Search Results for: society

ESG: only a third of people think their workplace has a positive impact on society and the environment

ESG: only a third of people think their workplace has a positive impact on society and the environment

ESGAccording to a poll from YuLife and YouGov, just over a third (39 percent) of people think their place of work has some sort of positive impact on society and the planet. This is in spite of the many announcements from organisations about how ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) can boost employee engagement and help them stand out from their competitors. With many businesses having upped their ESG investment in recent years,  the new YuLife-YouGov report claims to shed light on what UK working adults want and expect from their workplaces, equipping businesses with vital insights into how to focus their ESG programmes most effectively. (more…)

Life scientists want to help society, while engineers focus on advancing their own career

Life scientists want to help society, while engineers focus on advancing their own career

scientistsNew research from Professor Henry Sauermann of ESMT Berlin, and colleagues, claims academics from different fields have different motives for engaging in commercial activities. With life scientists considering social impact important and engineers focusing on career advancement. Interestingly, money was not a motive for engaging in commercial activities at all. (more…)

The workplace of the future and its tech must work for the good of society

The workplace of the future and its tech must work for the good of society

Businesses should focus on the greater good of people and society

Businesses should focus on the greater good of people and society

Modern corporations should work in the best interests of society and people rather than focusing primarily on making money for shareholders as they may have in the past, according to an influential group of chief executives. The body Business Roundtable, which represents the heads of some of America’s largest companies, including Apple, Amazon and Exxon Mobil, has issued a statement of its updated corporate governance principles. (more…)

Workplace wellbeing is focus of new report from British Psychological Society

A new report from the British Psychological Society, Psychology at Work: Improving Wellbeing and Productivity in the Workplace examines issues around work, health, and disability and recommends ways that policy makers and employers can tackle poor employment practices using interventions that work with human behaviour, not against it. The report has been launched today, Tuesday 14th November, at the BPS All-Parliamentary Group for Psychology’s (APPG) ‘Healthy Workplaces’ event hosted by Dr Lisa Cameron MP in the Houses of Parliament. Psychology at Work: Improving Wellbeing and Productivity in the Workplace’ was co-authored by Dr Ashley Weinberg, CPsychol AFBPsS, and Nancy Doyle CPsychol AFBPsS.

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Government report warns of ‘economic catastrophe’ as young people struggle with mental health

Government report warns of ‘economic catastrophe’ as young people struggle with mental health

Former health secretary Alan Milburn has warned that Britain risks a “generational, societal and economic catastrophe” unless employers and government adapt to rising levels of poor mental health among young peopleFormer health secretary Alan Milburn has warned that Britain risks a “generational, societal and economic catastrophe” unless employers and government adapt to rising levels of poor mental health among young people. An interim review led by Milburn into the growing number of 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training argues that businesses will need to provide greater flexibility, pastoral care and mental health support to what he describes as an “anxious generation”. (more…)

Has the algorithm pushed us too far?

Has the algorithm pushed us too far?

‘Why post your selfies if you don't get attention for it, you can't reach your friends and you're just competing with all of this remote, abstracted garbage out there?’When it comes to social media, the clue is in the title. My generation joined Facebook circa 2006 with the ambition of staying connected with friends, sharing photos of nights out and throwing the odd sheep at each other (I guess you had to be there). The purpose of these platforms was clear; we wanted a way to be in touch. A platform to share jokes, stories and pictures, even when we weren’t physically all together. It was the ultimate group hang and one we could join from anywhere. It was fun, it was light, it was ultimately social. Then it changed. (more…)

UK is trapped in reactive cycle of sickness and inactivity, warn wellbeing experts

UK is trapped in reactive cycle of sickness and inactivity, warn wellbeing experts

Business leaders, policymakers and workplace experts have warned that the UK’s fragmented approach to work, wellbeing and welfare is undermining economic resilienceBusiness leaders, policymakers and workplace experts have warned that the UK’s fragmented approach to work, wellbeing and welfare is undermining economic resilience, with comparisons to Denmark highlighting the pressure placed on the NHS and benefits system in Britain. The warning came during a Westminster roundtable  for the Policy Liaison Group on Workplace Wellbeing chaired by Dame Carol Black on 13 May. The discussion followed shortly after the King’s Speech opened the new parliamentary session with a renewed emphasis on “economic security”. Participants argued that Britain’s rising levels of long-term sickness and economic inactivity will require a more coordinated approach involving employers, government departments, healthcare systems and insurers. (more…)

AI displays bias when judging people, and that matters for some of its most common uses

AI displays bias when judging people, and that matters for some of its most common uses

AI systems don’t just process information; they systematically ‘judge’ people in ways that resemble human trust, but with important differencesAI systems don’t just process information; they systematically ‘judge’ people in ways that resemble human trust, but with important differences, according to a new study by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU). The results have implications for some of the most common ways AI is already being used as a decision-maker and opinion-former, especially in recruitment and law. According to the new study in Proceedings of the Royal Society A by Prof. Yaniv Dover and Valeria Lerman of the Hebrew University Business School, the reason is both reassuring and deeply unsettling. (more…)

Six weeks paternity allowance for self-employed and other dads could boost economy by £3 billion

Six weeks paternity allowance for self-employed and other dads could boost economy by £3 billion

Introducing a new six-week paternity allowance to support self employed and ‘worker’ fathers would generate a series of benefitsIntroducing a new six-week paternity allowance to support self employed and ‘worker’ fathers would generate a series of benefits worth nearly £3 billion per year to the UK, research has found. The proposal, published in a new Institute for Policy Research (IPR) policy brief, argues that providing paid leave for self-employed and worker fathers – including contractors or those in gig-economy roles – at the Statutory Paternity Pay rate (£187.18 per week) would deliver significant economic and wellbeing benefits for families and for UK society as a whole. (more…)

KI Achieves FISP (S) Certification, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable and circular practices

KI Achieves FISP (S) Certification, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable and circular practices

KI has reaffirmed its long-standing commitment to sustainability by achieving the enhanced FISP (S) certification, building on over a decade of continuous accreditation under the Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme (FISP).KI has reaffirmed its long-standing commitment to sustainability by achieving the enhanced FISP (S) certification, building on over a decade of continuous accreditation under the Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme (FISP). As the only independently certified sustainability standard created specifically for the furniture sector, FISP represents the industry’s most comprehensive benchmark for environmental, social and economic best practice. KI first became FISP-certified in 2013. Its progression to the advanced FISP (S) standard in late 2025 demonstrates the company’s ambition to lead the industry toward more circular, transparent and future?ready product development. (more…)

Best in workplace design recognised in 2026 Workspace Design Awards shortlist

Best in workplace design recognised in 2026 Workspace Design Awards shortlist

The 2026 edition of Workspace Design Show has officially revealed the shortlisted projects for its newly launched Workspace Design AwardsThe 2026 edition of Workspace Design Show has officially revealed the shortlisted projects for its newly launched Workspace Design Awards, recognising outstanding achievements across workplace design, innovation, sustainability, experience and adaptability. The shortlisted projects showcase the breadth and depth of talent shaping today’s workplaces across the UK and Europe, from smart offices and large-scale corporate headquarters to flexible co-working environments and future-focused concept designs. (more…)