Search Results for: technology

Freelancers are thriving on both sides of the pond, but have politicians noticed?

Freelancers are thriving on both sides of the pond, but have politicians noticed? 0

by • Flexible working, News, Technology

freelancersTwo new reports that highlight the growth of the freelance and self-employed workforce in both the UK and US also suggest that politicians and civil servants in both countries have little real understanding about the changing nature of work. According to the UK government’s regular Business Population Estimates report, the number of private sector businesses is at an all-time high, around 5.5 million, up by a million since 2010. Yet the report fails to distinguish between freelancers, the self-employed and traditional SMEs, except to omit firms that are too small to pay VAT from its numbers. The trade association IPSE estimates that there are some 4.6 million self-employed and freelance workers in the UK, yet the BPE report does not account for the overlap in numbers. Even within the BPE’s own numbers, there are suggestions that its conclusions do not match the data. The annual growth in non-employing businesses outstripped those who employed others by a factor of 6:1 and 76 percent of businesses did not employ anyone aside from the owner. And the growth comes despite the fact that the self-employed in the UK now earn marginally less than they did 20 years ago.

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Digital tech, leadership and company values aid staff performance

Digital tech, leadership and company values aid staff performance 0

by • Facilities management, Flexible working, News, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace

Digital company culture

Accessible leaders and strong company values are important factors that can ultimately reflect an employee’s success or failure within the company. However,so too is equipping employees with the latest technology,  and it’s an area where many organisations are falling down. A study by Oracle awarded low marks when it came to companies capitalising on technology to help them connect with employees in more ways than ever to create a more modern and customised learning experience. Just 44 percent of respondents said that their employer uses the latest digital technology to enable them to effectively perform in their role. Feedback from nearly 5,000 full-time employees at organisations with 250 or more employees also revealed that only 38 percent say that their company is concerned about their overall well-being, despite the fact that employees are most comfortable and productive within a creative, yet flexible workplace culture. (more…)

Mix of core and flexible workspaces will shape real estate by 2030

Mix of core and flexible workspaces will shape real estate by 2030 0

by • Facilities management, Flexible working, News, Property, Technology, Workplace design

Future of CRE

Thanks to the combination of a changing workforce and greater connectivity, up to 30 percent of corporate real estate portfolios will incorporate flexible workspaces by 2030, with offices more likely to be built around core hubs and comprising fewer locations. Along with this the Internet of Things and smart buildings will create new ways of managing productivity, sustainability and the user experience. These are some of the key findings of JLL’s new report series ‘Workspace, reworked: ride the wave of tech driven change’; two reports exploring the impact of technology, data and digital disruption on work spaces and real estate investment strategies. The series focuses on the office sector over the next 15 years, looking at how occupiers, developers and investors will need to view real estate differently and adapt in order to enhance investment returns and create work spaces that are fit for purpose in a rapidly changing, highly-connected world.

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The Big Data skills gap and other issues

The Big Data skills gap and other issues 0

by • News, Technology

big-dataA new report from techUK claims that the widespread use of Big Data could boost the UK economy by £241 billion and create around 157,000 jobs by 2020, but the Government needs to act fast to address the skills gap that is holding back the implementation of more Big Data applications. The survey of techUK members found that almost two thirds (62 percent) say they need more specialists in emerging disciplines including Data Analysts, Data Infrastructure Engineers and Solutions Architects. However there may be wider challenges ahead for the application of Big Data as a survey carried out by Gartner suggests that the number of organisations willing to invest in Big Data is set to fall.

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Just a quarter of workers would tell employers about mental ill health

Just a quarter of workers would tell employers about mental ill health 0

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

mental health

Almost half of UK workers (44 percent) know a colleague who has had to give up work because of stress, while more than a third of people (36 percent) say that colleagues have complained about feeling stressed to their employer, but received no support.  As a result, most people (56 percent) don’t feel comfortable talking about depression or stress in the workplace. The fourth annual Employee Insight Report from Capita Employee Benefits, released to coincide with World Mental Health Day today (October 10) suggests that stigmas remain and companies should be doing more to encourage their workers to open up about mental health issues. The findings reveal that just 33 percent would feel comfortable talking to their employer if they have a mental health issue, like depression;  75 percent of respondents said they have felt stressed at work over the last 12 months but only 20 percent have taken time off work because of stress.

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The American workplace is more skilled, but workers are concerned they are becoming irrelevant

The American workplace is more skilled, but workers are concerned they are becoming irrelevant 0

by • Flexible working, News, Workplace

american-workplaceThe ‘Tectonic changes’ that are reshaping the US workplace and the response to them are the subject of a major new research project from the Pew Center in association with the Markle Foundation. The study of over 5,000 US workers carried out over the Summer found that the nature of jobs is undergoing a fundamental shift with greater emphasis on knowledge as well as analytical, interpersonal and communication skills. In response, workers are retraining and reassessing their abilities to adapt to the demands of employers. Despite this, a growing number are worried that they are becoming irrelevant and have diminishing faith in the ability of politicians, the education system and their employers to address their concerns.

