March 21, 2022

New future of work initiative will embrace uncertainty and escape binary thinking

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Flexible working

With so much uncertainty around the future of work in 2022, confusion and noise about the workplace, Everything Omni is launching a new way to deal with the current challenges, by inviting everyone to co-create better ways in navigating the confusion in the ever-changing working environment. Everything Omni is a unique concept offering a holistic, multi-dimensional approach to current workplace issues and the future of work. It is an independent entity giving everyone the opportunity to discover what exists beyond the binary options currently being discussed in the workplace arena. (more…)

March 18, 2022

Flexible working and wellbeing? We already know how that all works

by Mark Eltringham • Features, Podcasts, Premium Content, Wellbeing, Wellbeing Matters

If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. Woody Allen’s wise observation could have been made for this year. But it’s not just true for plans that go awry, but also those that go right in unexpected ways. For example, what better time to publish a book about the links between flexible working and wellbeing than in April 2020 as large swathes of the population were adjusting to completely remote work, many of them for the first time? (more…)

March 18, 2022

Bisley Hideaway will maximise your working from home space

by Freddie Steele • Company news

As we adapt to a new way of working, whether it be working from home (WFH) full-time, or hybrid working, now is the time to reassess our home office setup to ensure it works for us – day in, day out. Building on the success of its Belong collection designed specifically for home working, the Bisley Hideaway is designed to suit homes where space is at a premium. The firm has also introduced a new Swing Desk to its Hideaway range, to help you create a multipurpose yet well-organised workspace. (more…)

March 18, 2022

Instant Group adds virtual office provider to flex space offering

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Property

Flex office provider The Instant Group has merged Davinci Virtual Office Solutions into its online marketplace for flexible workplace. Last week, Instant announced the creation of what it claims is the world’s largest independent marketplace for flexible workspace through the merger with key digital assets from IWG plc including: EasyOffices.com, Meetingo.com, Rovva and Worka. (more…)

March 17, 2022

Work cultures to focus on people and purpose this year

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

A new poll from the ADP Research Institute (ADPRI) claims that 64 percent of the global workforce was negatively impacted by coronavirus. However, 66 percent of UK workers feel optimistic about the next five years at work, and a third think COVID-19 will have a positive effect on work cultures including through greater flexibility (34 percent) and better work-life balance (28 percent). (more…)

March 17, 2022

Co-living ideas explored in Davidson Prize longlist

by Neil Franklin • Company news, Flexible working

The judges of the 2022 Davidson Prize have selected a longlist of 14 teams. Responding to this year’s theme of Co-Living – A New Future, the longlisted teams represent diverse and exciting collaborative approaches to transforming the architecture of the home. The Davidson Prize is a design ideas and communication prize established in 2021 in memory of architectural visualisation pioneer Alan Davidson. Following the success of the inaugural Prize last year, in 2022 teams made up of architects working collaboratively with other disciplines were asked to consider whether current notions of home in the UK are keeping step with the 21st century. (more…)

March 17, 2022

Flexible working now part of work culture for over a third of people

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Technology

UK workers and their bosses are reaping the benefits of flexible working, according to new research released by Microsoft. According to Microsoft’s latest Work Trend Index, the number of people working in a hybrid way across the world is up seven percentage points on last year at (38 percent), while 53 percent of people are likely to consider transitioning to hybrid working in the year ahead. (more…)

March 17, 2022

Levelling up agenda failing to address city imbalances

by Neil Franklin • Cities, News

The UK’s smaller towns and cities are expected to show stronger economic growth than those that are larger and more metropolitan and there is an increased focus from the public on wellbeing, the environment and income distribution, according to PwC’s annual Good Growth for Cities report. Areas such as Bournemouth, Exeter and Plymouth, are expected to see the strongest gross value added (GVA) growth rates for 2021 and 2022, with cities in the North and Midlands continuing to lag behind despite the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda. (more…)

March 17, 2022

Many employers still not offering the work life balance people crave

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Two-thirds of UK employees (66 percent) feel that work life balance is crucial in their decision to apply for a job, yet a third (31 percent) do not currently achieve it, according to new research from Lenovo and Cebr. With over 2,000 UK employees surveyed, Lenovo’s “Future of You” report claims to shed light on the priorities for workers, tracking how these have changed in recent years as well as looking ahead to the future. It found that the offer of remote work is important to over half (54 percent) of workers today, compared to one-fifth (21 percent) ten years ago. Of those who are not currently offered remote work, most (83 percent) feel that their employer is not on track to deliver this in the next two years. (more…)

March 17, 2022

Technology and talent should be main focus for business leaders now

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Technology

Businesses are investing in technology to expand online operations and facilitate remote work during the pandemic. But many of those same businesses are also eager to see their employees return to the workplace in greater numbers over the long term. Those are among the findings of a new survey of small and midsized business leaders conducted by The Harris Poll and sponsored by CIT, a division of First Citizens Bank. (more…)

March 16, 2022

Working from home may help recruitment, but doesn’t stem resignations

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Organisations looking to stem the tide of the so-called Great Resignation shouldn’t rely on working from home alone to retain their top talent, according to new research, which reveals that working from home (WFH), flexible working hours and even four-day work weeks, won’t necessarily be enough to keep employees onboard. HR software provider CIPHR conducted a survey of over 330 British employers last month to discover how the increasingly competitive talent market has affected their staff retention and recruitment drives over the past twelve months. Based on the results, nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of employers have experienced an increase in employees voluntarily resigning and 71 percent have found it more challenging to recruit new employees. (more…)

March 16, 2022

Younger workers say the pandemic has held back their careers

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

Businesses risk losing a whole generation of talent as nearly half (49 percent) of 18-34 year olds plan to quit their jobs in the next twelve months. That’s according to new research from Personio, which is calling on businesses to urgently re-engage this generation of workers – or risk even more problematic talent shortages as they navigate the year ahead. The research, which surveyed HR decision makers and workers in SMEs across the UK and Ireland, finds that 59 percent of younger workers (18-34 year olds) feel they’ve missed out on promotions they felt they were due. In addition, two thirds (66 percent) feel the pandemic has held them back in their career – suggesting that serious concerns around their career development and progression are influencing their decision to move on. (more…)