Monthly Archives: June 2021

News, Property News

First birthday brings double delight for facilities management firm

A facilities management firm launched in lockdown is marking its first birthday by doubling its workforce.
Elevate FM, based in George Street, Birmingham, was set up last June, offering property maintenance services for schools and businesses.
Instead of having to find, vet and co-ordinate a host of different contractors, clients were able to contact Elevate FM and get the job sorted in one phone call.
The firm started with two people and has now taken on Talesha Chisholm as office administrator and Derek Hands, an in-house maintenance engineer.
Director Beckie Wait said a second maintenance worker was due to be taken on in the next four months and later a business development manager.
“We are delighted to have Talesha and Derek on board,” she said. “To have in-house people like Derek means we can react quickly and assess the job quickly.
“We are very lucky to be expanding after such a turbulent time for a lot of businesses and we expect demand will increase now that people are returning to offices. We are very much looking forward to seeing what 2021 brings.”
Beckie said the firm was set up in June last year when a lot of businesses were finding it difficult to access tradespeople amid the uncertainty that the pandemic brought.
“They were getting let down and they couldn’t find tradespeople that they could rely on,” she said. “A lot of trades were even turning away business, so lockdown helped us progress.
“People still had buildings to maintain even if they didn’t have staff in them – they had to keep the maintenance up to make sure the insurance was still valid.
“Often jobs involve a number of different trades and it can be a real headache contacting them all, coordinating the work and making sure they are the right people for the job.
“When people contact us, we do all of that; we search for the right tradespeople, we vet them, carry out all the necessary checks and co-ordinate the work.
“Then, if you run a school, you can get on with running a school while we get on with sorting the work that needs doing.
“We take all the hassle out of it – it’s one phone call to one person and you know it’s getting sorted, rather than have to ring round and contact a number of different trades.”
Beckie added: “Schools are a big client sector for us as well as property management companies and commercial property agents.
“They often have multiple sites which they can’t always get round to visiting. If we are called out, we are proactive. We’ll have a look and alert them to other issues so it’s like an extra pair of eyes on-site for them.”
To find out more about the services Elevate FM offers, visit www.elevatefm.co.uk
Fashion, News

Introducing M&S X Ghost June 2021 Collection

Following successful Winter and Spring collections, M&S are extremely excited to announce the continuation of the M&S X GHOST collaboration, with a third limited edition collection available for Summer 21. Showcasing a 19-piece edit, designed exclusively for M&S and launching online and in-stores from Thursday 3rd June 2021.

 

The retailer is excited to welcome back the M&S X GHOST Mini-Me designs, featuring five Kids styles, designed to complement the wider Womenswear offering; so, you can twin with the little ones in your life this Summer.

The June edit delivers an exclusive collection of Summer dresses which continues to champion Ghost’s signature aesthetic and timeless detailing. The partnership places style, quality, and comfort at the heart of the collaboration, championing exquisite attention to detail and premium fabrications, synonymous with the brand.

Building on the Spring aesthetic, we introduce contemporary Summer styles, playful prints, and a confident use of colour. The thoughtfully designed collection includes an exclusive print curation, with the return of classic ditsy and supersized florals and the introduction of more playful Summer fruit and seashell designs.

A vintage sensibility is once again captured for the new season, and highlights include pretty ruffles, shirred detailing and beautiful sleeve finishes that further elevate the styles. The June M&S X GHOST collection will be available in sizes 6-20.

Maddy Evans, Head of Womenswear Buying comments;

“We’re excited to introduce a beautiful new collection for June, as part of our ongoing collaboration with GHOST. Capturing the essence of Summer and showcasing brand new styles and prints, we take customers on an eclectic print journey. Bringing back favourites including the polka dot and ditsy floral and introducing new playful designs, featuring strawberries, cherries, and seashells; things typically associated with British Summertime. The collaboration has proved incredibly popular with customers since launch and continues to offer elevated Summer styles that can be dressed up or down and will transition through the season and beyond.”

The M&S X Ghost June 21 Collection is available exclusively at M&S from Thursday 3rd June 2021

Online at www.marksandspencer.com and in selected stores; 

Bluewater, Braehead, Camberley, Cheltenham, Cheshire Oaks, Cribbs Causeway, Dundrum, Fosse Park, Gemini, Gyle, Handforth, Hedge End, Kensington, Kings Road, Kingston, Lisburn, London Colney, Manchester, Marble Arch, Metro Centre & Sears.

