Search Results for: productivity

Younger workers are upbeat about career prospects but expect more from employers

Younger workers are upbeat about career prospects but expect more from employers

Younger workers are the most optimistic about their career prospects but also the most likely to look for new opportunities if their ambitions are not met,Younger workers are the most optimistic about their career prospects but also the most likely to look for new opportunities if their ambitions are not met, according to PwC’s 2025 Global Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey. The study, which gathered responses from 2,023 UK employees across 28 sectors, found that 62 percent of Generation Z professionals (aged 18 to 28) feel optimistic about the future of their roles, almost double the proportion of Generation X workers at 35 percent. Despite economic uncertainty and technological disruption, Gen Z also show the highest levels of motivation, with 71 percent saying they look forward to going to work compared to 55 percent of Gen X respondents. (more…)

Employers increasingly see AI as a way of reducing headcount

Employers increasingly see AI as a way of reducing headcount

UK firms are bullish about the use of GenAI but their employees are not so certain, according to a new pollOne in six (17 percent) employers expect AI to shrink their workforce over the next year, with junior roles most at risk, according to the CIPD’s latest Labour Market Outlook which surveyed over 2,000 employers on their hiring, redundancy and pay plans.  Of those, almost two thirds (62 percent) believe that clerical, junior managerial, professional or administrative roles are most likely to be lost because of AI. The risk is highest in large private sector firms, where one in four (26 percent) expect headcount to fall, compared with 17 percent in the private sector overall and 20 percent in the public sector. (more…)

HR leaders don’t really get why people are worried about the changing workplace

HR leaders don’t really get why people are worried about the changing workplace

A quarter of UK employees have considered leaving their jobs because of the constant pace of change in the workplaceA quarter of UK employees have considered leaving their jobs because of the constant pace of change in the workplace, according to new research commissioned by Investors in People. The nationally representative survey, conducted by Censuswide, found that nearly 20 percent of workers feel worn down by the volume of organisational change. More than a third said they can cope but find it increasingly exhausting. The findings form part of Investors in People’s latest white paper, Finding the Frequency [registration], which explores how British organisations can manage change more effectively and build resilience among employees. (more…)

Government report warns of growing health-related economic inactivity

Government report warns of growing health-related economic inactivity

The Government has published its final Keep Britain Working report, warning that the United Kingdom faces a continuing rise in economic inactivity linked to ill health, disability and long-term sicknessThe Government has published its final Keep Britain Working report, warning that the United Kingdom faces a continuing rise in economic inactivity linked to ill health, disability and long-term sickness. The report, issued by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Business and Trade, sets out evidence that more people are leaving the workforce because of health conditions, reducing productivity and increasing costs for employers and the state. (more…)

A new era of ergonomic design: HAT Collective curated showcase is now open at the Interstuhl showroom, Clerkenwell

A new era of ergonomic design: HAT Collective curated showcase is now open at the Interstuhl showroom, Clerkenwell

A new product showcase is now on display at the Interstuhl showroom, 17 Brewhouse Yard, Clerkenwell, London. Bringing together two leaders in ergonomic design innovation, HAT Collective and Interstuhl. HAT Collective, known for its Danish manufactured, precision-engineered ergonomic solutions, is now presented alongside Interstuhl’s world-class seating. Together, they offer visitors a single destination for complete ergonomic workspaces, where a fully realised, ergonomic workstation can be specified in one visit. (more…)

Amsterdam’s Workspace Design Show Unveils Sensory-Driven Feature Spaces

Amsterdam’s Workspace Design Show Unveils Sensory-Driven Feature Spaces

The Workspace Design Show showcases the latest transformative workplace interiors products, from furniture, seating, lighting, acoustics, surfaces, biophilia, tech and moreThis November, Workspace Design Show (Wednesday 5th to Thursday 6th November 2025, RAI Amsterdam) doesn’t just ask what the workplace should be; it lets you feel the answer. Five of the Netherlands’ most creative design studios have turned conversation into atmosphere, theory into tactility, and workplace talk into spaces you can smell, hear, shift and claim as your own. (more…)

