July 26, 2019

Self-employment might be good for mental health

by Mark Stabile • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

The general picture of self-employment, the gig economy work and mental wellbeing is not a pretty one. Around the world, Uber drivers face wage and security worries. Deliveroo workers have too much competition. Airbnb owners face legal problems in Paris and other cities. But while these headlines suggest a dark cloud over the heads of gig economy workers, recent data I’ve looked at unexpectedly shows that they are about 33 percent more likely to self-report positive mental health traits.
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July 23, 2019

New BT HQ will be one of the “largest workplace transformations ever”

by Mark Eltringham • News, Property, Workplace design

BT has agreed a deal to move into a headquarters in the Aldgate area of London after the £210 million sale of its current base. BT will move to the new 320,000 square foot, 18-storey building near Aldgate East station currently called One Braham. The move comes as part of the group’s sweeping shake-up announced last month that will see 270 offices closed. Its consolidation plan – the biggest of its type in the UK – will see 300 offices reduced to 30 by 2023, although BT stressed that no jobs will be lost as a result of the move. More →

July 23, 2019

Two million workers miss out on holiday entitlement

by Neil Franklin • Legal news, News, Wellbeing

Around seven percent of UK workers are not getting or taking their legal holiday entitlement, according to a new study from the TUC. The analysis estimates that nearly two million employees (1.960 million) are not getting the minimum paid leave entitlement they are due. And over a million (1.145 million) are not getting any paid leave at all. The analysis shows that women workers (8.3 percent) are worse affected than men (5.9 percent). In addition, the sectors with the highest numbers of staff losing out on their legal holiday paid entitlement are education (341,000), retail (302,000), and health and social care (264,000). More →

July 22, 2019

Problems with noise at work? A lot of it is in our heads ⁰

by Anna King • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design

When it comes to working in an office, hell really can be other people. Many staff can have enormous difficulties coming to terms with the sounds that form the backdrop to their working day, especially if they work in open plan areas. The problem of noise at work is particularly acute right now because most UK employees now work in open plan offices and at workstations that are on average about 20 percent smaller than they were ten years or so ago. Yet, on the face of it, the business case for working in open plan offices is pretty clear cut.

July 21, 2019

Sleeping on the job is now acceptable behaviour

by Colette Wade • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Recently, Cornerstone OnDemand tested which learning and training courses are of most interest and truly matter to employees to help them navigate the world of work. Among the top five most popular courses, there was a resounding demand for those that centred around wellbeing. And the training that claimed the top spot was ‘The Science of Sleep: Sleep hygiene’. More →

July 19, 2019

Outdated technology remains a massive waste of time

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

Two new studies suggest that the failure to keep workers equipped with the latest technology is having a huge impact on their productivity and causing them to waste large amounts of time. According to the first piece of research from tech provider Insight, UK office workers waste 1.8 billion working hours every year because the outdated technology they’re given isn’t good enough to meet their needs. More →

July 15, 2019

The importance of self care for mental health

by Christine Husbands • Comment, Wellbeing

Nobody can fail to notice that mental health is high on the agenda for companies, employers have increasing expectations of their employers as well as increasing momentum from organisations such as the Health & Safety Executive to treat mental health risks in the same way as physical health risks. There are many excellent solutions available for employers such as mental health first aid training, employee assistance programs (EAPs), mental health nurses and increasing range of mobile technology tools. However rather than ‘locking the stable door after the horse has bolted’, it makes sense to look at how employers can support their employees to stay mentally well in the first place. More →

July 10, 2019

The growing problem of work separation anxiety

by Jenni Wilson • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

While it’s stated full-time working hours in the UK should be around 38-40 hours per week, today’s hyperconnected world means it’s easier than ever to be ‘on the clock’ outside this timeframe. Constant access to emails and the corresponding ‘telepressure’ to respond quickly to customers and colleagues means the line between ‘work time’ and ‘me time’ is blurred. This has led to the coining of a new term for the rising epidemic of stress linked to this need to be connected to work. It’s called work separation anxiety.

July 10, 2019

Lack of workplace trust associated with heart disease

by Mark Eltringham • Wellbeing, Workplace

A study published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, based on data drawn from a Gallup index of more than 412,000 full-time workers, suggests that lack of workplace trust could be a significant contributory factor to heart disease. More →

July 5, 2019

Four day week makes business sense, claims Henley report

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

A four day working week could save UK businesses an estimated £104 billion annually, while improving productivity and their environmental performance according to new research from Henley Business School. The research claims that a shorter working week on the same pay could add to businesses’ bottom lines through increased staff productivity and an uplift in staff physical and mental health, whilst also resulting in a cleaner environmental footprint. Henley’s ‘Four Better or Four Worse?’ white paper exploring the issue claims that of those businesses who have already adopted a four day week, nearly two-thirds (64 percent) have reported improvements in staff productivity. More →

July 3, 2019

Getting a sense of productivity and motivation

by Jeff Revoy • Comment, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace design

When business operators are planning their company’s office, price is often chief among their priorities. Keeping the fixed cost of real estate low helps companies project—and increase—their expected income. Price is not just a consideration when it comes to rent; assets such as office furniture are often purchased en masse and for purely utilitarian reasons. Sure, a business is saving money by designing a no-frills, utilitarian office, which some Feng Shui experts would agree with, but what they are ignoring is how space affects productivity, motivation and enjoyment. More →

July 2, 2019

More people than ever plan to work past 65 but health fears remain

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

According to ONS statistics, nearly three quarters (71 percent), or 23 million UK based employees, plan to work beyond the age of 65, but two in five of these (41 percent) – equivalent to 9.5 million workers – are concerned their health will make it difficult to do so, according to new research from Canada Life Group Insurance. Over a quarter (27 percent) of UK employees think their boss views older workers as a ‘hassle’ because of these possible health struggles. This highlights the potential for poor health to act as a barrier to employment and retention of older workers. Employees also believe their boss perceives older workers as stuck in their ways (30 percent) and technologically inept (30 percent). Among the biggest concerns of those intending to work beyond the age of 65 is that they will be treated differently because their boss or colleagues perceive them as being ‘old’. More →