Search Results for: workplace

May 24, 2015

More intensive space use is helping to drive down office costs worldwide

by Mark Eltringham • News, Property, Workplace design

Office costs are falling worldwide, in part because occupiers are using space more intensively, according to the latest Office Thermometer report from commercial property firm DTZ. The report found that the West End of London has comfortably retained its position as the world’s most expensive location. The average annual cost of a workstation in the area is $29,000 (about £19,000), fully a third higher than second placed New York. The report found that office costs continue to fall significantly in most regions, nearly 4 percent overall on average, although there were increases in fast growing local markets, especially in the Middle East. According to the study, more intensive use of office space by occupiers, an appreciating US dollar, weak economic growth in Europe and significant new supply in emerging markets have combined to cut costs worldwide.

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May 24, 2015

KFC Germany introduces keyboard paper tray (for a while)

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Technology

Ever worry that the five minutes it takes to eat fast food is not only depriving you of nutrients but also the chance to stay online – unless you really don’t mind greasy fingerprints all over your smartphone? Maybe not, but it’s clearly a problem for some people which is why a German advertising and design agency has developed a Bluetooth enabled keyboard tray for KFC which allows customers to eat fatty food without the intrusion of inconveniences such as napkins, awareness of the physical world, their own thoughts and interactions with other people. The agency Gute Werbung and a tech firm called Serviceplan have helped the fast food chain to introduce the Tray Typer as part of a promotion. The device consists of a tray liner with a 0.4 mm thick keyboard, rechargeable battery and a Bluetooth chip.

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May 24, 2015

Growing demand for in-flight Wi-Fi worldwide, claims report

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Technology

Passenger demand for in-flight Wi-Fi is growing worldwide as people become increasingly frustrated with spaces that deprive them of the full functionality of their screens and remind them of their presence in the physical world. That is the key finding of a new report from in-flight Wi-Fi provider GoGo. The latest update to its annual In-Flight Connectivity survey of passengers in seven countries also found that demand for in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity is found to be higher in Africa, Europe and the Middle East than the US, even though more than 80 percent of US carriers already offer Wi-Fi compared to an average of around 20 percent in the other countries surveyed. Conversely, the study claims that over three quarters of passengers in Europe and the Middle East would like to be able to use on board Wi-Fi.

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May 23, 2015

The latest edition of Insight Weekly is available to view online

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, Newsletter, Technology, Work&Place, Workplace, Workplace design

In this week’s issue; Charles Marks on how the changing way we work presents challenges for the development of commercial property; Kati Barklund says management is needed to encourage people to use sit stand workstations properly and Peter Ames argues it is the flexibility of shared offices which allows SMEs to mould a space to their brand and make it feel like home. We learn that the European workforce is optimistic about the impact of new and emerging workplace technology, why women of over 55 make the best business strategists and Mark Eltringham agrees that the workplace is changing but the death of the office is a myth. The complete Work&Place archive is now available for you online and sign up to the newsletter via the subscription form in the right hand sidebar, follow us on Twitter and join our LinkedIn Group to discuss this and other stories.

May 22, 2015

Disparity in level of support from employers for first time mums

by Sara Bean • Legal news, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

The level of support by employers towards new mums differs dramatically depending on seniority. According to AXA PPP healthcare, in a poll of new mums, over half of those who had been working in entry level positions (59 per cent) said that their employer hadn’t provided any support beyond what was legally required in the run up to their maternity leave. But, for new mums who had been working in senior positions, that figure dropped to one in five (21 per cent). While 23 per cent of entry level employees were offered ‘keeping in touch days’ during their maternity leave, this number doubled for management level staff (46 per cent) and senior executives (54 per cent). Only 19 per cent of entry level workers were given advice about going on maternity leave compared with nearly a third (30 per cent) of management level employees.

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May 22, 2015

Crown Estate first national property company to be Living Wage accredited

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, News, Property, Workplace

The Crown Estate has become the first national property business to accredit as a Living Wage employer. The Living Wage commitment aims to ensure that everyone working for The Crown Estate, regardless of whether they are permanent employees or contractors, receives a minimum hourly wage of £9.15 per hour in London and £7.85 per hour outside of London, significantly above the national minimum wage of £6.50. The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK and is accredited by the national Living Wage Foundation (LWF). A study examining the business benefits of implementing a Living Wage policy in London found that more than 80 per cent of employers believe that the Living Wage had enhanced the quality of the work of their staff, while absenteeism had fallen by approximately 25 per cent.

