January 23, 2020

Mental health issues force one in six into career break

One in six employees (17 percent) has been forced to take time out from their career due to stress or mental health pressures, a survey of 3,000 people has suggested. According to the research from AIG Life, 19 percent of non-retired women and 15 percent of men have taken time out from their career due to mental health pressures. The research highlights that employers risk the loss of valuable skills and experience, a drop in productivity and extra costs associated with recruiting replacement staff if they fail to support employees dealing with stress or mental health issues. More →

January 21, 2020

The vaguery of workplace serendipity

by Neil Usher • 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 →

January 21, 2020

New generation prefer technology to face-to-face negotiation

by Jackie Le Poidevin • Business, News

Younger decision makers are increasingly relying on technology such as emails, video conferencing and WhatsApp in negotiations with suppliers, rather than speaking to them face-to-face, new research from Barclaycard Payments has claimed. Despite supplier negotiation being regarded as an ‘art’ by seven in 10, many said it will increasingly be conducted digitally over the next five years (68 percent). More →

January 17, 2020

HR struggles to develop high-quality leadership talent

by Jackie Le Poidevin • Business, News

More than one-third of HR chiefs are struggling to develop effective senior leaders and only half of 2,800 surveyed leaders believe they are well-equipped to provide the leadership to guide their company in the future, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc. Efforts to tackle the emerging issues of the 2020s and beyond – including public pressure for business transparency, the rise of automation and the creation of never-before-seen jobs – will be fruitless unless HR managers find ways to nurture and retain capable future leaders, the research and advisory company concludes. More →

January 17, 2020

Workers at Bloomberg, Netflix and Google are among happiest in the US

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Blind, an anonymous professional network with more than 3.2 million work-email verified users, has announced the results of a survey that identifies what the firm claims are the top fifteen companies with the happiest workers in the US. The survey of more than 10,000 Blind users claims to provide insight into the link between employee happiness and personal growth. More →

January 16, 2020

HR leaders feel completely unprepared for the future of work

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

Most chief people officers (CPOs) in the US realise they need new skills to meet the demand of the 21st century role, but few are prepared, citing a lack of development and investment from the C-suite, meaning they feel unprepared for the future of work. This is according to a new study by HR People + Strategy (SHRM’s Executive Network of business and thought leaders in human resources) and with Willis Towers Watson, a global advisory, broking and solutions company. The study, based on direct input from more than 500 executives, examined the key changes shaping the CPO role and identifies a pathway for developing and accelerating this next generation of HR leaders. More →

January 14, 2020

Office design in the US now more closely aligned with needs of workers

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Office design and expectations around professionalism in the workplace are evolving along with the modern workforce in America, according to a new report from researchers at Olivet Nazarene University. The Modern Office Study claims that office design is evolving in parallel with changes in working culture, especially in the way that traditional North American cubicles, which were once the default model of office design in the US, are rapidly being replaced with open plan layouts. The report claims that these are now found in over half of American workplaces. More →

January 10, 2020

Outdated technology continues to ruin people`s days

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Technology

New research by Currys PC World in collaboration with technology expert Theo Priestley claims that outdated technology and delays in finding fixes are eating into around 46 minutes of the average employee’s working day, which could cost a business approximately £2,752 a year. Time and money are not the only things lost to outdated technology, however, as half of Brits admit that it has a negative impact on their productivity in their jobs. What’s more, morale can be impacted when employees feel they have to work overtime to make up the time they have lost due to tech issues. More →

January 8, 2020

Third of workers at small businesses are unhappy with their jobs

by Neil Franklin • News

Over a third of UK employees (39 percent) at small-to-medium sized businesses are unhappy with their jobs and 36 percent believe their employer does too little to retain them, according to new research from People First. Exploring the attitudes of 250 bosses and 250 employees across the UK, the research claims to identify a major difference in outlook as more than eight-in-ten (86 percent) SMB bosses believe they have a happy workforce. More →

January 8, 2020

Majority of organisations remain unprepared for executive pay gap reporting

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

Three-fifths of UK organisations are still not ready to report their executive pay gap almost twelve months after the legislation came into force, claims a new poll by HR services provider MHR. This year UK listed companies with more than 250 employees are, for the first time, obliged to publish the pay ratio between their CEO and “average” employees in early 2020 and explain the reason for their executive pay ratios. More →

January 7, 2020

The culling of freelancers with IR35 is a really, really bad idea

by Dean Sadler • Comment, Flexible working

Imagine a world with no freelancers, holiday cover workers, or people to help fill the hiring gaps on projects. With IR35 extending into the private sector, this could be a reality; and we should be worried that a skilled and flexible workforce of freelancers could soon be extinct. Instead of dealing with the headache of the new regulations, 20 percent of UK businesses said they plan to axe contract workers. Freelancers themselves might be worried about how the new iteration of IR35, due to come into force in April next year, will affect their ability to work, and hastily take on permanent positions. More →

January 7, 2020

L`Oréal moves London HQ to White City Place

by Freddie Steele • News, Property

L’Oréal UK and Ireland has announced that it will be moving from its current office site in Hammersmith to a brand new bespoke building in White City Place, West London, W12. L’Oréal will occupy six floors of the eleven storey building, which is part of the new creative business district White City Place, developed and owned by Stanhope, Mitsui Fudosan and AIMCo. Other occupiers at White City Place include the fashion designers Ralph & Russo, online luxury fashion retailer Yoox-Net-a-Porter, the BBC and ITV Studios. The workforce of 1,000 employees at L’Oréal’s London-based headquarters are due to move in Autumn 2023 to the new building, which is when the company will reach the end of its current lease. Stanhope claims that the space will reflect L’Oréal’s culture, focused on collaboration, creativity and agility. More →