Search Results for: productivity

Workplace professionals should look to the consumer sector for boosting engagement

Workplace professionals should look to the consumer sector for boosting engagement 0

by • Comment, Facilities management, Workplace, Workplace design

Bright Office Lobby

More and more businesses are recognising the power of the workplace experience to drive employee performance and engagement. Global brand Airbnb, for example, has now renamed its head of human resources as “chief employee experience officer.” This is good news for workplace design and management professionals. We are well placed to capitalise on this shift in business opinion, but if we want to make a tangible impact, we need to bring practical solutions to the table. First and foremost, these need to be backed up by research. There have been few studies specifically into what makes a healthy and productive work environment. However, there are a number of research projects that examine how a human being’s surroundings impact their mood and behaviour, and in particular how consumer environments shape customers’ perception of and engagement with a brand. As workplace professionals, we can learn a great deal from this consumer research and this is why workplace design and management teams should look towards consumer-facing industries for inspiration.

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Number of people who commute over two hours a day increases by a third

Number of people who commute over two hours a day increases by a third 0

by • Environment, Facilities management, Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Number of people who commute over two hours a day increases by third

One in seven UK employees commute over two hours or more each day. This represents an increase of nearly a third (31 percent) over the past five years, which claims the TUC, is due to a combination of low wages, high house/rental prices and the government’s lack of transport infrastructure spending, According to a new analysis by the union to mark Work Wise UK’s Commute Smart Week, in 2015 3.7 million workers had daily commutes of two hours or longer – an increase of 900,000 since 2010 (2.8 million). In 2015 one in seven UK employees (14 percent) travelled two hours or more each day to and from work, compared to one in nine in 2010 (11 percent). UK workers spent 10 hours extra, on average, commuting in 2015 than they did in 2010. This is the equivalent of an extra 2.7 minutes per day. London (930,000) has the highest number of employees who make long commutes, followed by the South East (623,000) and the East of England (409,000); while workers in Northern Ireland (+57 percent) have experienced the biggest rise in long commuting, followed by the South East (+37 percent) and the West Midlands (+27 percent).

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The UK’s infrastructure is improving but too slowly for most organisations

The UK’s infrastructure is improving but too slowly for most organisations 0

by • Flexible working, News, Property, Technology

technological-infrastructureAlmost half of firms (44 percent) believe the UK’s infrastructure has improved over the past five years, but only a quarter (27 percent) think it will pick up in the next five years, and two thirds (64 percent) suspect it will hamper the country’s international competitiveness in the coming decades, according to the 2016 CBI/AECOM Infrastructure Survey. Delivery of key projects already in the pipeline emerged as the top priority among the 728 firms surveyed. Delivery of £38 billion of investment in the rail network through Control Period 5 (99 percent of respondents), and £15 billion of investment in the UK’s motorways and A-roads through the Road Investment Strategy (97 percent of respondents) rank highly, as does delivery of a new runway in the South East (85 percent) & HS2 (80 percent). Many firms have specific concerns about teh country’s digital infrastructure including the ability tow work on teh go on trains and elsewhere.

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Business association calls for action on high cost of childcare

Business association calls for action on high cost of childcare 0

by • Flexible working, News

childcareThe British Chambers of Commerce and Middlesex University, have published a new survey to gauge the opinion of business leaders on the cost and availability of childcare and its impact on the workforce. The survey of businesses claims that a third of firms (33 percent) regard the availability of childcare as a key issue in recruiting and retaining staff. The survey of more than 1,600 business leaders across the UK also claims that over a quarter (28 percent) of firms have seen a reduction of working hours by staff due to the cost of childcare, while nearly 1 in 10 (9 percent) have seen employees leave their business. Although the survey suggests that nearly 40 percent of businesses already view government plans to double the availability of free childcare next year as likely to have a positive impact on their business, the BCC is calling on government to go further. It says the administration should consider the costs and benefits of a universal entitlement up until school entry, which would help more firms retain and promote productive staff, and help working parents progress.