Womenswear prices range from £59 to £89 from sizes 6-20, and Kids £28 to £32 from sizes 2-16.

A fourth collection will be available in September and will further build on the collaboration.

App News, Health & Safety, News

New SOS app launched to help workers get home safely

A new app has been launched to turn smartphones into personal safety devices that provide live, round the clock assistance for employees travelling to and from their place of work. The app, by leading tech firm Peoplesafe, has been developed in response to growing demand from businesses seeking ways to protect their employees outside of working hours. Uniquely, it includes an SOS alarm that immediately connects users to a team of trained specialists to offer 24/7 support and even bypass 999 to contact emergency services, where necessary, at no extra cost.

The app has been designed by personal safety experts to be simple and swift to use. If a user feels threatened or unsafe, they can hold down the SOS Alarm button for one second to be connected to Peoplesafe’s trained and accredited Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) in under six seconds, on average. The alarm controller can automatically access the user’s GPS location in case emergency service assistance is needed. App users will also be able to share their live location with chosen contacts via SMS, whatsapp or Facebook messenger, helping to provide peace of mind on their journey.

From hospital workers and bar staff to city bankers and security staff, many people have to commute during unsociable hours or travel alone, increasing their vulnerability. Recent research found 91% of hospitality workers feel unsafe when travelling home from work*: finding ways to minimise this vulnerability and support staff is crucial for firms aiming to improve employee wellbeing.

As more firms announce plans to continue a hybrid approach to home and office working, the app will also offer a wellbeing check feature for companies to increase communication with those working remotely, including a mood assessment scale and a comments box to check in on team members during the working day.

Peoplesafe CEO Naz Dossa said: “The Peoplesafe app enables businesses to extend their duty of care to all employees beyond the working day. The mental health and wellbeing of staff has risen to the fore over the last 18 months and this kind of measure can make a huge difference to the level of support available to employees.

“The app is more than just a panic button: our Alarm Receiving Centre answers SOS alarms in a matter of seconds, offering anyone total peace of mind that they can access live, 24/7 support and send for help whenever and wherever they need it.”

The app is available on iOS and Android. Peoplesafe already offers a smartphone app for lone workers: Peoplesafe Pro, which is currently used by thousands of high-risk employees working alone. Accredited to the BS 8484:2016 standard, it includes additional features such as fall detection, log activity and check in/check out functionality, providing protection to those vulnerable lone workers that do not have access to back-up from nearby colleagues.

The new Peoplesafe app is not suitable for the needs of lone workers. However, it complements the Peoplesafe Pro app by enabling businesses to offer personal safety support for a wider group of employees, from individuals travelling alone or during unsociable hours, to those walking from offices to off-site car parks or even working from home.

Law, News

Kevin O’Sullivan: National Bike Week – Time to change the culture and shift the burden of proof

Kevin O’Sullivan, founder of Cycle Legal, discusses the challenges of proving liability for RTAs where vulnerable road users are involved

The first myth to slay is the repellent expression ‘’presumed liability’’. It, quite understandably, sets any self-respecting motorist’s teeth on edge. No one is presuming anything.

I can’t see the RAC, AA, and ABI clamouring to vote for ‘presumed liability’ and I wouldn’t blame them.

Vulnerable Road Users (VRU’s) are pedestrians, particularly the elderly, the disabled and young kids, the mobility scooter rider, e scooter and cyclist, the motorcyclist , the moped first, up to the sports bike.

Up against cars, vans, buses, coaches and lorries, all of these VRU’s have to share the road space, often all crowding in together in a noisy and dangerous urban environment.

In a civil claim following an accident, the VRU has to prove negligence against the larger vehicle even though their injuries often mean that they cannot recall what happened.

In civil law , the standard of proof is on the balance of probabilities, i.e. more than 51% rather than the criminal law where the standard of proof is considerably higher, beyond reasonable doubt.

Judges in civil law cases, tasked with the difficult question of apportioning civil liability between road users in the event of a dispute, have long since recognised the concept of ‘causative potency’.

