Search Results for: workplace

January 16, 2018

Full time work has an adverse effect on wellbeing and happiness of mothers, study claims

Mothers of children under the age of three who don’t work full time are generally more happy than those in full-time employment, a new study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies claims. The survey by Dana Hamplová of the Czech Academy of Sciences asked 5,000 mothers from 30 European countries to make a subjective assessment of their levels of wellbeing and happiness. It found that there was a small but significant increase in happiness among mothers who were not working, compared to full-time workers. The report found there were no differences in the self-reported levels of happiness of non-working mothers and those who work part time.

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January 16, 2018

Businesses lost an estimated £20.2 bn from data breaches last year

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

Hackers stole or compromised an estimated £20.2bn worth of records from businesses in 2017, new research claims. After news that Uber failed to disclose a massive hack in 2016, VPN (Virtual Private Network) comparison site BestVPN.com analysed more than 200 data breaches dating back to 2004, looking at the number of records compromised, the industries most likely to be affected and the value of those breaches. Late last year Equifax became the victim of one of the most high profile hacks in history, with 143m records stolen, equating to an estimated £15bn worth of data lost*. While there have previously been attacks where more records were compromised, such as Yahoo’s 1bn back in December 2016, the Equifax breach was notable because the data stolen included social Security numbers and personal identification. IBM revealed in its Cost of a Data Breach Study 2017 that the average cost of a stolen record was £104.25, or £2.7m per hack.

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January 15, 2018

Is there a link between creativity and depression?

by Mark Eltringham • News, Wellbeing

The link between creativity and depression or other mood disorders is something of a cliché, but one explored in a new meta-analysis published in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science. The study from Christa L Taylor set out to discover whether there was any truth to the twin ideas of the tortured genius and of misery as an inspiration for creativity. Based on 36 studies into the relationship between mood disorders and creative thinking involving very high numbers of people, the report concludes that there are often strong correlations but that causation is somewhat harder to pin down. The diagnosis of mental disorders and the incidence of creativity is also complicated by the fact that researchers may often be unable to distinguish between the two.

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January 15, 2018

Manchester, Brighton and Edinburgh seen as best places for freelancers to work

by Mark Eltringham • News

A new report from price comparison website MoneySuperMarket published to coincide with Working from Home Week claims that Manchester, Brighton and Edinburgh are the best UK cities in which freelancers can work. The report looks at the number of existing freelancers in 22 UK cities, the average rates they charge and the number of start-ups looking to utilise local freelancers. To assess the work-life balance of freelancers, the research also gauged local property costs, the number of wi-fi hotspots and coffee shops, as well as the general quality of life in the area.

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January 12, 2018

The complex relationship between productivity, technology and working anywhere

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Technology, Wellbeing

A new report produced by Lancaster University’s Work Foundation and commissioned by Citrix, highlights the complex and often strained relationship between productivity, technology, work and the idea of working anywhere. Despite the march of digital transformation, one in four (24 percent) UK managers questioned for this report believe their organisation is not technologically ‘forward thinking’. With Britain’s productivity slowdown the largest of the G7 economies since the recession, over three in five (63 percent) of knowledge workers polled believe they are no more productive today than they were three years ago, with 17 percent even claiming to be less industrious. The paper – Productivity, technology & working anywhere – shows an undeniably positive link between correctly-implemented technology and workplace productivity. However this progress can soon by marred by poor business planning, a lack of innovation, outdated IT and low uptake of flexible working cultures. The research is supported with survey responses from 1,000 knowledge workers and 500 managerial level employees within medium and large organisations across the UK.

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January 12, 2018

European commercial property market in good health as coworking phenomenon takes hold

by Neil Franklin • Coworking, News, Property

European commercial property markets have started 2018 in a positive way, with provisional data for 2017 from Knight Frank suggesting that investment volumes were higher than in 2016. If 2017 beats 2016’s total of €216 billion it will still remain well below the market peak of 2015 when over €250 billion was invested, according to the latest commercial property outlook report from Knight Frank. The real estate firm expects 2018 transaction volumes to be similar to those of 2017 and the report says that significant amounts of capital continue will be allocated to real estate. The report also highlights how flexible workspace and coworking is now a Europe-wide phenomenon, with London, Berlin and Paris witnessing the strongest growth. The sector will continue to expand, as new styles of workspace are developed to service a growing variety of occupier needs, says the report. Last year Baptiste Broughton reported for us on the state of the coworking market in France.

