Search Results for: performance

Sustainable offices attract higher service charges

Sustainable offices attract higher service charges

by • Environment, Facilities management, News

The most efficient and sustainable offices attract higher than average service charges, a new report claimsOffice buildings with the highest efficiency and sustainability ratings tend to have higher than average service charges, a report from accountancy and business advisory firm BDO claims. The firm’s latest benchmarking report suggests that offices with an ‘outstanding’ or ‘excellent’ Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) certification had total service charge costs that were 26 percent higher than the other offices it surveyed. Meanwhile, total service charge costs were 6 percent higher for sustainable offices with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of A or B compared to all other offices. (more…)

Half of UK businesses expect 2024 to be easier than 2023

Half of UK businesses expect 2024 to be easier than 2023

by • Business, News

UK businesses are hopeful for 2024 according to new research from Pleo. The CFO’s Playbook for 2024, which polled over +500 UK financial decision makers, found that almost 50 percent of UK businesses believe 2024 will be “easier” than 2023 (vs. 35 percent believing it will be harder and 15 percent anticipating that it will be the same as last year). As such, with a waning concern around inflation – a 20 percent decrease since 2023 –  businesses are targeting more ambitious goals. Nearly three quarters are prioritising cash growth, and while this was also the primary objective of businesses last year, findings show a 163 percent increase in British businesses focussed on this ambition. (more…)

Of mice and men

Of mice and men

by • Comment, Flexible working, Technology

What humble computer mice can tell us about the way we now work. Or how the law of unintended consequences applies to hybrid workersThe history of the humble computer mouse dates back to the 1960s and engineer Douglas Engelbart’s work on improving the way people and computers interact. He initially called the device he envisaged a ‘bug’ but the first prototype he created with Bill English was so unmistakeably a rodent that there was only one thing they could have called it. If only they had settled the question of whether the plural was mouses or mice. (more…)

Narcissistic leaders are bad for share value but do have their uses

Narcissistic leaders are bad for share value but do have their uses

by • Business, News

arcissistic leaders are bad for share value, unless they are seen to stimulate innovation and growth at companies suffering from corporate inertiaNarcissistic leaders are bad for share value, unless they are seen to stimulate innovation and growth at companies suffering from corporate inertia, according to research which analysed how CEO narcissism affects stock recommendations from securities analysts. The study by Nottingham Business School (UK), Middle Tennessee State University (US), and the University of Leeds (UK) is the first to explore the relationship between CEOs who are linked to excessive risk taking and their value to a company. The paper “Chief executive officer narcissism, corporate inertia, and securities analysts’ stock recommendations” has been published in the journal Strategic Organisation. (more…)

New RIBA guidance sets out to demystify smart building technology 

New RIBA guidance sets out to demystify smart building technology 

by • Architecture, News, Technology

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has published its Smart Building Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has published its Smart Building Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work. Developed with ScanTech Digital, Glider Technology, Kier and Hoare Lea, RIBA says this free resource will support anyone involved in the design of newbuild, retrofit or refurbishment projects to implement smart building technology. The Smart Building Overlay introduces smart building terminology and outlines the benefits of embedding smart building technology from the outset. Its principles can be applied to projects of all scales and scopes. (more…)

Cost of living pressures hurting productivity and wellbeing

Cost of living pressures hurting productivity and wellbeing

by • News, Workplace

three quarters (74 percent) of HR leaders fear the cost of living crisis is affecting employee performanceNew research investigating how cost of living pressures are impacting the workforce has found that three quarters (74 percent) of HR leaders fear the cost of living crisis is affecting employee performance. In the survey of 500 UK HR Directors, carried out by Nous.co, a third (34 percent) of HR leaders said they’d noticed a drop in productivity due to employees having other things on their minds. Three quarters (74 percent) said financial pressures were directly affecting employee performance. (more…)