‘Causative potency’, in my view,  is a much finer and succinct use of language than the inaccurate and loaded ‘presumed liability’. Causative potency recognises the much greater potential for harm and destruction than a bigger vehicle has over a smaller one, or even a pedestrian, the most extreme and obvious example is a HGV in collision with a child.

How can it be right that two such parties have to take each other on in law as if they are on an equal footing when they are such an obvious mismatch when they come together on the road?

I’ve conducted inquests on behalf of a bereaved cyclist’s family against a HGV driver and I have enormous sympathy with the drivers of the largest vehicles on our roads. They have an exquisitely difficult task when making left turns , their lorries are often inadequately designed, there are so many mirrors with different angles and focuses to contend with , there is so much noise going on, the cyclist can be so hard to see…and but and but…

Whilst cyclists are the people whose legal rights I fight for on a daily basis, this shift in the burden of proof would benefit every single road user. Why ?

Because whoever we are, a headbanger militant cyclist who never even allows himself a minicab or Jeremy Clarkson with a tribe of SUV’s ,each of them parks up their machine and crosses the road.

We are, all of us , pedestrians , from the time when we take our first steps at the age of 12-18 months until we are crossing the road with a stick or zimmer frame. Each, the toddler who breaks free of his mother’s hand and the elderly woman who cannot even make it across the road in the allotted green man phase of a pedestrian crossing , is the most vulnerable of vulnerable road users .

If the larger vehicle’s insurer can show , with all the tools available in any civil case, the police report, dashcam evidence , witness evidence , CCTV,  that the VRU is wholly at fault for the accident , then no liability attaches to the larger vehicle, no legal finding is made against the driver , no liability is presumed.

And here’s the thing. Making this civil law change will hardly change anything on the ground. Why?  Because judges in the civil courts, where the common ‘judge made’ law is made which influences civil cases one way or the other, have recognised for decades that VRU’s need protecting, hence the well used term, causative potency.

Why then , campaign for a change that would make very little difference to how cases are decided in the civil courts? It’s for a similar reason that Chris Boardman was campaigning for this very change in May 2020 , two months into lockdown,  and in response to the government’s enthusiastic embracing of active travel.

This shifting of the burden of proof would help to create the cultural shift that can underpin the £2 billion of hard cash that the government invested into active travel during the pandemic. Great changes over many years have been made in our cities in favour of active travel. Greater changes still have been put in place since the pandemic. This law change would show that the government wished to effect the long lasting cultural change that is needed to accompany this.

It would help to subtly shift the mindset of motorists when they see and drive close to a VRU , it could be a horse rider, it could be a cyclist, it could be a child .

What it will always be is a road user who is so much more vulnerable than them.

About the author

Kevin O’Sullivan (@cycle_legal) is the founder of Cycle Legal, the first and only law firm in the UK which acts just for cyclists.

News

Bank of England Governor deposits advice to Welsh business students

STUDENTS credited leading finance figures and thanked them for depositing sound advice during a virtual lesson.

Economics and Business learners at Coleg Cambria Yale in Wrexham enjoyed an online discussion with Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey.

Mr Bailey was joined by the Bank of England’s Agent for Wales Stephen Hicks, and Deputy Agent for Wales, Ian Derrick.

They held a Q&A with students and presented on fundamental economic concepts, the role of the Bank and challenges facing the UK and global economies in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are so thankful to them for joining us as we know how precious their time is,” said lecturer Jane Fellows.

“The students really enjoyed the conversation and received some enlightening and insightful feedback on many subjects – it was a great session.”

The Bank of England was founded as a private bank in 1694 to act as a banker to the Government. Today, it is the UK’s central bank.

For more on Economics and Business at Coleg Cambria, visit www.cambria.ac.uk

News

How to be inclusive when hosting meetings or presenting online

Running a business would be simpler if everyone did things the same way, but we know just how different people are.

 

The increase in the use of Zoom during the pandemic provides a useful example, (other cloud-based video conferencing services are available). If you’re hosting a meeting, you merely login, click a few buttons, send out the invites, admit people as they arrive, and off you go.

 

Easy? Yes, for most of us.

