February 20, 2024
The British Safety Council has published an introductory guide for employers to help them manage risks posed by storing and charging lithium-powered e-bikes and scooters in the workplace. Most e-bikes are powered by Lithium Ion (Li-on) batteries, larger versions of the kind found in our smartphones, tablets, and some laptops. More →
December 7, 2023
You don’t have to look far to find misinformation. Just a few weeks ago, amid the aftermath of the coup in Niger, online platforms were being inundated with false information, intensifying tensions surrounding the nation’s future. This included erroneous videos on TikTok and Twitter suggesting the presence of Wagner Group (Russian state-funded) fighters, false claims about Algeria’s military involvement, and inaccurate assertions about banning uranium export to France. More →
November 28, 2023
Technology is the foremost resource for shaping the world—and in the modern workplace, it’s crucial for keeping brands competitive in an increasingly fast-paced business environment. Our article “Why new technologies still make employees happier, healthier, and more efficient” explains that technology must meet increasingly agile strategies like remote work. In these cases, it can help optimise manpower and productivity. As a result, 70 percent of firms believe new technologies improve business resilience. One of the emerging tools showing immense promise for improving productivity is smart glasses. More →
November 27, 2023
Originally published six years ago, this feature is currently the most read story ever on the website with around 50,000 readers. A global study by my own firm Steelcase has found that one-third of workers across 17 of the world’s most important economies are actually disengaged. The findings make worrying reading for employers around the world, as engagement is so demonstrably linked to business critical outcomes such as employee retention, productivity and even profits. It certainly raises the question of what more can be done, including in terms of workplace design, to boost engagement levels amongst these employees. More →
June 15, 2023
A survey of 2,000 full-time employees has revealed that almost two-thirds (64 percent) of workers have been in a workplace where there has been conflicts between colleagues, with 15 percent subsequently looking to change roles. The research, conducted by communications consultancy Magenta Associates, also found that opposing personality types (47 percent), lack of communication (43 percent), and management styles (38 percent) are the most likely causes of workplace conflict. More →
May 10, 2023
Technology has impacted our everyday lives – from how we keep in touch with old friends all the way to how we do our weekly shop, as well as our work lives. The skills which are in demand are vastly differently to what they were just a decade ago. As a result, we have seen a rise in the incidence of tech-shaming and the current generation has needed to develop a different skillset to what their predecessors had to learn. Dell Technologies found that 56 percent of respondents between the ages 18 to 26 across 15 countries, said “they had very basic to no digital skills education.” A third of them said their education had not provided them “with the digital skill they need to propel their career” and what they know comes from the apps they use on their own time. More →
February 9, 2023
A new CIPD survey of business leaders claims there is a significant mismatch between the scale of the challenge that workplace issues currently pose to businesses and how often workforce issues and people data are discussed by senior leaders. In response, the CIPD is warning that organisations are unlikely to perform well in the long term unless decisions taken at a board and executive management level are informed by an in-depth and evidence-based understanding of the value and risk their workforce poses. More →
January 12, 2023
Mental health and wellbeing will dominate conversations about the role of work in people’s lives this year, due in part to the effects of the global pandemic, as well as social and economic instability around the world, according to the latest megatrends report from UKG. The report claims that many people are feeling overwhelmed in the face of negative news cycles headlining economic uncertainty, climate change, violence, and political unrest have contributed to a spike in mental wellbeing issues. More →
September 20, 2022
A new report from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ (CIPR) Inside Group claims that while the successful running of any organisation relies on effective line manager communication, and this is a high HR priority, designated line managers are ultimately being “set up to fail” through a lack of specific communications training. The report – ‘Effective line manager communications’ – surveyed line managers, HR professionals, and internal communicators, and it showed a clear mismatch between the expectations of line managers and the support provided. More →
August 24, 2022
A new survey from 15Five claims that the workplace is in a state of upheaval, with one-third of workers planning to quit their jobs despite the potential economic downturn. Conversely, nearly one in five organisations are planning on layoffs, and more than one-third of HR leaders have rescinded job offers. The poll of 1,000 US full time employees and 500 HR leaders [registration] also claims that work-life balance is a top concern for employees, behind only pay and health benefits. When HR leaders were asked what was most important to their employees, work-life balance claimed the number one spot (64.6 percent), followed by health benefits (62.8 percent) and growth opportunities (54.6 percent). More →
July 28, 2022
Lack of support from employers for women with symptoms of the menopause is pushing ‘highly skilled and experienced’ women out of work, claims a new report from the cross-party House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee. The authors call on the Government to act, amending the Equality Act to introduce menopause as a protected characteristic, and to include a duty for employers to provide reasonable adjustments for menopausal employees. The MPs also urge the Government to remove dual prescription charges for oestrogen and progesterone as part of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) nationwide, replacing it with a single charge for all women.
February 16, 2024
Why changing with the seasons is key to the all-weather workplace
by Russell Glover • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design