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More than a third of UK office workers have no dedicated workspace at home
More than a third of UK office workers have no dedicated workspace at home
Over a third of UK office workers have no dedicated workspace at home, and only 6 percent have been trained for hybrid meetings, reveals a new report from Leeds University Business School. The report is an interactive tool and suggests practical measures based on evaluation of stakeholders and employee interviews, industry workshops, cross-industry surveys of UK office workers, employee diaries and case study corporations.
The report is based on research led by Dr Matthew Davis, Associate Professor in Organisational Psychology, and six of his colleagues at Leeds University Business School and the wider University, which shows that UK businesses have a long way to go to formalise the arrangements that grew organically from the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the authors, staff in charge of designing or updating hybrid working schemes should avoid trying to force a “one size fits all” policy and include employees in the creation process if they want it to be successful. This is because the availability, or lack, of dedicated workspaces at home and familiarity with technology means workers can have starkly different experiences of hybrid working.
Analysis of in-depth employee data shows that working from home without access to a specific desk or separate room (e.g., having to use a kitchen table or the sofa) is associated with lower performance, job satisfaction and engagement, say the researchers. The office remains core for most workers (72% wish to work form the office at least once a week). This is good news as there is evidence that spending time working from the office is beneficial, being related to greater employee job satisfaction, engagement and concentration.
The report addresses tensions that can be caused by organisations implementing hybrid working schemes, such as employees feeling disconnected from colleagues and managers, and offers managers solutions to tackle the main key challenges caused by hybrid working.
“An effective hybrid workplace is more than a HR policy or office design issue. It is a socio-technical problem, essentially affecting all aspects of work and requiring knock-on changes to IT, work processes, organisational goals and culture to be successful. The key to successful hybrid working is good management – clear and demonstrable objectives and outputs, active communication and feedback whether remote or in-person working.” say says Dr Matthew Davis, lead author of the report and Associate Professor in Organisational Psychology at Leeds.
Other tensions stemming from hybrid working addressed in the report include the development of an “us versus them” mentality among employees and excessive supervision from managers.
The researchers recommend where possible implementing principles of work rather than strict rules which reduce working flexibility, undermining the key benefit many employees say they value from hybrid working. Managers can use this interactive tool effectively, in order to ensure hybrid working is as successful and efficient as possible in their organisations.
EXTENDED DEADLINE: Hr NETWORK NATIONAL AWARDS 2022
EXTENDED DEADLINE: Hr NETWORK NATIONAL AWARDS 2022
DEADLINE IS NOW: TUESDAY 21ST JUNE 2022
The deadline for nominations in this year’s Hr NETWORK National Awards 2022 in partnership with Roffey Park Institute has been extended until Tuesday 21st June 2022. With 18 categories to nominate in, this is your chance to recognise, acknowledge and reward the HR stars in your organisation.
Despite record numbers of nominations again for 2022 across all categories, the organisers of this year’s awards want to provide nominators, who have indicated that they intend to submit nominations, who have struggled to meet the May deadline.
Anyone wishing to submit nominations until Thursday 21st June may now do so, however organisers are encouraging those using the deadline extension to notify the Hr NETWORK Awards planning team as soon as possible.
The list of 18 categories include:
- Health and Wellbeing Award of the Year
- HR Assistant/Officer of the Year
- Employee Engagement Award of the Year
- HR Graduate of the Year
- Organisational Development Award of the Year
- Diversity & Inclusion Award of the Year
- HR Manager/Advisor of the Year
- Best Employer/Workplace of the Year
- HR Business Partner of the Year
- Corporate Responsibility Award of the Year
- HR Project of the Year
- HR Team of the Year
- Learning & Development Award of the Year
- HR Specialist of the Year
- Attraction & Resourcing Award of the Year
- Chief Executive of the Year
- HR Director of the Year
- Outstanding Contribution to Scottish HR (Judges Award)
To view the full criteria for Awards categories, please click the link: https://www.hrnetworkjobs.com/events/awards/
This years Awards Gala Dinner will take place at the Glasgow Hilton on Thursday 10th November 2022. A range of sponsorship and table hosting options are available.
For further details on nominations, table hosting, sponsoring or any other related matter, please contact the Awards Planning Team on Tel: 0131 625 3267 or email: awards@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
AWARDS 2022 NOMINATIONS CLOSING SOON!
AWARDS NOMINATIONS CLOSING SOON!