Chance to retrofit offices is going begging, report claims

Chance to retrofit offices is going begging, report claims

by • Environment, Facilities management, News, Property

significant opportunities are being missed by office investors, owners, and occupiers who do not have clear strategies to retrofit offices in placeThe UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has launched new guidance on retrofitting large office buildings. Setting out the most cost- and carbon-effective retrofit measures in the immediate and longer term, the guidance reframes retrofit as an iterative process rather than a standalone project. UKGBC has found that significant opportunities are being missed by office investors, owners, and occupiers who do not have clear strategies to retrofit offices in place. Firstly, through missing the “easy wins” –low cost, low disruption measures that reduce energy consumption – and secondly, through missing key “trigger points” in lease and maintenance cycles that facilitate easier, more efficient retrofit. (more…)

Regional divides, falling incomes, booming jobs markets; and lower productivity. The current state of the UK

Regional divides, falling incomes, booming jobs markets; and lower productivity. The current state of the UK

by • Business, Cities, News

No part of the UK has escaped the impact of a flatlining economy and falling productivity since 2010, according to new analysisNo part of the UK has escaped the impact of the flatlining of the UK economy since 2010, according to new analysis published by the Centre for Cities in its Cities Outlook 2024 report. At the national level, people have been left with £10,200 less to spend or save on average since 2010 than if the economy had grown at pre-2010 trends. The report also suggests that a marked rise in employment has happened in parallel with overall falling productivity. (more…)

Entries now open for the Sustainable Design Collective Annual Awards

Entries now open for the Sustainable Design Collective Annual Awards

by • Company news, Environment, Furniture

The Sustainable Design Collective (SDC) – a ‘think tank’ group of leading design professionals working in the office workplace sector - has opened entries for its annual awards.The Sustainable Design Collective (SDC) – a think tank of leading design professionals working in the office workplace sector – has opened entries for its annual awards. The announcement follows confirmation of the dates for the second SD Forum to be held on 25th April at the Crypt on the Green in Clerkenwell, London. Free to enter, the Awards are designed to champion ‘best practice’ and highlight innovations leading to greater sustainability within the office workplace. There are three categories: New build and retrofit projects; New products and materials; Innovation including new services or IT solutions as well as collaborations with not-for-profit organisations. (more…)

Many employers don’t think GenZ are well prepared for the workplace

Many employers don’t think GenZ are well prepared for the workplace

by • News

A new poll from WorkL claims that half of employers believe that Gen Z is not entering the workplace well-equipped with the skills and knowledge neededA new poll from WorkL claims that half of employers believe that Generation Z is not entering the workplace well-equipped with the skills and knowledge needed for their roles. The annual WorkL Global Workforce Report 2024 suggests that mentoring initiatives are being implemented by employers to support Gen Z, with four in ten employers taking the step. Having been significantly impacted by the global pandemic and the shift in traditional working practices, WorkL has seen a falling engagement score for the youngest demographic over the last 12 months; decreasing from 71 percent in 2021 down to just 67 percent in 2023, a concerning four percentage point decrease and the lowest score out of all age groups. (more…)

Herman Miller expands OE1 Workspace Collection

Herman Miller expands OE1 Workspace Collection

by • Company news, Furniture

The OE1 Workspace Collection from Herman Miller, designed by Sam Hecht and Kim Colin of  London-based Industrial Facility is being updated to include new productivity-enhancing  solutions.Introducing the OE1 Sit-Stand Table and other essential pieces for agile workspaces. The OE1 Workspace Collection from Herman Miller, designed by Sam Hecht and Kim Colin of  London-based Industrial Facility is being updated to include new productivity-enhancing  solutions. (more…)

Over one quarter of employees do not trust their CEO to be honest and transparent

Over one quarter of employees do not trust their CEO to be honest and transparent

by • News, Workplace

A new poll claims that over one quarter (26 percent) of employees in the UK do not trust their CEO to be open and honest, while 24 percent do not trust their senior leadership to do the same. According to the survey of 2,000 employees in the UK from Personio, transparency and employer-employee communication are pivotal to a positive employee experience and trust in the workplace. The research suggests that feeling unheard by leadership could be fuelling employees’ distrust. Over a quarter (28 percent) of employees surveyed say that they are not given a chance to share feedback to leadership on their experiences. Meanwhile, less than half (46 percent) of employees feel that leadership in their organisation actually listens and acts on any feedback when given from staff. (more…)

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