Search Results for: workplace training

Economic gains from digitisation, robotics and AI must benefit workers says TUC

Economic gains from digitisation, robotics and AI must benefit workers says TUC

In the same week that Gartner offered some useful insights into the building blocks for a successful digital workplace, the TUC has published its views on the impact of digitisation, arguing that the economic gains from digitisation, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) should be used to benefit working people. This would include reversing policies to raise the state pension age. The report Shaping Our Digital Future explores how the next technological revolution will impact on jobs and wages. Previous waves of technological change have not led to an overall loss of jobs, but have disrupted the types of job people do. And with the most recent wave of industrial change, rewards from higher productivity have gone predominantly to business owners, rather than being shared across the workforce through better wages and working conditions.

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Communications gap hampering employee engagement and productivity

 Communication gap hampering employee engagement and productivity

A stream of surveys published over the past few weeks have indicated a deep rooted sense of unease and lack of job security amongst UK workers. Now yet another poll reveals that far from being keen to discuss career progression opportunities, many employees are reluctant to bring up personal development and career progression with their bosses because they think it will put them at a disadvantage at work. According to the new research from Badenoch & Clark, this growing communications gap between employees and managers could lead to lack of engagement and lower productivity within the workforce. Meanwhile too many employers are investing in the wrong kinds of personal development for their staff. (more…)

Unity Place shows how a day in the office can be worth the commute

Unity Place shows how a day in the office can be worth the commute

At Unity Place, the trend to split time between office and home is being seen across coworking, informal workspaces, meeting rooms and event spacesHybrid working may have changed how often people travel into the office, but businesses in Milton Keynes are becoming more intentional about what they want from face-to-face time. At Unity Place, the trend is being seen across coworking, informal workspaces, meeting rooms and event spaces, with people increasingly using in-person days for collaboration, team catch-ups, client meetings, networking and shared experiences rather than simply sitting at a desk. At x+why Unity Place (main image), there have been 868 meeting room bookings so far this year, with around 5,800 visitors year to date. The coworking provider has also seen regular repeat bookings from businesses that do not need a permanent office, but still want a flexible place to bring their teams together. (more…)

UK business leaders embrace AI but workers remain sceptical about its future, Microsoft survey claims

UK business leaders embrace AI but workers remain sceptical about its future, Microsoft survey claims

British business leaders are increasingly confident about the potential of artificial intelligence to transform the economy, but employees remain far more cautious about its impact on jobs and future career opportunities, according to new polling from Microsoft. A survey of 5,000 UK employees and 1,000 senior business decision-makers found that 84 percent of business leaders believe Britain can become a world-leading AI economy within the next five years, compared with just 41 percent of employees.

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How to apply the lessons of World Mental Health Day every day in the office

How to apply the lessons of World Mental Health Day every day in the office

Annick Bessawa shares six practical ways employers can acknowledge what we learn on World Mental Health Day and create a more supportive workplace throughout the yearWorld Mental Health Day is always an opportunity for organisations to show they genuinely care about their people, but supporting employee wellbeing requires year-round commitment. This year’s theme highlighted the importance of listening to people with lived experiences of mental health conditions, helping to build understanding and reduce stigma in the workplace. By creating an environment where employees feel safe to speak openly and know where to find support, businesses can make a real difference to their wellbeing. St John Ambulance trainer Annick Bessawa shares six practical ways employers can acknowledge what we learn on World Mental Health Day and create a more supportive workplace throughout the year. (more…)

Employees aren’t hiding their AI use to cut corners. They’re hiding it because they’re afraid

Employees aren’t hiding their AI use to cut corners. They’re hiding it because they’re afraid

It doesn’t address why employees feel they need to hide AI use in the first place, and it risks making things worse. There’s a double bind facing employees when it comes to artificial intelligence. They’re expected to use it to be more productive, yet judged on how they do so.  Recent Deloitte research found that nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of the UK workforce has now used generative AI, a third of those users do so without their employer’s knowledge, and one in ten have used an AI tool that their employer has banned or would disapprove of. Separate Deloitte figures found show that one in six are even paying for AI tools they use at work out of their own pocket. (more…)

