Search Results for: technology

April 26, 2019

Employers care more about saving costs than wellbeing, according to majority of workers

Three of every five UK employees believe that their employer cares more about saving money than the wellbeing of their workforce, according to the latest research report from workspace efficiency company Cloudbooking. The Employee Evolution report (registration), which explores the attitudes of 1,000 employees, claims that there is a disconnect between what makes employees happy at work and what they are currently experiencing. Cloudbooking’s research also suggests that 88 percent of employees think that workplace wellbeing is one of the most critical elements in creating a positive experience for all workers, yet businesses are failing to address issues that are negatively impacting the experience and wellbeing of employees.

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April 25, 2019

MPs to investigate impact of placemaking and built environment on productivity

by Mark Eltringham • Cities, News, Property, Workplace design

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Building Communities is calling for evidence and contributions from all organisations with an interest in the built and natural environment to contribute to its new consultation, which aims to explore how placemaking can lead to greater productivity in the UK. As part of its remit, the APPG seeks to conduct research on the concept of ‘placemaking’ and investigate design practices that maximise the social value of infrastructure. In this way the APPG hopes to build an evidence base that can be used by policy makers when engaging with the build and natural environment.

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April 23, 2019

The flexible solution to workplace loneliness

by Guzman de Yarza Blache • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing, Workplace design

For years, the word ‘office’ would doubtless conjure images of the traditional individual cubicle. However, times have changed, and where the cubicle once ruled the roost, a flexible working revolution is already disrupting the office market and reshaping the world of work.

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April 17, 2019

British workers putting in longest hours in the EU, TUC analysis finds

by George Eltringham • News, Wellbeing

Workers in the UK are putting the longest hours in the EU, according to a new TUC analysis. Full-time employees in Britain worked an average of 42 hours a week in 2018, nearly two hours more than the EU average – equivalent to an extra two and a half weeks a year. Britain’s “long-hours culture” is not having a positive impact on productivity, says the TUC. In similar economies to ours, workers tend to be on average much more productive for each hour that they work. (more…)

April 15, 2019

Workers dislike their work colleagues even more than their boss

by Neil Franklin • News

Unlikable work colleagues, who are noisy, annoying and even steal from the office fridge top the list of workplace grumbles, according to a survey of 650 UK workers. The YouGov survey, conducted on behalf of Crown Workspace, named fellow colleagues more annoying than old or slow technology, uncomfortable office temperatures and even rude or over-friendly bosses.

Generationally, it seems that millennials (aged between 25-32) have the most to grumble about. Over half (54 percent) of millennials find their colleagues unlikable. In comparison only 36 percent of those aged 45-54 dislike colleagues, indicating that older workers are more tolerant of their younger colleagues. Old technology and unlikable bosses also score highly on millennials list of grumbles, with half (50 percent) moaning about them.

By comparison, only a third of 18-25 year olds listed old technology as an issue, and 30 percent disliked their boss. Millennials, more than any other age group, were also more discontented with: desk space (29 percent), facilities (42 percent), poor office location (30 percent) and poor décor and furniture (25 percent). Out of all of the working age ranges from 18 – 65, millennials moan about each of the top ten grumbles the most.

When it comes to differences between the sexes the research found that women are more likely than men to complain about temperatures (45 percent vs 39 percent) and poor lighting (31 percent vs 22 percent).

The UK’s top 10 office grumbles are:
1. Disagreeable work colleagues
2. Slow or old technology
3. Uncomfortable temperature
4. Disagreeable bosses
5. Poor facilities
6. Poor lighting
7. Inadequate office space
8. Poor office location
9. Inadequate deskspace
10. Poor décor and furniture

April 12, 2019

Shining a light on remote work at Google, willing slaves to tech, why design matters and some other stuff

by Mark Eltringham • Features, Flexible working, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Away from you know what, one of the most talked about issues this week was the news that the smart devices we’re voluntarily incorporating into our homes are not just obeying us but acting as microphones on our lives. This is happening in the context of growing mistrust of the world’s tech giants, uncertainty about our relationship with technology and taps into a primal fear about control and surveillance. All of this is complicated by the fact that these systems of surveillance are not the telescreens of 1984 but the products of private sector firms who currently often exhibit ‘power without responsibility’, as Kipling once said about the media. (more…)

April 12, 2019

Manchester is the number one tech location outside of London

by Marie Hillen • AI, Cities, Facilities management, News, Property, Technology

The UK’s regional cities are competing harder than ever with London to become the location of choice for the tech sector. According to CBRE’s report ‘Tech Cities: Exploring tech hotspots in the UK regions’ Manchester ranks number one amongst the top 10 UK tech location outside of London, but Scotland features highly with Glasgow and Edinburgh in second and third position respectively. Birmingham has risen three places, from seventh to fourth position but smaller conurbations such as such as Reading, Oxford, Cambridge, Southampton, Brighton and Bracknell also feature, based on their concentrations of tech employment, tech businesses and high education levels. More cities are competing for the very top spots in the ranking

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April 10, 2019

Employees sceptical about attitudes of employers to digital transformation

by Marie Hillen • AI, Facilities management, News, Technology

More than half of employees are confused about the true meaning of ‘digital transformation’ and have a high degree of scepticism about their employers’ appetite for digital innovation, a new poll suggests. The research into employees’ attitudes toward digital transformation, innovation and cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, conducted by YouGov amongst employees at 500 businesses with 50 or more employees, on behalf of Cherwell Software, found that 57 percent of employees don’t know the correct meaning of ‘digital transformation’: 20 percent of respondents couldn’t hazard a guess at its meaning and 12 percent thought it meant moving to a paperless office.

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April 8, 2019

Navigating organisations through digital transformation

by Ian Tickle • Comment, Technology

It’s hard to escape the digital disruption that is reshaping not only the world we live in, but the fundamental way that businesses operate. Greater levels of data exchange and automation are creating new layers of innovation, shifting functional workflows to agile systems. And to prosper in this upheaval, leaders must look at how they can support their company’s ability to adapt and identify new opportunities to embrace these changes.

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April 5, 2019

The ladder of life, the death of work, the cane toad of property and some other stuff

by Mark Eltringham • Features

We start with a question. Why hasn’t the gig economy killed traditional work?, asks Greg Rosalsky and goes on to explain what many people have now realised. The answer, as Greg points out, is that the gig economy doesn’t replace traditional work, never has, and the rise of casual work of this kind has primarily been a way for people to deal with a volatile labour market and shrinking real incomes. Offer them the choice of a decent monthly income, benefits and a contract and most of them will take you up on it.

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April 5, 2019

Brexit, Brits and blending: what MIPIM told us about the state of corporate real estate

by Anna King • Comment, Property

MIPIM celebrated its 30th anniversary during uncertain political and economic times, yet the mood was positive and even the backdrop of an impending Brexit decision failed to derail the UK contingent. However, the one thing missing from MIPIM in 2019 was British politicians. They were all back home, participating in decisive votes in the House of Commons as Parliament continued to kick the Brexit can down the road.

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April 5, 2019

Digital inclusion empowers women but does not lead to better jobs

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology, Workplace

All European regulatory frameworks cite technology as a key factor in promoting competitiveness and innovation, and right alongside it is its greatest tool, the population’s digital inclusion. Digital inclusion makes it possible to develop human capital able to adapt to labour market challenges and contributes to ensuring equal opportunities in terms of accessing online resources related to work, education and social participation. Is this inclusion, however, sufficient in itself to ensure improved economic status and equality? According to the results of a study produced by Lídia Arroyo, a researcher at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya IN3 GenTIC research group, the answer is no. (more…)