4 01732 759725 NEWS Flexible workspaces are most popular office conversion Flexible workspaces top the list of the most popular office conversions, according to a survey of 250 UK office landlords commissioned by workspace provider infinitSpace. Faced with low occupancy rates, many office landlords are looking to upgrade their portfolios to meet changing demand, with flexible or coworking spaces shown to be the most popular conversion, cited by 11%, followed by hospitality (10%), retail outlets (8%) and residential property (7%). In the last two years, 23% of respondents have converted at least some of the office space in their buildings into flexible/coworking spaces, and 22% plan to do so in the next two years. When questioned about their motivations for converting to a flexible NEWSRemote working perk Rippl has become the first employee recognition and benefits platform to include a remote working perk in the form of access to a national network of professional workspaces. The partnership with Reef, a remote working subscription service, will enable Rippl customers to give employees access to conveniently located, laptopfriendly co-working spaces, helping them to maintain a clear separation between their work and home lives. Rippl CEO Chris Brown said: “We’re thrilled to be the first recognition and benefits platform to offer a remote working perk. We’re a remote working company ourselves, so understand the needs of employees first-hand. By partnering with Reef, we’re providing our customers with a way to support the evolving needs of their workforce whilst enhancing employee well-being and productivity.” https://rippl.work/ Is working from home killing workplace culture? With most people working from home for at least some of the working week, could workplace culture be at risk? New research by the Global Payroll Association suggests it might be. In its survey of UK office workers, 78% said that remote working has damaged the social aspects of work. These were seen as important by 81% of respondents, with 61% adding that socialising outside work hours helps foster a good working environment. Of the 1,006 survey respondents, 31% identified as hybrid workers, with set days for working from home and office; 21% identified as flexible workers, free to work from home when they need to; 19% are full-time home workers; and 29% work entirely from the office. More than one third (37%) believe they are more productive when working at home; 37% say a balance between home and office working is best for productivity; and 26% say they are most productive when working in the office. More than half (56%) say they work longer hours when at home, perhaps to make up for spending more time on non-work activities (e.g. watching TV or napping), cited by 67%, and on personal tasks and errands, cited by 70%. Commenting on the survey findings, Melanie Pizzey, CEO and Founder of the Global Payroll Association, said: “Allowing people to work from home is clearly a positive for many employees, but it’s clear that the social element of the workplace is starting to become extinct and this is extremely important, both when it comes to internal bonding within the workforce, as well as nurturing those all important external relationships that can be so important in getting deals over the line.” Time’s up for 40-hour week With 46% of UK companies saying that productivity has become a notable problem in the last year, directly impacting their company performance and revenue, could the traditional 40hour work week be the problem? Three quarters (76%) of UK professionals surveyed by talent solutions firm Robert Walters believe so, pointing out that it no longer meets their needs; 51% say that switching to a four-day week could boost productivity and engagement; and over one third (38%) say more flexible working practices is the answer. Not surprisingly, 84% of professionals expect the 40-hour work week to change significantly over the next 20 years through greater flexibility (cited by 40%) and small incremental changes (cited by 25%). Just under one fifth (19%) are predicting a complete overhaul. One quarter (28%) of UK employers said they would consider extending the working week to more than 40 hours if they thought it would boost productivity and business performance. Four fifths (82%) of professionals said they would leave if their employer tried to do so. Lucy Bisset, Director of Robert Walters North, said: “The conventional 40-hour work week, which has remained largely unchanged for over a century, is facing an uncertain future. The key thing for employers to do now is to test what works best for their employees in a way which means everyone can maximise their week without missing out on valuable hours of work.” www.robertwalters.com Lucy Bisset
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