Employers must reassure staff that offices are not only safe, but the same buzzy environment they left six months ago August 28, 2020 Yesterday, Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, the boss of the CBI, issued a rallying cry to the Prime Minister to do something about Britain’s “ghost towns”. The message was simple — give people confidence to return to the workplace, or the once thriving businesses in the commercial centres of our cities will be doomed. She is absolutely [...]
Why your gloomy office is holding you back: the case for better workplace design February 24, 2020 Whatever industry you’re in, most companies will tell you that their biggest cost is talent. That’s why the prediction that stress-related illnesses will be the main cause of sickness in 2020, accounting for 44 per cent of all work-related absences, should be a big concern. One source of this stress is technology, which has altered [...]
Suffering from choice paralysis? How to defeat the indecision epidemic January 24, 2020 A clearly important decision gets delayed multiple times — or not made at all — causing office-wide frustration. It’s a situation that will sound all too familiar for many of us. In the past, we used to suffer from too few options to choose from; today, we suffer from too many. Abundance of choices has [...]
Build it better: How the office of the future can help save the planet January 23, 2020 Climate change is the headline topic in Davos this week, where business leaders and politicians have gathered for the World Economic Forum. Activist Greta Thunberg told the gathered elite that their inaction over the climate was “fuelling the flames by the hour”. While many may dismiss her warnings (President Donald Trump earlier urged leaders to [...]
A day in the life of the worker of 2040 January 23, 2020 Looking back to 2000, it’s hard to imagine that anyone would have truly seen what was about to hit us, not just in our personal lives, but our professional ones too — from the invention of the smartphone and social media, to the humble USB stick. So, as we enter the next 20 years, CWJobs [...]
Will the office become redundant in the 2020s? January 6, 2020 According to a survey by the Trade Union Congress, the number of people who regularly work from home in the UK has increased by 27 per cent over the past 10 years. As more and more companies acknowledge the benefits of flexible working, the technology enabling it continues to advance, offering remote workers improved connectivity. [...]
Beware the annual workplace Christmas click-off December 20, 2019 The closer we get to the holidays each year, the more festive — and less productive — we feel at work. It’s a feeling that gets to even the most dedicated of employees. With tinsel adorning hallways and mince pies appearing on every desk, excitement begins to bubble and motivation begins to wane. Staff leave [...]
Business can help charities in more ways than just raising funds December 19, 2019 After a Christmas election where all the main parties claimed that they would boost social spending, the season of giving this year has become unusually politically charged. Yet with an estimated 14m people living in poverty in Britain, regardless of which party is currently in power, there will remain a significant role for private philanthropy [...]
All we want for Christmas is a pay raise — or an office cat December 18, 2019 At this time of year, many of us will have fond memories of writing festive wish lists in the fervent hope that we’d been good enough to receive a visit from the big man in red. Fast-forward a couple of decades, and while we still have wishes for the festive season, a few of these [...]
Dear Santa… please no more office politics? December 17, 2019 Christmas can be difficult for some, personally as well as professionally, but there is a lot that an organisation can do to ease pressure and show staff that it values their hard work. So how can you sweep away those cobwebs, “deck the halls”, and help mitigate the potential for office politics this festive season? [...]