January 18, 2024

Office trends may come and go, but some values (such as good ergonomics) are eternal

In 2024, Wellworking celebrates 25 years of being in business, a milestone I’m proud of in such a competitive market. A lot has changed over that time, and I’m excited by just how much working habits will transform over the next few decades too. When I first established the company in 1999, it was called Home Working Solutions as I felt there were increasing numbers of people working from home that needed appropriate furniture to do that. It was important to me that they had access to quality ergonomic products as I felt that people working from home had very few options on offer at the time. (more…)

January 17, 2024

CEOs remain optimistic about short term growth, quarter are planning to replace people with AI

by Neil Franklin • AI, Business, News, Technology

The proportion of CEOs who believe global economic growth will improve over the next 12-months has more than doubled. At the same time, the proportion of CEOs concerned about their long-term business viability has risen to 45 percent as tech and climate pressures accelerate, according to PwC’s 27th Annual Global CEO Survey. However the survey, published to coincide with the annual World Economic Forum jamboree in Davos, also reports that artificial intelligence will result in dramatic job losses in 2024 and beyond. A quarter intend to cut their headcounts by at least five percent “due to generative AI. (more…)

January 16, 2024

Herman Miller expands OE1 Workspace Collection

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Furniture

Introducing the OE1 Sit-Stand Table and other essential pieces for agile workspaces. The OE1 Workspace Collection from Herman Miller, designed by Sam Hecht and Kim Colin of London-based Industrial Facility is being updated to include new productivity-enhancing solutions. (more…)

January 16, 2024

The average day off includes about two and a half hours of work

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

A recent study by Forbes Advisor claims that a quarter (25 percent) of UK employees will work between three and four hours on days when they are officially “off the clock”. The survey found that the average Brit will spend up to two-and-a-half hours working while technically having a day off on holiday or leave. (more…)

January 16, 2024

Employers must act to offer more choices to people

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Henley Business School’s World of Work Institute has published a new report on what it calls The Omniployment Era The report claims to identify which what a post-Covid, post-Great Resignation workforce looks like. The study identifies six distinct worker ‘segments’* in the UK workforce and quantifies what attracts and retains them in jobs, and provides advice to businesses on how to build a strong workforce. (more…)

January 16, 2024

Technology is stealing your time in ways you may not realise

by Ruth Ogden, Joanna Witowska and Vanda Cernohorská • Comment, Technology, Wellbeing

Technology is supposed to make our lives easier. Smart phones provide a palm-size window to the world, enabling us to do almost anything at the touch of a button. Smart homes look after themselves, and virtual meetings mean that for many, time spent commuting is a thing of the past. So we should have more free time. Time which is now spent sleeping, relaxing or simply doing nothing – right? (more…)

January 15, 2024

AI roles now make up over a quarter of all tech jobs advertised in the UK

by Neil Franklin • AI, News, Technology

AI-focused roles now make up 27 percent of all tech jobs being advertised in the UK, according to a new report from Thomson Reuters. An analysis of 6,073 live tech roles advertised online in January 2024 found that 1,652 roles fundamentally required AI skills. Demand for talent with relevant skills has boomed in the last year with the rise of generative AI tools offering significant boosts to productivity and efficiency in the workplace. (more…)

January 12, 2024

The wonder of you. Monica Parker on joy, serendipity, toxic work cultures and awe

by Mark Eltringham • News, Podcasts, Premium Content, Wellbeing, Workplace Cocktail Hour, Workplace design

Monica Parker joins Mark Eltringham to share an Old Fashioned while discussing how to find wonder in the everyday, the limits of workplace design, our renewed obsession with productivity, how to achieve flow states in a world of distractions and what it means to be truly happy. There’s not much workplace news around right now as people are still finding their feet after Christmas, so we also explore some lessons we might take from the Post Office scandal about how organisations go wrong and the role of human nature in creating toxic cultures. (more…)

January 12, 2024

Landscaping is undergoing its own tech revolution

by Phil Lucas • Company news, Environment

We are living through a revolution in automation in landscaping. It is amazing to see how robots equipped with advanced sensors and imaging technologies are now redefining precision in landscaping design and implementation. Drones, for instance, provide an aerial perspective, enabling designers to visualise and plan landscapes with unprecedented accuracy. These tools help optimise the placement of plants, pathways, and other elements, ensuring that every inch of the landscape is utilised efficiently. (more…)

January 11, 2024

Workspace Design Show reveals all-encompassing speaker programme

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Events

The speaker programme at Workspace Design Show (27-28 February 2024, Business Design Centre, London) has been an integral part since the event’s inception in 2021 and this year is no exception with over 120 speakers featuring across four key elements of discourse. The Workspace Design Talks programme, which will take place in a dedicated space, the Design Talks Lounge (bottom), designed by global design and architecture firm Gensler, will feature inspiring sessions from leading industry professionals over the event’s two days. (more…)

January 11, 2024

Third of employees resent return to office mandates

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

A new poll from Scalable Software of 2,000 UK knowledge workers claims more than a third (35 percent) resent being told they have to go into the office for a set number of days. Half (50 percent) of respondents say their employer has “productivity paranoia” over employees working away from the office, with 62 percent reporting their organisation has implemented a return to office policy within the last two years. (more…)

January 11, 2024

(As always) two-fifths of people say they are planning to change jobs this year

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

Nobody seems to be calling it The Great Resignation any more, but two-fifths (40 percent) of the UK workforce are planning to move jobs in 2024, with one in six already beginning their search as staff look to boost their pay packet, according to the latest Candidate Sentiment Survey statistics produced by recruitment firm Robert Half. The survey’s authors claim these statistics demonstrate the resilience of the labour market as more candidates look to capitalise on skills shortages to boost earnings. Those aged 18-34 are more likely to move roles than any other age group (56 percent). (more…)