January 12, 2018

Pointless meetings can result in disengagement and reduced productivity

by Sara Bean • News, Technology, Workplace

Three in 10 business professionals think most of their meetings are pointless and nearly half (48 percent) of UK business people admit to having dozed off in a meeting claims global research by Barco ClickShare. The study revealed the true extent of our shared dislike for business meetings, which many respondents believe are poorly run at best or, at worst, completely pointless. Nearly a third of respondents globally said they found less than half of their meetings to be useful, while 30 percent also said they had dozed off in a meeting before. The UK, in fact, led the way in the asleep-in-meeting stakes, with nearly half (48 percent) of all UK respondents saying they’d fallen asleep in meetings. Checking emails and social media during meetings was also extremely common and another indication of disengagement and distraction. Over 70 percent of people said they regularly checked emails during meetings, while 37 percent access social media.

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January 12, 2018

The seven must-reads that were on our radar this week

by Mark Eltringham • AI, Features, Flexible working, Property, Technology, Workplace

What to do when you’re feeling distracted at work

The essential truths of management books distilled to 25 words

The past and present future of corporate real estate

A new approach to the design of work

How to tackle impostor syndrome in 2018

Managing an integrated government estate: lessons from the UK

Autonomous car hype is way ahead of reality

Image: Mercedes

January 12, 2018

BSRIA launches urbanisation megatrends report

by Mark Eltringham • Cities, Facilities management, News, Property

The Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA) has launched a new report called Megatrends – Urbanisation (registration needed) which claims to look at the major forces that are shaping the ‘world in which we live and do business’. The report cites as inspiration a 2015 McKinsey report called No Ordinary Disruption, which examined ‘The Four Global Forces Breaking all the Trends’. The four key trends which McKinsey pointed to as already impacting on almost every society, or will do soon, are urbanisation, an ageing population, globalisation and the technological revolution. Since 1950 there has been a massive global movement towards urbanisation. In 1950 fewer than 30 per cent of the world’s population lived in urban areas. By 2010 this had reached 50 per cent and by 2050 the share is forecast to exceed two thirds of the world’s population. This represents one of the biggest and fastest human movements in history and the report sets out to explore its implications.

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January 11, 2018

Culture shift needed to drive a better gender balance in property and construction

by Niki Fuchs • Comment, Property

Despite compelling evidence of the bottom line benefits of gender diversity, too many sectors remain stubbornly male dominated. This is certainly the case with the property and construction industry where women still represent only 15 percent of the workforce. The growth of prop-tech, entrepreneurialism amongst women and a growing emphasis on service, demonstrated by the growth of the flexible office and serviced apartment sectors, which tend to have more balanced gender ratios, is helping to address this balance. However, many women in the industry still do not occupy managerial roles, and so the gender pay gap stubbornly remains. For these imbalances to be addressed a cross-industry, cultural shift needs to occur, and individual companies must work to drive change from the top down.

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January 11, 2018

Anxiety over communications skills performance affects majority of senior leaders

by Sara Bean • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Employees in senior positions are more prone to experiencing workplace performance anxiety than any other role, despite their extra experience and authority, claims new research. The report by conducted by RADA in Business, the commercial subsidiary of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art found that the highest rates of anxiety for directors are around communicating, affecting 94 percent of those surveyed. 39 percent of senior directors cite networking with new business prospects and pitching as the situations where they feel the most unsure about their performance. Furthermore, almost a third (31 percent) say they are nervous of their ideas being shot down or being talked over, while a similar number (31 percent) say they are fearful of people thinking less of them. The next most-affected group was those in junior positions, with 92 percent reporting the effects of anxiety around communicating. With most people expressing the pressure to make an impact – whether being interviewed for a new job, moving into a more senior role, or presenting to colleagues or customers – as the main situations that bring on anxious feelings the most.

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January 11, 2018

Promotion: Humanscale launch Quickstand Eco to lead next generation of sit/stand workstations

by Neil Franklin • Company news, Furniture, Products

Humanscale, has launched its next generation of portable sit/stand products. The QuickStand Eco claims to unite function and sustainability at an accessible price point to improve employee performance and encourage a more active workplace. This new height-adjustable solution is sleeker, easier to install and comprises more sustainable materials than ever before. QuickStand Eco utilises minimal parts and pieces, limiting it’s environmental footprint and maintaining a minimal, clean aesthetic. It features simple setup and is easy to transport, making it a flexible option for both corporate and home offices. The instant height adjustability encourages users to sit and stand more often and the product can also be integrated with Humanscale’s OfficeIQ software, which sends periodic alerts when it is time to adjust one’s position.