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Vast majority of UK employers are against a ‘hard Brexit’ finds CIPD

Vast majority of UK employers are against a ‘hard Brexit’ finds CIPD 0

by • Knowledge, Legal news, News, Workplace

Vast majority of UK employers are against a 'hard' Brexit' finds CIPD

The implications of Brexit are raising concerns over a reduction in employers’ intentions to invest in their staff and its effects on access to migrant labour. As a result, according to the latest quarterly CIPD/Adecco Group Labour Market Outlook, while employment growth looks set to continue in the UK, there are signs that this is beginning to slow and that real wages are likely to fall during 2017 for many employees. The data shows that the net employment balance, while remaining in positive territory at +22, based on the difference between the share of employers expanding their workforce and the share of employers reducing their workforce, has shown a slight negative decline from the previous quarter’s figure of +27. Although 42 percent of employers believe that future restrictions on EU labour could damage their UK operations, just 15 percent have started to prepare for this eventuality; which is probably why the vast majority are against a ‘hard Brexit’.

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The changing workplaces of Australia’s law firms; more in common with hotels than offices

The changing workplaces of Australia’s law firms; more in common with hotels than offices 0

by • Architecture, Features, Workplace design

m11795_n10Features such as baristas, sky terraces and fine dining will continue a process of transformation at the workplaces of Australia’s leading law firms over the next few years, claims a study by Melbourne based architecture practice Bates Smart. The report claims that the legal workplaces of today are are already unrecognisable compared to what was considered typical yesterday, having more in common with a five star hotel than a traditional office. Bates Smart predicts an even greater shift towards flexibility, collaboration and hospitality from legal firms in the future with the publication of four key findings in its new whitepaper, The Legal Workplace 2020, The report analyses trends in over 135,000 sq. m. of legal practice workplaces and draws conclusions that are indicative of key trends for law firms and the wider market alike.

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Global case for healthy green building provided ‘for first time’

Global case for healthy green building provided ‘for first time’ 0

by • Company news, Environment, Facilities management

12495813 - green buildings with tree over grass. illustration

A global business case for healthy green building design and management has been provided ‘for the first time’ in a new report from the World Green Building Council with examples of the benefits to employers, building owners, designers and developers. The new report Building the Business Case: Health, Wellbeing and Productivity in Green Offices highlights ‘the global momentum behind healthy and green office design and operation’ and showcases over 15 buildings from around the world.  The research provides further evidence in the ways that green offices keep staff healthy and happy, improves productivity and boosts business’ bottom line. Steps like improving air quality, increasing natural light and introducing greenery – those which typically have environmental benefits such as using less energy – may also have an impact on the bottom line by improving employee productivity and reducing absenteeism, staff turnover and medical costs, according to the report.

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Employers increased focus on wellbeing lacks adequate training and support

Employers increased focus on wellbeing lacks adequate training and support 0

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

wellbeing-glassNearly half (46 percent) of employers say that their organisation has increased its focus on wellbeing over the last 12 months; and when asked the reasons for this, 63 percent of respondents to the 2016 CIPD/Simplyhealth Absence Management Survey said they want their organisation to be a great place to work, 47 percent said their organisation believes employee well-being is linked to business performance, and 43 percent said their organisation believes it’s the right thing to do. Additionally, nearly two-fifths (37 percent) of organisations that invest in wellbeing say they have increased their well-being spend over the last twelve months and almost two-thirds (64 percent) have improved communications to staff about the wellbeing benefits on offer and how to access them. However, the survey found that while more employers are recognising the value of line managers in managing absence at work, they are not giving them the tools and support necessary to do it effectively.