The deadline for nominations for this year’s Hr NETWORK National Awards 2022 in partnership with Roffey Park Institute is Tuesday 31st May 2021. With 18 categories to nominate in, this is your chance to RECOGNISE, ACKNOWLEDGE and RWARD the HR superstars in your organisation.
Additional time will be provided to those who have indicated to the Awards Planning Team of their intention to nominate as part of the Nominations Intention Scheme.
Nominators wishing to submit nominations. although unable to meet next week’s deadline may do so, however you should notify the Hr NETWORK Awards planning team AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, to confirm your intended nomination categories.
The list of 18 categories include:
- Health and Wellbeing Award of the Year
- HR Assistant/Officer of the Year
- Employee Engagement Award of the Year
- HR Graduate of the Year
- Organisational Development Award of the Year
- Diversity & Inclusion Award of the Year
- HR Manager/Advisor of the Year
- Best Employer/Workplace of the Year
- HR Business Partner of the Year
- Corporate Responsibility Award of the Year
- HR Project of the Year
- HR Team of the Year
- Learning & Development Award of the Year
- HR Specialist of the Year
- Attraction & Resourcing Award of the Year
- Chief Executive of the Year
- HR Director of the Year
- Outstanding Contribution to Scottish HR (Judges Award)
To view the full criteria for Awards categories, please click the link: https://www.hrnetworkjobs.com/events/awards/
This years Awards Gala Dinner will take place at the Glasgow Hilton on Thursday 10th November 2022. A range of sponsorship and table host options are available.
For further details on nominations, table hosting, sponsoring or any other related matter, please contact the Awards Planning Team on Tel: 0131 625 3267 or email: awards@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
Employee Fear: One in six UK workers are worried that revealing their mental health concerns could result in job loss
Employee Fear: One in six UK workers are worried that revealing their mental health concerns could result in job loss
One in six UK employees feel worried that raising mental health concerns with their company could put them at risk of losing their job, a new report into employee mental health and remote working has found. Throughout the UK, 86% believe that their workplace is not a safe space for employees to be open about mental health.
Over the last 12 months, two in three employees have experienced worse mental health at work, compared to the previous year. As remote and hybrid working environments continue to be adopted by more UK businesses, evidence suggests that companies have struggled to adapt their mental health support processes. One in three employees feel less able to raise mental health concerns during remote meetings, often causing any issues to go unnoticed.
The Employee Mental Health and Remote Working report – conducted by virtual events and in-person team building company Wildgoose – asked employees from 129 different UK companies whether their mental health at work had improved or worsened over the past year. It also asked whether these employees felt comfortable raising any mental health concerns with their employers and what they believed would happen if they did.
Just over one in eight companies in the UK don’t have a process in place for remote workers to report mental health concerns. This is most prevalent in SMEs, where this figure nearly doubled to one in five not having a process in place.
What do employees want from their companies?
With worsening employee mental health a growing concern, the change most desired by employees is for companies to offer more regular in-person meetings (36%) and for managers to receive better training on identifying signs of poor mental health (36%).
Just under a third of respondents (32%) state they would like to see a process policy of reporting mental health concerns, which is not currently offered, followed by assurances of job security after reporting.
Commenting on the findings, Wildgoose managing director Jonny Edser said: “As remote and hybrid working practices become more widespread, companies need to start doing more to ensure that employees are still receiving the same levels of mental health support. With less regular in-person meetings and casual catch-ups in the office, it can be much harder to spot the signs of poor mental health.
“For this reason, it’s essential that employers communicate with their staff, finding out how they would like to be supported. Perhaps they’d appreciate more regular workload reviews, weekly face-to-face meetings, or even the creation of better mental health policies. The most important aspect is that employees feel comfortable and safe to discuss any concerns.
“At Wildgoose, we continue to offer both in-person and virtual team building experiences, helping companies to encourage colleague relationships and improve employee wellbeing .”
Kristen Keen, founder and owner of Cluer HR, comments on the findings: “Whilst working from home comes with many advantages, there is no doubt that for some people this isn’t the case. Working remotely has meant that we haven’t been able to see our colleagues in the flesh on a daily basis, making it much harder to read those subtle signs shown when someone isn’t coping.
“Unfortunately, there is still a stigma that surrounds mental health issues and a lack of education on the subject. To help improve employee wellbeing at work, both managers and the entire workforce should receive training, so that everyone can recognise and understand mental health issues. Plus, having 1:1 meetings with employees is a great way to encourage people to safely discuss any problems they are having.”
