March 4, 2020
Search Results for: productivity
March 3, 2020
Remote working has no effect on careers, research suggests. But…
Working from home is known to be good for a strong work-life balance, advantageous for employee productivity, and is even touted as being beneficial for the environment. However, telecommuting has also carried a stigma that employees who work remotely have difficulties rising in their career. (more…)
March 3, 2020
What is the evidence for the benefits of basic income?
The idea of giving everybody something called basic income – an unconditional, regular income – has become increasingly popular in the last few years, partly because employment has become less secure and people fear that increasing automation may cause job losses across many sectors. (more…)
March 2, 2020
Managers need more hugs and fewer squeezes at work
A new report from the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) claims that better support for line managers is needed in the workplace. The Squeezed Middle: Why we should be hugging and not squeezing line managers recommends that HR metaphorically ‘hugs and not squeezes’ people in management roles, if organisations are looking to lower health related sickness absence and stimulate productivity growth. (more…)
February 28, 2020
Average worker does nearly £7,000 worth of unpaid overtime a year
UK employers claimed £35 billion of free labour last year because of workers doing unpaid overtime, according to an analysis of official statistics published today by the TUC. More than 5 million people put in an average of 7.6 hours a week in unpaid overtime during 2019, it claims. On average, that equates to having £6,828 taken out of individual pay packets. (more…)
February 27, 2020
Pointless meetings are part of the routine say workers
Three-quarters of UK workers see pointless meetings as “normal” and 6 in 10 have attended a meeting that had no productive outcomes, a new survey claims. The research involved more than 4,000 full-time workers in the US, UK, France and Germany, including more 1,000 in the UK. The data suggests that the US undertakes the most zero-outcome meetings, with 8 in 10 respondents saying they have attended a useless meeting in their current job. (more…)
February 27, 2020
Poor interpersonal skills are a worry for small businesses
The negative impact that poor interpersonal skills can have on growing companies has been highlighted by a new survey of 500 small business owners. The research by Tempo suggests the main effects of bad people skills in the workplace are losing a client or customer, receiving complaints from co-workers and a decrease in productivity, each of which was cited by about a third of respondents.
February 26, 2020
Wellbeing in the workplace consultation announced
Wellbeing advocacy group ukactive has announced a new partnership with HCA Healthcare UK, to undertake a consultation into health and physical activity in the workplace. The partnership brings together the independent research expertise of not-for-profit health body ukactive and the resources of healthcare provider, HCA UK. Anna Davison of ukactive can be heard speaking about workplace wellbeing in the Wellness Maters podcast here. (more…)
February 26, 2020
UK squandering workers’ potential through lack of training
The UK is ignoring the value of millions of workers by overlooking workplace training and opportunities to upskill, a new survey has suggested. According to the Missing Millions report from City & Guilds Group, a third of employees have either not received workplace training in the last five years or have never had any such training – equating to 17.8 million people in the UK with outdated skills. The result, the report claims, is declining productivity and problems remaining competitive. (more…)
February 24, 2020
Flexible working: one in three undeterred by career damage
One in three US workers have told researchers nothing would stop them from taking advantage of flexible working options, despite the potential damage to their career. According to a survey of 1,000 US white-collar professionals by Deloitte, another one in three say the consequences for their professional growth and lack of trust from managers would put them off working flexibly. Eight in ten respondents agreed a traditional work setting, defined as regular attendance at an office or working normal business hours, is important for advancing their career. (more…)
February 21, 2020
Poor health means today is “first productive day of year”
Today is the first productive day of the year for UK employees, according to new research which claims 38 working days were lost, on average, by each employee last year due to physical and mental health related absence and presenteeism. The study puts the cost to businesses and the economy of these lost days (which in reality are of course spread out across the whole year) at £91.9bn in 2019, an increase of more than £10bn on 2018. (more…)
February 27, 2020
The integration of people, place and policy will define the new workplace era
by Frances Gain • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design