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UK Green Building Council’s HQ claims to set new environmental standards in office refurbishment

UK Green Building Council’s HQ claims to set new environmental standards in office refurbishment 0

by • Case studies, Environment, Facilities management, News, Wellbeing, Workplace design

uk-gbc-hqBy achieving the lowest embodied carbon footprint ever recorded for an office refurbishment in the UK, the new headquarters in Central London for the UK Green Building Council is designed to inspire and encourage employers, landlords and occupiers alike to set the bar high when upgrading their office spaces, according to the organisation. It claims that the project is an exemplar for sustainable office refurbishment and features a range of wellbeing measures. UK-GBC says it hopes that this landmark project will also demonstrate that even a 160m² floorspace can deliver commercial, social and environmental value if each decision is challenged and scrutinised. Wellbeing measures have been incorporated into the design in order to improve staff satisfaction, productivity and overall health and wellness. These measures include: a living wall with over 1,500 plants; an innovative ventilation system, which has delivered a 750 percent increase in background fresh air; an automated low-energy LED lighting system; and products and finishes that minimisepollutants from the air.

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Wellbeing threat for UK workers who don’t see daylight in winter

Wellbeing threat for UK workers who don’t see daylight in winter 0

by • Facilities management, Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Working in winter wellbeing

The customary debate over putting the clocks back has come and gone, as has the average workers chances of seeing any daylight until the early spring, for according to new research, the average office worker will now only be seeing daylight for less than an hour (52 minutes) a week. Nine in 10 rarely glimpse daylight during the winter months as they arrive at and leave work in the dark, according to a poll of 2,000 workers by Get More Vitamin Drinks. The average person will only leave the building for a total of 52 minutes during the week, although two-thirds admit there are at least two weeks in every month where they don’t spend any time outside at all. Unsurprisingly, just under half of office workers believe their work suffers as a direct result of the lack of sunlight – with productivity dropping rapidly from around 2pm. The study shows two thirds of office workers will start finding it difficult to concentrate by the early hours of the afternoon in winter as a direct result of being stuck inside.

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Toxic culture at work a leading grievance for unhappy staff 0

by • Flexible working, News, Workplace

resignation lettersNearly a third of UK workers (30 percent) would not describe themselves as happy at work and would move jobs for better benefits and a more pleasant workplace culture, a new survey claims. The report by Perkbox finds that the power of ‘Thank You’ in business is an overlooked and often underestimated resource, yet its influence to elevate moods, increase engagement and uplift productivity is profound. Over two thirds (69 percent) of UK workers polled rate company perks and benefits as important to their overall satisfaction and more than a quarter (26 percent) rate lack of reward and recognition for good work as their number one grievance at work. Yet over half (53 percent) of UK companies do not formally recognise outstanding employees on a regular basis, while 44 percent believe that rewards and recognition are either very or extremely relevant to their business. UK workers also reported that a toxic negative culture at work was their biggest grievance (cited by 21 percent of respondents) while 17 percent highlighted micro management and 15 percent said long hours. In London, nearly half (48 percent) of workers would be likely to switch to a job that offered better benefits and overall women are more likely than men to consider work/life balance an important factor in switching jobs (41 percent vs 35 percent).

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One in six public sector jobs to be lost to automation, claims report

One in six public sector jobs to be lost to automation, claims report 0

by • News, Public Sector, Technology

public-sector-automationUp to 861,000 public sector jobs in the UK – around 16 percent of the overall workforce – could be automated by 2030 according to research by Deloitte. The research builds on Deloitte’s work with Oxford University on job automation and is included in the firm’s The State of the State report for 2016-17 – its annual analysis of the state of public finances and the challenges facing public services. Deloitte’s previous work has shown that all sectors of the UK economy will be affected by automation in the next two decades, with 74 percent of jobs in transportation and storage, 59 percent of jobs in wholesale and retail and 56 percent of jobs in manufacturing having a high chance of being automated. The public sector includes higher numbers of roles in areas such as education and caring, as well as jobs requiring public interaction, all of which are at lower risk of automation. However, Deloitte calculates that automation could still lead to a reduction of up to £17 billion in public sector wage costs by 2030.

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