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May 21, 2015

Over two thirds of UK staff care about energy efficiency at work

by Sara Bean • Environment, Facilities management, News

New research claims that 68 percent of UK workers care about energy efficiency at work and of these, 22 per cent said they care a great deal. The survey by YouGov for British Gas Business found that Hospitality and Leisure workers care the most – 82 percent – about saving business energy. Other industries that ranked highly were Financial Services (77%) and Manufacturing (76%). With almost two thirds (62%) confirming that their workplace invests in saving energy, it is clear that it is important for companies and organisations to be energy efficient. Yet, less than half (43 %) of workers said that their company or organisation ensures that all lights and computer screens are switched off when not in use and less than 1 in 5 (18%) said they conduct a regular energy audit.

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May 21, 2015

TMT and finance sectors drive demand for London office construction

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, News, Property

The total level of office construction in central London has increased over the past six months, fuelled by the greatest volume of new space to start since 2011, the latest Deloitte London Office Crane Survey has revealed. With a rise of 24 per cent over the past six months, a new wave of office construction in central London is under way across almost all submarkets. This comes at a time when the level of available office space is at its lowest for seven years, with current market conditions still suggesting a short-term supply shortage. However, the ramping up of new developments over the last six months has come too late to significantly alter the delivery of new space in 2015. TMT and the financial sector are driving up demand for more office space.

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May 20, 2015

Collaborative work is the driving force behind the desk rental boom

by Peter Ames • Comment, Flexible working, Property

In the wake of the Smarter Working West Midlands project, which encouraged SMEs to try co-working for free, it is increasingly apparent the nation’s small businesses are prepared to embrace alternative office space options. Both serviced offices and desk-rental can offer the flexibility a long-term office lease often cannot because they involve rental agreements that may work monthly or quarterly, while a traditional lease will generally require a commitment of several years. Desk rental also offers a chance of skill-sharing, collaborative work and networking. In fact this was the key benefit for many businesses participating in Smarter Working West Midlands. For startups the ability to expand, contract or even relocate office can be invaluable. It’s this flexibility which allows them to mould a space to their brand and make the office feel like a true home.

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May 20, 2015

Women over 55 most likely to be business strategists, finds report

by Sara Bean • News, Workplace

A new report claims that only 8 percent of senior managers currently have ‘Strategist’ leadership capabilities and have the attributes and mind sets to lead transformational change and solve their most difficult problems. This is because employers don’t identify and empower their leaders with the right capabilities and attributes, says the report published by PwC’s Consulting practice. According to “The hidden talent: Ten ways to identify and retain transformational leaders,” the work of strategists is underpinned by inquiry-based experimentation. They see both the vision and detail, employ positive language and exercise power courageously. They understand the complexity of the environment in which they’re working and are able to employ passionate detachment. The report claims that the largest proportion of ‘Strategist’ leaders, are women over 55.

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May 19, 2015

Broadband faults are more annoying than car breakdowns, claims study

by Mark Eltringham • News, Technology

Following last week’s report that people would rather lose an unspecified finger than their broadband connection, a new report from comparison site Cable.co.uk claims that people generallly believe that losing their broadband connection for any period of time is more annoying than their car breaking down. Based on a survey of 2,500 UK residents, users also voted broadband disruption more annoying than receiving bad customer service, their boiler failing, waiting in for a delivery that doesn’t turn up and transport delays. Broadband drop-outs were given an average score of 9 out of 10, with 10 being extremely annoying. Half of users rated it 10 out of 10. The report’s authors conclude that this is likely to be because of feelings of a lack of control and an inability to communicate, something we now take for granted.

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May 19, 2015

Lateness and constant whining are most annoying office habits

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Someone who is perpetually late is the most annoying workplace colleague according to a new survey of UK office workers, although only a third are prepared to do anything about it. However, just over 40 percent of respondents said that this kind of behaviour made them consider leaving their jobs with a striking five percent having actually followed through with such a decision. Colleagues who whine all the time were found to be the second most annoying people, the study into annoying office habits by Viking reveals. Misspent time was a key theme amongst the top five habits on the list of twenty, with excessive smoking breaks and deliberate procrastination taking top positions. Contrary to popular belief, jargon isn’t the most annoying practice to plague our offices. In fact, both men and women rated jargon in the bottom three.