Workplace design that supports health, learning and growth

Workplace design that supports health, learning and growth

In 2025, workplace design looks to prioritise employee health, learning, and growth.In 2025, workplace design looks to prioritise employee health, learning, and growth. This article will investigate how contemporary environments enhance wellness, handle technology, and adapt to the fluctuation of work. You will learn the techniques businesses use to amplify productivity and participation. The approaches and fundamentals that construct dynamic work environments are the focus of this article. (more…)

Most people now use unapproved AI tools despite security and privacy risks

Most people now use unapproved AI tools despite security and privacy risks

A new poll from Microsoft suggests that most UK employees are now using consumer AI tools at work without approval, raising growing concerns about data privacy and cybersecurityA new poll from Microsoft suggests that most UK employees are now using consumer AI tools at work without approval, raising growing concerns about data privacy and cybersecurity. According to the research, 71 percent of UK workers have used or tried unapproved “Shadow AI” tools for work purposes, with more than half (51 percent) doing so on a weekly basis. These tools are often used for writing reports and presentations, drafting communications, and even handling finance-related tasks. (more…)

Is a smart building worth it? My research says the answer is an unequivocal yes

Is a smart building worth it? My research says the answer is an unequivocal yes

Too often, clients have paid contractors for the design and delivery of a smart building whilst ignoring the operational sideFor my book, The Smart Building Advantage, in which I tracked the evolution of the recent built environment, I trawled through more than a decade’s worth of data. I wasn’t short of material. I studied the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco, 22 Bishopsgate in London and NEOM in Saudi Arabia, amongst many extraordinary examples of how buildings and technology can work together. From these, I concluded that smart buildings are like chameleons in the way they’ve adapted to meet the shifting demands of the corporate zeitgeist. (more…)

Not just cuckoo clocks. Why Switzerland is the world’s most innovative country

Not just cuckoo clocks. Why Switzerland is the world’s most innovative country

Switzerland retains its long-standing position as the world’s most innovative economy, followed closely by the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and SingaporeIn Orson Welles’ famous scene-stealing cameo in The Third Man, his character Harry Lime comes out with that (in)famous speech about Swiss culture. “In Italy for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance,” he says. “In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.” This does the Swiss a disservice in a number of ways, not least that a major new report claims that Switzerland is maintaining a long tradition as the most innovative country in the world. (more…)

Service charges rise as firms invest to encourage people to spend more time in the office

Service charges rise as firms invest to encourage people to spend more time in the office

Office occupiers faced a 9 percent increase in service charges last year as landlords and managing agents invested more heavily in maintenance and amenities to encourage people back into workplacesOffice occupiers faced a 9 percent increase in service charges last year as landlords and managing agents invested more heavily in maintenance and amenities to encourage people back into physical workplaces. The findings come from BDO’s latest PropCost benchmarking report, which tracks more than £600 million of expenditure across over 1,000 commercial properties. The data shows the average cost increase for offices followed a 15 percent rise the previous year, underlining the pressure on both landlords and tenants from higher running costs. (more…)

Young people aren’t lazy or disloyal. They just expect different leadership

Young people aren’t lazy or disloyal. They just expect different leadership

As they join the workforce in greater numbers, this new cohort is helping to redefine what work and leadership meanFor decades, the idea of a “good job” was measured with a simple formula: a stable contract and competitive salary. That rule does not seem to hold in the same way for Generation Z, broadly understood as those born between 1995 and 2010. As they join the workforce in greater numbers, this new cohort is helping to redefine what work and leadership mean. Salary still matters, of course, particularly when it comes to gaining independence in a time of high living costs, but many young people no longer see pay as the decisive factor in choosing or staying in a job. Instead, they are attentive to whether companies are genuine in their values, whether their work carries purpose, and whether employers are aware of their social impact. (more…)