Search Results for: workplace

October 13, 2016

Mix of core and flexible workspaces will shape real estate by 2030 ⁰

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, Flexible working, News, Property, Technology, Workplace design

Thanks to the combination of a changing workforce and greater connectivity, up to 30 percent of corporate real estate portfolios will incorporate flexible workspaces by 2030, with offices more likely to be built around core hubs and comprising fewer locations. Along with this the Internet of Things and smart buildings will create new ways of managing productivity, sustainability and the user experience. These are some of the key findings of JLL’s new report series ‘Workspace, reworked: ride the wave of tech driven change’; two reports exploring the impact of technology, data and digital disruption on work spaces and real estate investment strategies. The series focuses on the office sector over the next 15 years, looking at how occupiers, developers and investors will need to view real estate differently and adapt in order to enhance investment returns and create work spaces that are fit for purpose in a rapidly changing, highly-connected world.

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October 13, 2016

Collaborative spaces are replacing the traditional office boardroom ⁰

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, News, Technology, Workplace, Workplace design

Connectivity and flexible working means that office meetings are shrinking in size as employees fail to show up to almost half of scheduled meetings; leaving the traditional large workplace boardroom obsolete. Teem’s Workplace Productivity Analytics Index carries out a regular aggregated analysis of meeting room data from over 2,000 customers worldwide and found that globally, only six percent of meetings have 10 or more attendees, while 76 percent of meetings include only one to three participants. In addition, 20 percent of meetings are booked within 15 minutes of taking place, making it difficult for facilities and IT managers to plan suitable space and secure equipment needs for employees. The data also claims that large meetings can drain productivity, which is why businesses are increasingly investing in large conference rooms and instead opt for collaborative spaces where smaller groups can meet privately.

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October 12, 2016

Government set to extend groundbreaking One Public Sector Estate programme ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • News, Property, Public Sector

The UK Government has announced that it is to further extend its groundbreaking One Public Sector Estate scheme which supports local authorities and public sector bodies in the sharing and divestment of underutilised property. The Cabinet Office and Local Government Association have issued a joint announcement that 159 councils will join the next phase of the One Public Estate programme and that £7.5 million has been awarded to 37 partnerships made up of councils and public sector bodies. The funding will support cross public sector partnerships to work collaboratively on land and property initiatives leading to new jobs, new homes, joined up public services and savings for the taxpayer. The programme was initially launched in 2013 and has been extended to a number of local authorities and public sector bodies since

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October 11, 2016

American workers prefer the 9 to 5 but would take a pay cut in exchange for home working ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News

According to a new study by researchers at Princeton University and Harvard University, the average American worker is indifferent to flexible working hours and instead prefers a set 40-hour workweek. According to the study, most workers aren’t willing to take even a small pay cut to determine their own working hours. However, if given the option to work from home, many workers — especially women — would take an 8 percent wage cut to do so. The findings, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), also show that workers consistently dislike irregular work schedules set by employers on short notice. They would even give up one-fifth of their salary to avoid working evenings or weekends. Nearly half of jobseekers would not take an irregular-schedule job even if it paid a quarter more than a 9 to 5 job. This is true even of workers who currently have irregular work schedules.

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October 11, 2016

Home workers take fewer sick days than office based colleagues ⁰

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, Flexible working, Wellbeing, Workplace

Working from home has long been branded ‘shirking from home’ but a new survey suggests that home workers actually take fewer sick days. The research by CartridgePeople.com and published in the SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) Workers Report, found that home workers are not only happier but they are also healthier than their workplace-based counterparts – taking an average of 2.4 sick days per year, in comparison to the 2.6 taken by those working from company premises. Of course, that doesn’t tell us if they are in fact healthier, or that they’re more prepared to carry out their work duties from the comfort of their bed. But the survey of 1,096 British workers, including both home workers and those who work from their employers’ premises, also revealed that the majority of workers (60 percent) did feel happier when working from home.

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October 11, 2016

Digital diversity hub launched by RICS to coincide with Coming Out Day ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • News

Today is Coming Out Day and as part of a greater drive for diversity, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has launched a new digital hub designed to help its members create more inclusive workforces. To underscore the need for greater diversity, RICS cites a 2015 survey carried out by the Architects’ Journal, just 16 percent of gay employees believe the industry is inclusive of LGBT workers, up to a third feel that their sexuality creates barriers to career progression and 85 percent claim to have encountered homophobia at least once during their careers.

