Search Results for: workplace

Four day week demands intensify as workers crave flexibility

Four day week demands intensify as workers crave flexibility

four day weekAccording to a new report from ADP exploring employees’ attitudes towards the current world of work, six-in-ten (60 percent) UK workers would like more flexibility as to when they work, such as condensing hours into a four day week. This number increased to two-thirds (67 percent) in Greater London. This desire for great flexibility comes at a time when there is a mental health ticking timebomb happening in offices up and down the land. Over half (51 percent) of men and 45 percent of women admit that their work us suffering due to their poor mental health. This is leading to over a quarter (29 percent) of workers actively trying to change their job and/or move into another industry. (more…)

Dogs Trust urges businesses to open a dialogue about bringing dogs to work 

Dogs Trust urges businesses to open a dialogue about bringing dogs to work 

bringing dogs to workBusinesses participating in ‘Bring Your Dog To Work Day’ on Friday 24 June should see it as an opportunity to open an honest and frank dialogue with their workforce about the benefits, challenges and feasibility of bringing dogs to work, says Dogs Trust. Britain saw a rise in dog ownership during the pandemic, particularly among younger people, aged 25-34. As more people return to their place of work, there are concerns among dog owners about what this means for their dogs, who have become used to them working from home over the last couple of years. (more…)

RICS review promises greater focus on public interest

RICS review promises greater focus on public interest

RICS logoLord Michael Bichard has published the Bichard RICS Review into the Institution’s Purpose, Governance and Strategy, which RICS Governing Council commissioned last December. The review was a key recommendation of Alison Levitt QC’s critical report into historic issues at RICS, which was published last September. RICS Governing Council said it ‘strongly endorses’ the report and recommendations, which were informed by a global stakeholder consultation process, and will now commence work on their practical implementation. Lord Bichard states in his report that the future success of the organisation “will require nothing less than a transformation of the Institution carried out at pace” and described the need for change as “urgent” and “unarguable”. (more…)

People working from home feel less sense of belonging to work culture

People working from home feel less sense of belonging to work culture

working from home belongingAlmost half of workers feel working from home has diminished their feeling of ‘belonging’ to an organisation, according to the Employee Job Satisfaction Report [registration] from recruitment firm Morgan Phillips. According to the poll, UK workers feel they are treated well by their employer (58 percent quite well and 27 percent very well), but half are still considering changing their jobs, with 17 percent looking for a change in 2022. (more…)

Birmingham BT HQ shows road ahead for its offices and the city

Birmingham BT HQ shows road ahead for its offices and the city

Birmingham BT HQIn January of 2020, shortly before that thing happened and before we knew much about the UK Government’s ‘levelling up’ programme, Birmingham was already a city on the rise. It had recently been announced that it was to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022 and was riding the crest of a number of high-profile developments and regeneration projects, not least those that arrived on the back of the controversial high speed rail station. (more…)

People are searching for better work, not just more pay

People are searching for better work, not just more pay

better workNew research from the CIPD claims that more than 6.5 million people in the UK expect to quit their job in the next 12 months, with those reporting the poorest job quality the most likely to have itchy feet. Better pay and benefits are the main motivator to leave, but people are also looking for increased job satisfaction and better work life balance.   In response, the CIPD is calling for employers to not treat pay increases as a ‘silver bullet’ for attracting and retaining staff, but instead look at overall job quality by being more creative with job design and people management practices. (more…)

Coworking secret sauce: Experience unbound with Imogen Privett

Coworking secret sauce: Experience unbound with Imogen Privett

coworking workplace geeksEpisode 10 of Workplace Geeks sees Chris Moriarty and Ian Ellison talking with workplace innovation consultant and senior research associate at UnWork/WORKTECH Academy, Dr. Imogen Privett, discussing the fascinating content and findings from her recent doctoral thesis, Experience Unbound: The Effects of Coworking on Workplace Design Practice. Imogen’s research offers a cautionary tale for interested organisations – merely adopting the spatial strategies or aesthetics of coworking without acknowledging the careful curation of space and relationships is unlikely to yield positive results. (more…)

Employees take a dim view of organisations with poor sustainability records

Employees take a dim view of organisations with poor sustainability records

sustainabilityThe fourth research report from the Reward & Employee Benefits Association’s (REBA) Transforming Engagement [registration] series in association with Mercer Marsh Benefits suggests perceptions of a business’s approach to sustainability is influencing employee reward and benefits practices and decisions. However, many businesses are changing business practices, products and services to meet sustainability goals. REBA’s report claims that nearly eight in 10 (78 percent) respondent organisations have made changes to at least some of their products or services to meet sustainability objectives. (more…)

How to manage flexible working requests (including turning them down)

How to manage flexible working requests (including turning them down)

flexible working requestsIf an employee makes a flexible working request, then employers should have principles and procedures in place setting out how these requests should be dealt with. Avoiding disputes in the workplace generally means adhering to three principles: clarity, consistency, and fairness. So, here’s a brief (non-exhaustive) guide to handling flexible working requests. (more…)

Tech firms now less likely to offer fully remote working

Tech firms now less likely to offer fully remote working

tech talent remote workingFully remote working is no longer viewed as the ‘holy grail’ by tech employers, with hybrid working now viewed as the perfect model for aiding retention and recruitment of talent. That is the main conclusion of Robert Half’s Demand for Tech Talent report, which surveyed 750 tech hiring managers across the UK. The results of the survey suggest that remote working – which the report claims was widely touted as the ‘future of work’ both before and during the pandemic – is now being shunned by companies in favour of a flexible approach. (more…)

Two thirds of SME staff ‘less likely’ to go off sick when working from home

Two thirds of SME staff ‘less likely’ to go off sick when working from home

working from homeTwo thirds of people working for small and medium sized businesses say they are are less likely to take sick leave when working from home and nearly half say they feel more pressure to justify their productivity when working remotely. The poll [registration] of around 1,300 people from Breathe suggests that the pressure people when working from home can lead to counterproductive forms of digital presenteeism.  (more…)

Poor mental wellbeing costs UK contact centres almost £1 billion each year

Poor mental wellbeing costs UK contact centres almost £1 billion each year

mental wellbeing contact centresPeople working in contact centre roles say that work-related poor mental wellbeing is making them less productive, including answering fewer calls and taking more sick days – costing the industry over £990m in lost productivity every year. That’s according to a new study, Duty of Care Gap [registration] from MaxContact. The contact centres industry is a huge contributor to the UK economy, employing over 800,000 people across the country. Yet the industry is facing a mental health crisis, with 83 percent workers saying their work is taking a toll on their mental wellbeing, with staff reporting high stress levels (62 percent), anxiety (48 percent) and feeling overwhelmed (46 percent). (more…)