October 29, 2020

Workplace culture is not something to be changed with hashtags

The state of the nation’s mental health and subsequent pressure on organisations to do ‘something’ has resulted in a PR opportunity for those who see it and take it. While mental health is high on the agenda of workplace culture improvements, several organisations, including Barclays, Eon and Unilever to name a few, have signed an open letter to The Times pledging to prioritise mental health as employees return to work, after research showed that more than a third of workers were struggling. More →

October 26, 2020

Office design should embrace the new digital workplace

by John Comacchio • Comment, Workplace design

It almost goes without saying that how we work and interact with each other has changed dramatically over the past few months. We have come to rely on technology to replace in-person interactions, be it for a meeting, birthday party, or dinner with friends. Thankfully, most people are able to stay digitally connected through the “three screens of our lives”—a mobile device, a tablet, and a desktop or laptop computer. This would not have been possible in the very recent past and it has profound implications for office design. More →

October 22, 2020

Everybody needs to be prepared for a new digital workplace

by Simon Hayward • Comment, Flexible working, Technology

Graduates today are largely considered to be the ‘net generation’. Growing up whilst social media accelerated, their years in higher education have been synonymous with digital literacy, even before COVID-19 turned their studies entirely virtual. This monumental move into a digital workplace also echoed throughout the job market. As offices closed in Spring and millions were furloughed across hospitality, retail and travel, demand spiked by 36 percent for roles advertised in the digital tech sector. More →

October 22, 2020

A quarter of UK workers do not feel valued by their organisation

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

With the British workforce being asked to return to working from home amid fears of a second spike in COVID-19 cases, new research from employee experience professionals Qualtrics, claims that a quarter (24 percent) of UK workers do not feel valued by their organisation.

The research, which surveyed 2,000 UK workers, also claims that 15 percent of people feel less valued by their employer since the outbreak began and a further fifth (19 percent) do not feel proud to work for their organisation. More →

October 21, 2020

Future of work has arrived sooner than expected, WEF report claims

by Neil Franklin • AI, Flexible working, News, Technology, Workplace

The Future of Jobs 2020 report from the World Economic Forum claims that COVID-19 has caused the labour market to change faster than expected. The research suggests that what was recently considered the future of work has now arrived. By 2025, automation and a new division of labour between humans and machines will disrupt 85 million jobs globally in medium and large businesses across 15 industries and 26 economies. More →

October 21, 2020

Commercial rental prices fall in the UK as pandemic continues to bite

by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Property

Commercial real estate rental prices are continuing to drop in all the UK’s main business centres according to the latest quarterly figures by national office agent FreeOfficeFinder.com. Office rental prices and those for coworking spaces at the UK’s major cities are all feeling the long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic with predictions that they will slump even further as a result of the new lockdown measures announced by the government. More →

October 20, 2020

Remote work and the risks of employee surveillance

by Joe Aiston and Alexander Barnett • Comment, Flexible working, Technology

There has been a gradual shift towards increased flexible and remote work patterns in the last few years. The COVID-19 pandemic has created the perfect storm to force organisations to further consider their working practices, with all but essential physical roles usually involving an element of homeworking – nearly half of people in employment in the UK did some work at home in April 2020, according to the ONS. Many businesses are expecting to operate a largely remote workforce for the foreseeable future. The fear of declining productivity and concerns for people wellbeing has encouraged many employers to increase their employee monitoring arrangements. More →

October 20, 2020

Radical reskilling needed to ensure future of economy

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

Research carried out by the CBI prior to the pandemic suggests there is an urgent need for the UK to embark on a radical programme of reskilling that goes further and faster than current plans. According to the CBI, the UK faces a stark choice: invest more in lifetime learning and upskilling of millions of employees, or stick to business as usual, and risk sustained higher rates of unemployment and skills shortages. More →

October 20, 2020

The changing office landscape: what tenants want from their workspace

by Jayne Smith • Environment, News, Workplace design

A new report, released by workplace design consultancy, Peldon Rose, takes a look at the changing needs of office users as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. “The Office of the Future” report, commissioned in conjunction with workplace strategy and employee engagement specialists, WKspace, examines the impact on the pandemic has had on the changing needs of tenants. More →

October 19, 2020

Change fatigue among employees has doubled this year

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

The amount of change that the average employee can absorb without suffering fatigue in 2020 has been cut in half compared to 2019, according to Gartner, Inc. Amid worries about the economy, job security, their health and the health of their loved ones, employees’ capacity to take on change in the workplace has plunged significantly. More →

October 19, 2020

Ten pandemic related responses with highest business impact

by Jayne Smith • Business, News

The Josh Bersin Academy, a development academy for HR professionals, has announced the release of its newest research-based report, Business Resilience: The Global COVID-19 Pandemic Response Study. The 38-page complimentary report is based on a survey conducted in August 2020 of 1,349 HR leaders and professionals across the globe and all industry segments. More →

October 16, 2020

Is remote working a ticking timebomb?

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working culture

At a time when working from home looks set to continue for many in both the short and long term, ‘hidden fractures’ are forming in the workforce which risk causing irreparable damage to cultures and productivity. That’s according to new research from Totem which is urging employers to take action now to better manage remote working and prevent employee engagement and retention levels falling to an all-time low. More →