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October 10, 2016

RSA welcomes clients and brokers to new office in the heart of Birmingham ⁰

by Neil Franklin • Company news, Furniture, Workplace design

Located a stone’s throw from Snow Hill Station in Birmingham’s min business district, insurer, RSA’s new Trading Site puts its employees at the heart of the customer experience. Rather than separating support functions from front of house, the new space combines client-facing areas and open plan benches to create an open, collaborative and flexible environment. The office features assigned workstations for staff including brokers and underwriters, who will benefit from the enhanced collaboration and communication across the clear, unobstructed workspace. In addition to open plan benching, the office features, meeting rooms, lounge areas and a multifunctional kitchen that can transform into an intimate client event space.

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October 10, 2016

The Big Data skills gap and other issues ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • News, Technology

A new report from techUK claims that the widespread use of Big Data could boost the UK economy by £241 billion and create around 157,000 jobs by 2020, but the Government needs to act fast to address the skills gap that is holding back the implementation of more Big Data applications. The survey of techUK members found that almost two thirds (62 percent) say they need more specialists in emerging disciplines including Data Analysts, Data Infrastructure Engineers and Solutions Architects. However there may be wider challenges ahead for the application of Big Data as a survey carried out by Gartner suggests that the number of organisations willing to invest in Big Data is set to fall.

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October 10, 2016

Workers spend just a third of their time performing their actual job ⁰

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Technology, Workplace

In the ongoing quest for workplace productivity the fact people spend too much time checking their emails has recently been noted, but it seems that workers are so frequently distracted in the workplace that only 38 percent of their time is actually spent on performing their primary job duties. A survey by Workfront claims the top three things that get in the way of work include: wasteful meetings (62 percent), excessive emails (52 percent), and excessive oversight (39 percent). A quarter (26 percent) of workers said uninterrupted blocks of time would help them be more productive at work, followed by more efficient work process (26 percent), and more/better qualified people and resources (19 percent). And over two third (37 percent) of office workers agree that email will no longer be the main mode of communication in five years, with over half (57 percent) saying that the majority of workers will work remotely in the coming years.

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October 10, 2016

Just a quarter of workers would tell employers about mental ill health ⁰

by Sara Bean • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Almost half of UK workers (44 percent) know a colleague who has had to give up work because of stress, while more than a third of people (36 percent) say that colleagues have complained about feeling stressed to their employer, but received no support. As a result, most people (56 percent) don’t feel comfortable talking about depression or stress in the workplace. The fourth annual Employee Insight Report from Capita Employee Benefits, released to coincide with World Mental Health Day today (October 10) suggests that stigmas remain and companies should be doing more to encourage their workers to open up about mental health issues. The findings reveal that just 33 percent would feel comfortable talking to their employer if they have a mental health issue, like depression; 75 percent of respondents said they have felt stressed at work over the last 12 months but only 20 percent have taken time off work because of stress.

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October 7, 2016

High earners much more likely to be offered flexible working ⁰

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Workplace

We may all be aware that the way to attract and retain working parents – particularly mothers – is by offering them flexible working options, especially with the growing body of evidence that the gender gap increases among working women with children. But although it’s still a challenge for any working women who aspires to moving up the corporate ladder, they usually have more options than their lower paid colleagues who can’t afford expensive childcare. This is why it’s all the more depressing to learn that it’s only the high earners who are being given the option of flexible working. According to research carried out by charity Working Families to promote National Work Life Week (Oct 3-7), high earning parents who bank more than £70,000 a year are 47 percent more likely to work flexibly than those earning between £10,000 and £40,000. (more…)

October 7, 2016

Green buildings improve occupant’s cognitive function and health ⁰

by Sara Bean • Environment, Facilities management, News, Workplace design

New evidence which supports the argument for the Well building concept as new research suggests that compared to people in high-performing buildings without a green certification, occupants of high-performing, certified green buildings had nearly a third (30 percent) fewer sick building symptoms, a 6.4 percent higher sleep quality score and a 26.4 percent higher cognitive function score. The new study from Harvard University and SUNY Upstate Medical University, supported by United Technologies suggests that there may be an even greater benefit to working in green certified buildings than originally thought. “The Impact of Working in a Green Certified Building on Cognitive Function and Health,” demonstrates the importance of green-certified buildings to the health of occupants – particularly for office workers whose health, productivity, decision-making, and sleep could greatly benefit.

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