’s events season and we look forward to Orgatec and back on Material Matters; we profile the most important workplace thinker of  the past fifty years whose ideas are as relevant as ever; we visit a new office for one of the many tech firms making Munich their home; ask why people often seem to prefer ‘difficult’ analogue tech to digital; explore a new generation of life sciences workplaces; Helen Parton considers how workplaces can add social value; Jo Knight thinks we need to be careful about the unintended consequences of recycling; we wonder how people can regain a sense of connection; and there are all the news stories, comment pieces and podcasts you need. All free to read in the digital edition of IN Magazine.

Manchester joins Horizon CommuniCity Project

Manchester joins Horizon CommuniCity Project

by • Cities, News

Manchester has become the first UK city outside of London to join the European Union’s CommuniCity initiativeManchester has become the first UK city outside of London to join the European Union’s CommuniCity initiative, a programme designed to empower local people and organisations in developing innovative solutions to social challenges. As the second UK city to participate (following London), Manchester is now part of this three-year initiative led by Horizon Europe, the EU’s primary funding programme for research and innovation. CommuniCity seeks to engage communities, businesses, and organisations to create technical solutions that address social inequalities. (more…)

First impressions count, and they’re harder to achieve through a screen

First impressions count, and they’re harder to achieve through a screen

by • News, Technology

It appears to be more difficult to form accurate first impressions of a person’s personality during a videoconference compared with a face-to-face encounterAccording to an oft-cited study by psychologists at Princeton, we more or less make our minds about other people within one tenth of a second of meeting them. Experience suggests first impressions are often wrong, or at least incomplete, but at least we can correct ourselves. According to a new study in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, many people says that it’s even harder to form an accurate impression of someone they meet through a screen. Marie-Catherine Mignault and colleagues at Cornell University questioned whether this perception was valid. Specifically, they wanted to know if it was actually more difficult to form accurate first impressions of a person’s personality during a videoconference compared with a face-to-face encounter. (more…)

Reactions to the UK’s new Employment Rights Bill

Reactions to the UK’s new Employment Rights Bill

by • News, Workplace

Details of the UK's new Employment Rights Bill were released yesterday. The legislation represents what the government claims is a significant overhaul of workers' rights, offering more protections and benefits and helping to promote practices like flexible workingDetails of the UK’s new Employment Rights Bill were released yesterday. The legislation represents what the government claims is a significant overhaul of workers’ rights, offering more protections and benefits and helping to promote practices like flexible working. Key elements of the bill include granting workers access to statutory sick pay and parental leave from the first day of employment, and introducing a ban on exploitative zero-hour contracts. It also aims to curb controversial “fire and rehire” practices and gives employees the right to claim unfair dismissal from day one, rather than after two years of service. However, businesses will still be allowed to operate probationary periods to ensure fit for roles, with discussions suggesting a maximum of six months. (more…)

Striking the delicate balance of AI regulation and innovation

Striking the delicate balance of AI regulation and innovation

by • AI, Comment, Technology

As AI continues to advance, navigating the balance between regulation and innovation will have a huge impact on how successful the technology can beAs AI continues to advance, navigating the balance between regulation and innovation will have a huge impact on how successful the technology can be. The EU AI Act came into force this summer, which is a move in the right direction towards classifying AI risk. At the same time, the Labour government has set out its intention to focus on the role of technology and innovation as key drivers for the UK economy. For example, planning to create a Regulatory Innovation Office that will support regulators to update existing regulation more quickly, as technology advances. (more…)

Two students just proved that Meta’s new smart glasses are not rose-tinted

Two students just proved that Meta’s new smart glasses are not rose-tinted

by • AI, Comment, SF, Technology

By combining smart glasses with AI and face recognition software, two students have exposed something troublingBe honest, did you smirk a little when everyone was posting their ‘legal’ message to Instagram? You probably saw it doing the rounds, after all it was one of the most viral trends ever posted on the app. Stories were flooded with a message reading “Goodbye Meta Al. Please note an attorney has advised us to put this on, failure to do so may result in legal consequences. As Meta is now a public entity all members must post a similar statement. If you do not post at least once it will be assumed you are okay with them using your information and photos. I do not give Meta or anyone else permission to use any of my personal data, profile information or photos”. (more…)

UK’s best workplaces honoured at BCO Awards. And the winner isn’t an office

UK’s best workplaces honoured at BCO Awards. And the winner isn’t an office

by • Company news, News, Property, Workplace design

The BCO has announced what it says is a list of the UK's best workplaces this year, with eight projects receiving accolades at its National AwardsThe British Council for Offices (BCO) has announced what it says are the UK’s most exceptional workplaces this year, with eight projects receiving accolades at its National Awards. The TTP Campus, a life sciences facility in Cambridgeshire, was the standout winner, claiming both the Best of the Best and Corporate Workplace awards. The awards, held at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London, celebrate excellence in office design, operation, sustainability, and community engagement. The event, attended by over 1,200 industry leaders and featuring guest speaker Clare Balding, highlighted the best workplaces that inspire creativity and positively impact local communities. (more…)

Accessible and inclusive design should be a priority for the property market

Accessible and inclusive design should be a priority for the property market

by • News, Property, Workplace design

The joint report, Inclusive Spaces and Places: A collaborative approach to inclusive design, highlights the urgent need for inclusive design in the built environmentGrosvenor and The Crown Estate have launched a new report that aims to shed light on the challenges faced by people with physical and hidden disabilities when accessing and working within buildings and public spaces across the UK. The joint report, Inclusive Spaces and Places: A collaborative approach to inclusive design, highlights the urgent need for inclusive design in the built environment, emphasising the barriers that prevent millions from fully engaging with public and commercial spaces as well as the potential societal and economic losses this results in. (more…)

Over 57 and looking for work? Forget it, say HR managers

Over 57 and looking for work? Forget it, say HR managers

by • News, Workplace

Millions of people aged 57 and over in the UK are being overlooked when looking for work, as employers consider this age too oldMillions of workers aged 57 and over in the UK are being overlooked for job opportunities, as employers increasingly consider this age ‘too old’ to hire, according to a new poll. The survey, conducted by Totaljobs, claims that a third of people over 50 worry they will struggle to find work due to age discrimination, with one in seven reporting being rejected for jobs because of their age. The study suggests that two-fifths of HR decision-makers have faced pressure to hire younger candidates, placing older workers at a disadvantage when looking for work. In response, more than a fifth of over-50s have chosen to omit their age from their CVs, while a quarter hesitate to apply for roles, fearing potential bias. (more…)

Office design goes to the movies

Office design goes to the movies

by • Features, Workplace design

What can the movies tell us about office designFollowing our recent attempts to create a rudimentary playlist of songs that tell us something, or perhaps nothing, about office design, office life and office furniture, here’s another look at how the parochial world of the workplace can brush up against popular culture. It does this unnoticed for most people, I suppose, but not for those of us bound up in this world. We’re not the sort of people who can ignore the regular, brief glimpse of an Aeron chair’s ubiquitous mesh without a synapse of recognition sparking up. So, here is a brief rundown of nine movies that use office design to make a plot point or set up a character development.

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