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Are we seeing the workification of home or the homification of work?

Are we seeing the workification of home or the homification of work? 0

by • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace design

flexible workingThinking and theories about working environments continue to be much debated, of course. As part of this ongoing discussion, Bisley recently hosted an event at its London showroom to continue the aspects of the debate that focus on how offices seem to be morphing in to homes, and how our homes are, conversely, functioning as places of work. The panel discussion was led by Professor Jeremy Myerson of The Royal College of Art and WORKTECH Academy. He was joined by Kirstin Furber – People Director at BBC Worldwide, Sebastian Conran – a leading product and furniture designer, David Barrett – Head Buyer of Living, Dining and Home Office at John Lewis and Amelia Coward – Founder and Creative Director at Bombus.com.

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Workers now spend around half of their working hours on email

Workers now spend around half of their working hours on email 0

by • News, Technology, Wellbeing

emailIf you feel like you are checking your email more than ever before, the chances are that you are. Email continues to be the number one communication channel for people around the world, and that includes Millennials, although their use of text and instant messaging is changing the way email is used. According to the new study of 4,000 people in the US, UK, France and Germany from Adobe, the amount of time we spend checking messages increased by an average of 17 percent last year. British workers in the UK spend on average 90 days a year reading email, compared to 62 days for the Germans, 99 days for the French and 88 hours for Americans. This means that the average British worker spends slightly over 4 hours each day checking their messages, including in the bathroom, in front of the television and even while with other people.

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An enlightened approach is needed for the new era of artificial intelligence

An enlightened approach is needed for the new era of artificial intelligence 0

by • Comment, Technology

artificial-intelligenceOne of the explanations for both Brexit and the once implausible idea of an obvious demagogue like Donald Trump assuming the world’s highest office is that we now live in a post rational world. In plain parlance this was best summarised by Michael Gove’s proclamation during the Brexit debate that we have all had enough of experts, but a growing number of intellectuals are starting to question whether we are seeing the roll back of the Enlightenment. The suggestion is, that in a world awash with information, we are retreating to a more visceral worldview. If the facts don’t fit with the way we feel, then they just have to go. While rationalists continue to invoke the ideals of Descartes, Locke, Hume, Paine, Voltaire and Spinoza, they are often doing so in a self-imposed echo chamber and so are genuinely horrified to find that there is an outside world that has little time for Reason with a capital R. This explains all you need to know about the post Brexit meltdown.

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Nearly third of workforce believe daily commute is a waste of time

Nearly third of workforce believe daily commute is a waste of time 0

by • Facilities management, Flexible working, News, Workplace

commutingThe anytime, anywhere connectivity potential of mobile technology has supposedly made the daily commute more bearable, but a new survey claims it is still regarded as wasted time for nearly a third of professionals. Regus surveyed its customer base (which presumably includes those already partial to using flexible workspaces) to establish whether commuting time was viewed as personal time, work time or simply wasted time. For 31 percent of UK respondents, the daily struggle to and from the office is regarded only as time wasted. According to the TUC, UK commuting times rose by three minutes a day between 2004 and 2014, from an average of 52 minutes to 55 minutes. For many professionals, this time could be usefully spent responding to emails or drafting copy. At the very least, commuters want the time to themselves to read, make personal calls or listen to music. However, the nature of today’s commute means that neither work nor personal tasks can be completed.

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Boost predicted for commercial property transactions across the UK

Boost predicted for commercial property transactions across the UK 0

by • Flexible working, News, Property

commercial-propertyThe next five years will see demand for commercial property in the South East of England expand at a faster rate than in London according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Annual Occupiers Survey 2016. The survey, conducted in association with EY and Savills found that a fifth (20 per cent) of UK property decision-makers expect to increase rather than decrease the amount of space they own or rent in the South East. In total, a net balance (percentage expecting to expand minus percentage expecting to downsize) of 13 per cent more respondents in the South East expect to increase, rather than decrease their portfolio, nearly double the figure for London at seven per cent. The net balance figures showed the lowest indication of growth was in the South West, at four per cent. The survey also revealed that 41 per cent of UK firms expect to expand the amount of UK property they own or rent over the next five years while only 8 per cent expect to downsize.

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Employers must adopt a trust based approach to flexible working

Employers must adopt a trust based approach to flexible working 0

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Working remotelyEmployers are being urged to create a more inclusive and flexible working environment for their employees by adopting a trust based approach which focuses on the meeting of objectives rather than hours. This is the advice of Harvard University’s Global Leadership award winner Charlotte Sweeney on the launch of National Work/Life Week. In 2015, 23 percent of employees were reported to be doing some of their work remotely, up from 19 percent in 2003 according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics. But more than just adopting agile working, the diversity expert says businesses should begin to focus on individual well-being and supporting employees to enrich all aspects of their lives, their families and their communities. Corporates should implement a trust-based approach, which focuses on employees meeting their objectives, rather than focusing on where they are actually doing the work or even how many hours it takes to complete.

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