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Thoughts of hybrid working should now turn to productivity and trust

Thoughts of hybrid working should now turn to productivity and trust

by • Comment, Flexible working

The impact of hybrid working models on productivity and employee wellbeing, especially in light of last year's unprecedented spike in sick days, is an important issueBusinesses now face the huge challenge of managing office returns and addressing the underlying generational divides and mistrust that have surfaced as a result of the pandemic years. With the Office for National Statistics (ONS) having released new data on UK productivity levels that show productivity remains sluggish, the impact of hybrid working models on productivity and employee well-being, especially in light of last year’s unprecedented spike in sick days, is an important issue. More →

Rejection of flexible working request shouldn’t blind employers to their legal duties

Rejection of flexible working request shouldn’t blind employers to their legal duties

by • Comment, Flexible working

Amy Leech of Shoosmiths looks at a recent case following the rejection of a flexible working request and considers its implicationsFlexible working has continued in many workforces since the pandemic. The most common pattern is a hybrid one where employees split their time between the office and home. However some employees are now looking to work remotely on a permanent basis. This is what happened in Wilson v Financial Conduct Authority 2302739/2023. The Claimant submitted a flexible working application requesting to work entirely remotely using her computer and other electronic equipment and to complete all her work without attending a physical office location. The Respondent’s policy was that post-pandemic, the Claimant was expected to work in the office 40 percent of the time and could work the other 60 percent remotely. More →

New occupational health taskforce will ‘tackle in-work sickness and drive down inactivity’

New occupational health taskforce will ‘tackle in-work sickness and drive down inactivity’

by • News, Wellbeing

New Occupational Health Taskforce to tackle in-work sickness and drive down inactivityBusinesses will be urged to tackle in-work sickness and stop people falling out the workforce, following the appointment of Dame Carol Black as the Government’s new Occupational Health Tsar. According to the Department for Work and Pensions, she will lead a new Taskforce to improve employer awareness of the benefits of Occupational Health in the workplace. More →

Fear of judgement prevents working parents from using beneficial workplace policies and support

Fear of judgement prevents working parents from using beneficial workplace policies and support

by • News, Workplace

Although many organisations say they recognise the value in supporting working parents many are still failing to see significant or lasting changeAlthough many organisations say they recognise the value in supporting working parents many are still failing to see significant or lasting change, according to a report published by working WOMBA (Work, Me and the Baby), in partnership with Hult International Business School (Ashridge). According to the report,  The priority actions for boards to drive equal opportunities for working parents, many working parents do not use the policies, support and benefits available to them because they fear being judged negatively by colleagues and managers, and worry about the consequences of doing so on career progression. More →

Leaders who vanish in times of crisis increase stress and likelihood of burnout

Leaders who vanish in times of crisis increase stress and likelihood of burnout

by • Business, News

Leaders who are not present during a time of organisational crisis increase workers’ stress levels and the likelihood of them burning out, according to new research from a number of UK business schools, including Durham University Business School. The researchers show that when leaders are absent it creates a more toxic workplace, turning workers against management, as well as increasing workers’ stress, levels of absence and even turnover. More →

One in five neurodivergent employees say they have experienced harassment or discrimination at work

One in five neurodivergent employees say they have experienced harassment or discrimination at work

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

One in five neurodivergent employees surveyed (20 percent) have experienced harassment or discrimination at work because of their neurodivergence, according to new research from the CIPDOne in five neurodivergent employees have experienced harassment or discrimination at work because of their neurodivergence, according to new research from the CIPD, working with corporate neuroinclusion training specialists Uptimize. Neurodiversity refers to natural differences in human brain function and behavioural traits. It’s estimated that as many as 20 percent of people may be neurodivergent in some way, an umbrella term that can include those with autism, dyslexia, or ADHD. However, despite this potential figure, support and awareness of neurodiversity is lacking in many UK workplaces. More →

Middle managers are the secret sauce of productivity, say knowledge workers

Middle managers are the secret sauce of productivity, say knowledge workers

by • Business, News

Research from ClickUp claims to reveal the crucial role that middle managers play in driving productivity.Research from ClickUp claims to reveal the crucial role that middle managers play in driving productivity. The study found that 81 percent of knowledge workers who responded to the survey think that middle managers, defined as those below top level management and typically in charge of departments or groups, are the people most responsible for driving team productivity, with 68 percent rating the middle managers they work with as very or extremely effective. More →

UK loses 150 million working days due to lack of workplace support for women’s health

UK loses 150 million working days due to lack of workplace support for women’s health

by • News, Wellbeing

A new poll from healthcare provider Benenden Health claims that women in the UK miss an average of nine days of work a year due to health issues, exacerbated by a lack of appropriate healthcare support for female workers. The survey also suggest that four in ten (42 percent) have heard derogatory comments about a female employee’s health in the workplace, often around them taking time off work, being difficult to work with or not able to do their job properly. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this has left many women reluctant to discuss their health issues with managers, with almost half (42 percent) feeling uncomfortable doing so. More →

Whenever I hear the future of work, I reach for my pistol

Whenever I hear the future of work, I reach for my pistol

by • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace design

the future of workFor years it has been evident that there is no ‘future of work’. There is only a journey with no destination and no single way of not getting to it. That hasn’t stopped people talking about it all endlessly. And each time they have, I’ve reached for my pistol. More →

Half of UK businesses expect 2024 to be easier than 2023

Half of UK businesses expect 2024 to be easier than 2023

by • Business, News

UK businesses are hopeful for 2024 according to new research from Pleo. The CFO’s Playbook for 2024, which polled over +500 UK financial decision makers, found that almost 50 percent of UK businesses believe 2024 will be “easier” than 2023 (vs. 35 percent believing it will be harder and 15 percent anticipating that it will be the same as last year). As such, with a waning concern around inflation – a 20 percent decrease since 2023 –  businesses are targeting more ambitious goals. Nearly three quarters are prioritising cash growth, and while this was also the primary objective of businesses last year, findings show a 163 percent increase in British businesses focussed on this ambition. More →

Hefty fine for Amazon has implications for employee surveillance policy

Hefty fine for Amazon has implications for employee surveillance policy

by • News, Technology, Workplace

Recent advancements in employee surveillance technology and the rise in remote working have led to employers now having both the ability and the excuse to look over employees’ shouldersThe French data protection watchdog CNIL has fined Amazon France Logistique €32m, equivalent to 3 percent of the entity’s annual turnover, approaching the maximum permitted level of 4 percent. Describing Amazon’s employee surveillance as “excessive”, the regulator also cited instances where the monitoring of staff was found to be outright illegal, by breaching the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). More →

Underutilised office space? I just can’t be bothered with it

Underutilised office space? I just can’t be bothered with it

by • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace design

A while ago, Antony Slumbers asked me why I thought firms had never done anything much about the underutilisation of their offices. This was in the first throes of lockdown-driven remote work hysteria, prompted by one of those headlines about how offices being half empty was some signifier of hatred for them.

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