AI skills divide risks leaving majority of workers behind, PwC finds

AI skills divide risks leaving majority of workers behind, PwC finds

A widening divide between workers who are benefiting from artificial intelligence and those being left behind is emerging as AI use acceleratesA widening divide between workers who are benefiting from artificial intelligence and those being left behind is emerging as AI use accelerates, according to a global study by PwC. The consultancy’s 2026 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey found that 64 percent of workers had used AI at work during the previous 12 months, up 10 percentage points from last year. Daily use of generative AI increased from 14 percent to 22 percent, while 59 percent expect their use of AI tools to increase over the coming year. (more…)

Third of people think AI would do a better job than their human manager

Third of people think AI would do a better job than their human manager

More than a third of UK employees believe replacing their line manager with an artificial intelligence system would improve their productivityMore than a third of UK employees believe replacing their line manager with an artificial intelligence (AI) system would improve their productivity, although a large majority still want performance feedback delivered by a human manager. Polling commissioned by Careerminds UK found that 36.7 percent of employees thought an AI manager would make them more productive, compared with 25.5 percent who expected their productivity to decline. A further 37.8 percent said it would make no difference. (more…)

Why the organisations seeing real returns from agentic AI are empowering employees, not cutting jobs

Why the organisations seeing real returns from agentic AI are empowering employees, not cutting jobs

The launch of the UK Government’s AI Skills Compact reflects an important shift in how policymakers and businesses are thinking about artificial intelligence. Rather than viewing AI simply as a route to greater efficiency or reduced headcount, leaders are starting to recognise that long-term competitiveness will depend just as much on equipping people with the skills to work alongside AI as investing in the technology itself. (more…)

The ERP innovations worth paying attention to right now

The ERP innovations worth paying attention to right now

The businesses treating ERP selection purely as a procurement decision are missing most of the story.Ask a finance director what their ERP system does and most will describe what it used to do: hold the ledger, run payroll, generate the month-end report nobody reads until something in it is wrong. That description is going stale fast. The systems running underneath most mid-sized and large businesses are changing shape, and the change matters well beyond the finance department. It touches headcount planning, office layout, training pipelines, and how quickly a business can respond when the market shifts under it. (more…)

As hybrid working resets the office’s purpose, its small rituals carry more weight

As hybrid working resets the office’s purpose, its small rituals carry more weight

Hybrid working has changed the arrangement. Many employees can now complete focused work elsewhere, often without a commute or the interruptions of a busy workplace. A trip to the office therefore needs to offer something beyond access to a desk and a screen.The question of what the office is for has become harder to answer. For much of its history, the office had a clear practical role. It was where the people, information and equipment needed for work were located. Attendance was largely assumed, and the working week developed around that shared presence. Hybrid working has changed the arrangement. Many employees can now complete focused work elsewhere, often without a commute or the interruptions of a busy workplace. A trip to the office therefore needs to offer something beyond access to a desk and a screen. (more…)

UK architects arrive at AI ‘tipping point’ – and a new existential crisis

UK architects arrive at AI ‘tipping point’ – and a new existential crisis

Most architects don't think AI improves the quality of their work, and have become more pessimistic about their future as well as the long term impact on the profession as the tech reduces the number of entry level rolesThe Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has published the results of the third survey among its members into attitudes towards, and usage of Artificial Intelligence (AI).?It outlines how artificial intelligence (AI) adoption has changed, how its use has developed and how design professionals view the AI-influenced future. The poll found that while adoption is widespread, most respondents don’t think AI improves the quality of their work, and have become more pessimistic about their future as well as the long term impact on the profession as the tech reduces the number of entry level roles. (more…)