OUT TODAY! – Critical Leadership: Leading Through Crisis
OUT TODAY! – Critical Leadership: Leading Through Crisis
Hr NETWORK is ‘The Hub’ of Scottish HR and people development with an ‘Access All Areas’ pass to Scotland’s most influential human resource and business professionals across all sectors in Scotland. As well as readers from the world of HR, the magazine is also extremely popular within SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) organisations and is very useful for line managers, heads of department, senior management, managing directors and other professionals throughout the country who play a vital role in the development of people within all industry sectors in Scotland. Published bi-monthly, Hr NETWORK Magazine is informative and a ‘must have’ for its readers, and brings with it in every issue, great opportunities and benefits for advertisers and sponsors too.
Hr NETWORK Magazine Issue: May 2022
In the latest issue:
Critical Leadership: Leading Through Crisis
“A leader knows the way, goes the way and shows the way” by John C. Maxwell. How true of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s leadership style following the abhorrent and entirely illegal invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin and his Russian Army. Andy Moore discovers how HR can take cues from the inspirational and resilient leader Zelenskyy who has shown the world the greatest example of critical leadership and how to lead during a crisis.
Also in the latest issue:
- The regular sections of the magazine include: Stats, EXTRA and The Bookshop
- The ‘Insights’ section features first class comment from those in the know on a range of subjects including: Burnout, Diversity & Inclusion, Sleep Deprivation and Workplace Culture
Click the front cover below to read the latest issue:
Employers report increased productivity as they embrace home and hybrid working, new CIPD research finds
Employers report increased productivity as they embrace home and hybrid working, new CIPD research finds
CIPD stresses the need for employers to consult with staff as research shows nearly two thirds of employees who can work in a hybrid way haven’t been asked about their future preferences The number of employers who report that an increase in homeworking has increased their organisation’s productivity or efficiency has jumped significantly over the last year, according to new research from the CIPD.
When asked in December 2020, a third (33%) of employers said homeworking had increased their organisation’s productivity or efficiency. However, when asked about increased home/hybrid working in October/November 2021, over two-fifths (41%) said these new ways of working had increased this.
At the same time, the number of employers that say the increase in home and hybrid working has had a negative impact on their organisation’s productivity has fallen. Under a fifth (18%) of employers say it has decreased productivity, compared to 23% who previously said the rise in homeworking had decreased productivity.
The new research by the CIPD, based on a survey of over 1,000 employers and 2,000 employees, gives a clear picture of how organisations and individuals are now approaching hybrid and flexible ways of working as businesses look to ‘live with Covid’.
Despite the reported productivity improvements associated with home and hybrid working, there is a potential mismatch emerging between the ways organisations want their employees to work and how their people want to work. One in four (25%) employers want their employees to be in the office/on site all the time, while 39% of employees would like to work from home all or most of the time going forward.
One reason for this mismatch is likely to be because a majority (63%) of employees who can work in a hybrid way still haven’t been asked about their future working preferences. With increasing numbers of employees heading back to workplaces for at least part of the working week, it’s important that organisations consult and collaborate with their people when designing hybrid-working practices to benefit both the organisation and individuals.
The CIPD is urging employers to develop and implement hybrid and flexible working practices in collaboration with employees that are inclusive and offer more choice to all. Organisations should have clear and transparent policies that outline eligibility and access to hybrid working. They should focus on principles of equality to ensure all employees have the same opportunities for learning and development and reward and recognition, regardless of when and where they work, or their role/level of seniority.
The CIPD believes a day-one right to request flexible working would help boost the number of people using a variety of flexible working arrangements – such as part-time working, compressed hours, or job shares – and has been calling for this change through its #FlexFrom1st campaign since February 2021. Currently employees must have been in their role for six months before they can request flexible working, which could discourage a diverse range of candidates from applying for roles and could see organisations lose key talent.
Claire McCartney, senior policy adviser for resourcing and inclusion at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, comments:“It’s great that many employers are embracing the benefits of more hybrid and flexible ways of working. However, it’s really important that they work collaboratively with employees to find solutions that work for both the organisation and individuals. This is a crucial moment for flexible working, but a mismatch on expectations and an adhoc approach could set back progress.
“Consulting with employees is a big part of developing inclusive hybrid and flexible working practices. Employers who listen and are open to testing, learning and adapting will benefit from a more diverse workforce and the ability to retain and attract a wide range of talent. This is particularly crucial at a time where the labour market is so tight.
“Everyone should have the chance to benefit from more choice about when, where and how they work. This can lead to increased wellbeing and engagement, and enhanced performance, all of which can lead to the productivity gains many employers are reporting.”