Search Results for: technology

Outdoor workers exposed to 15 percent more pollution than average

Outdoor workers exposed to 15 percent more pollution than average

by • Environment, News

pollutionOutdoor workers in the capital are exposed to 15 percent more pollution than the average Londoner, new research has claimed. Over six months, the Canairy app developed by King College London gathered data from two groups of Londoners, some mostly working in offices and others mostly working outside. Both groups were exposed to high levels of air pollution but those working outside fared worst, being exposed to air pollution breaching guidelines for NO2, particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and ozone. Some maximum exposures were nearly two thirds higher than recommended World Health Organisation (WHO) limits. (more…)

Gig economy is a “trap” for vulnerable workers

Gig economy is a “trap” for vulnerable workers

by • Flexible working, News

The promised flexibility of the gig economy is an illusion for many workers, who need to put in long hours to make ends meet, a new report has claimed. The report by Doteveryone, a think tank set up by businesswoman Martha Lane Fox, calls on the government to create a ‘minimum gig wage’ to ensure workers have enough to live on after expenses such as petrol. It also urges employers to be clearer with workers about their true pay and to inform customers where their money goes. (more…)

Gig economy workers should not all have equal rights

Gig economy workers should not all have equal rights

by • Flexible working, News

gig economyPolicy makers should beware of classifying all gig economy workers as “employees”, a new research report has claimed. Such workers vary in age, income and education in a similar way to the traditional workforce and crafting regulations that treat both fully committed and occasional gig workers as one group is unlikely to be an efficient solution, the report from IZA World of Labor contends. (more…)

Failure to put employees at heart of data strategy costs UK firms £10bn in lost productivity

Failure to put employees at heart of data strategy costs UK firms £10bn in lost productivity

by • News, Technology

data strategyA new report from Qlik and Accenture, titled “The Human Impact of Data Literacy” and conducted on behalf of The Data Literacy Project, claims that while most organisations understand the incredible opportunity of data, a gap has emerged between organisations’ aspirations to be data-driven and their employees’ ability to create business value with data. The report argues that data is a ‘gold mine’ that can fuel a culture of innovation and growth as part of a data strategy. However, when employees struggle to make sense of data, productivity and business value can be affected.

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Over half of UK small firms lack high speed internet

Over half of UK small firms lack high speed internet

by • News, Technology

high speed internetUK SMEs are facing a serious digital dilemma, with three in five operating their business without a high speed internet connection. This finding, from Bionic’s Business Efficiency Index (registration), is part of an overall picture of the UK’s small business community struggling to keep pace with tech acceleration; small minorities have modern payment methods or access to e-commerce channels. 57 percent of SMEs do not have high-speed internet, and under one in ten businesses (9 percent) plan to invest in access in the near future. (more…)

AI to do two-thirds of managers’ routine work by 2024

AI to do two-thirds of managers’ routine work by 2024

by • News, Technology

AIArtificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies such as virtual personal assistants and chatbots will replace 69 percent of managers’ workload by 2024, Gartner, Inc. has predicted. As well as taking over routine tasks, AI will also make work more accessible for employees with disabilities, a new report from the research and advisory company claims (registration required). (more…)

Mental health challenges cost employers £45 billion each year

Mental health challenges cost employers £45 billion each year

by • News, Wellbeing

mental healthA new report from Deloitte claims that poor mental health costs UK employers up to £45 billion each year. This is a rise of 16 percent since 2016 – an extra £6 billion a year. The research also looks at how employers can tackle this problem, finding that it pays to support employees’ mental wellbeing. On average, for every £1 spent on supporting their people’s mental health, employers get £5 back on their investment in reduced presenteeism, absenteeism and staff turnover. (more…)

AI reskilling is ‘crucial’ for business success

AI reskilling is ‘crucial’ for business success

by • News

AI trainingAs AI continues to disrupt the world of work, a new report says upskilling and reskilling will be crucial in developing workers’ competencies to complement technological innovation. Yet according to the 2020 Talent Trends Report released by Randstad Sourceright, only about a fifth of businesses around the world (22 percent) are currently training existing employees to help them adapt to AI. (more…)

We might spot patterns in office design, but a global picture is beyond us

We might spot patterns in office design, but a global picture is beyond us

by • Comment, Facilities management, Workplace design

The ongoing evolution in the design of the places we work has much in common with evolution in the natural world. But whereas natural selection is dependent on its ‘Blind Watchmaker’ to indirectly shape creatures in response to the constantly changing forces in their environment own, office design is anything but blind – at least it is when done intelligently and with insight. (more…)

Flexible working hindered by tech trouble

Flexible working hindered by tech trouble

by • News, Technology

Flexible workingTwo thirds of employees say they are more productive when they work remotely yet many are being held back because flexible working technology is not optimised. Research carried out among 2,016 UK flexible workers by 99&One suggests that companies are still not getting some basic technology configurations right. According to the research, nearly one in five (17 percent) employees still experience connectivity issues when working remotely. (more…)

The vaguery of workplace serendipity

The vaguery of workplace serendipity

by • Comment, Facilities management, Technology, Workplace design

It has become vogue to refer to the workplace as being ‘all about people’. It points in all directions at once. Organisations need fit, healthy, happy, skilled, motivated, engaged and purposeful people being (and feeling) productive and doing their best work every day. They want their people working closely together – they’ve spent a lot of time and money drawing in those they feel can contribute to a whole that is other than the sum of the parts. (more…)

Structure of teams could be source of competitive advantage

Structure of teams could be source of competitive advantage

by • News

teams and competitive advantageCass Business School and Slack have published new research into the nature future of teamwork which identifies the relationships between team alignment and execution, drivers for competitive advantage, and the role of new workplace technologies. It suggests that teams are the fundamental building blocks of modern organisations but their role in delivering better outcomes for an organisation is still undervalued. (more…)

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