 

The thing is, human minds produce an infinite variation in neurocognitive functioning, and for many living with neurodiversities and disabilities, online interaction is not always straightforward and stress-free. The good news for hosts of online gathering is that there are a few simple things that can help make the experience easier for more people.

 

Around ten percent of people in the UK have some degree of dyslexia. People with dyslexia can be extremely creative thinkers and skilled problem solvers, but they can experience difficulty with information that is written down as the order of letters in words can appear to be jumbled when they read.

What can you do to make slides clearer and easier to understand?

 

First, alter the background colour. Whether you choose pink, blue or green, doesn’t really matter, provided you avoid bright white. Also, include a strong contrast between the background colour and font colour.

Fonts should be simple. For online slides, you want Sans Serif, such as Arial or Helvetica or Verdana; Verdana was designed to be read on screens. Also, boost your font sizes, and avoid, reds, blues and greens, as people with colour-blindness might find it challenging to read.

 

For the layout, again, simple is best. Don’t squish things together or try to be too fancy. Your goal is effective communication, not winning a design award! Good line spacing is essential, and make sure ideas are also clearly separated and differentiated.

 

Those are a few ways to improve the experience of your online gathering for people with issues with written communication, but what about verbal communication?

 

70+ million people in the world stammer. Stammering can take three forms:

 

  1. Repeating sounds or syllables of a word
  2. Making sounds longer
  3. Words getting stuck and not coming out

 

People can work to ensure their stutter is manageable—Golden Globe winning actress Emily Blunt, and President Joe Biden are all proof of that—but many people who have issues with stammering can be triggered in moments of anxiety or tension. As an online host, you can take steps to reduce potential stress.

Rather than just picking on someone randomly to answer a question, after asking your question, say that before turning to (name the person) to share their thoughts you will give people a moment to consider the question. During interactive sessions, if you allow people to just call out, someone with a stammer may feel that because they are unable to get their words out quickly, they might be overlooked, and so remain silent. A way to mitigate this is either ask people to raise their hand, or ask them to write a comment in the chat box.

 

If someone in the meeting begins to stammer, patience is more helpful than jumping in to try to rescue them. Rather than attempting to fill in what they are saying, just listen without interrupting, giving them the space and time to say what they want. By doing this, you make it clear that there is value in their contribution, and that what they have to say is more important than how they are saying it.

 

You may want to give participants in your online event the opportunity to flag up any special requirements, and it is best to do this in advance, perhaps in the form of a survey that allows for anonymity, with the option to get in touch with you direct.

To recap, here are the things to avoid:

 

  • Too much text on a slide
  • Red, green and blue fonts
  • Glaring backgrounds
  • Lots of links and buttons to click on for a meeting
  • Singling out someone or rushing someone

 

Things to do:

 

  • Use a Sans Serif font
  • Use large font sizes
  • Contrasting background colour with font colour
  • Creating an anonymous survey so people can say what specialist requirements they need.

 

As a business owner or manager, you want to empower everyone you work with. Being inclusive in all your online presentations, webinars and meetings is a key element of this as is giving plenty of positive reinforcement by being attentive, patient and relaxed throughout.

 

By Kellie McCord, Toastmasters International

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kellie McCord is a member of Toastmasters International, a not-for-profit organisation that has provided communication and leadership skills since 1924 through a worldwide network of clubs. There are more than 400 clubs and 10,000 members in the UK and Ireland. Members follow a structured educational programme to gain skills and confidence in public and impromptu speaking, chairing meetings and time management. To find your nearest club, visit www.toastmasters.org

 

 

News

Arrowxl wins Johnson Health Tech UK Contract

Johnson Health Tech UK, the specialist supplier of cardio, strength, and group training equipment has chosen ArrowXL, the leading two-person home delivery and warehousing specialist, to support the next phase of its significant home retail growth. Under the terms of the deal ArrowXL will be responsible for delivery of around 2500 products, mainly treadmills and exercise bikes, each year to homes throughout the UK.

Key drivers behind the decision to choosing ArrowXL included the provision of a cost-effective delivery method that can scale up to enable Johnson to achieve a forecasted 5-fold increase year on year without compromising the overall customer experience. Depending on local lockdown guidelines the equipment will be taken to customer’s room of choice for added convenience. Customers will be able to choose when they want the item delivered using ArrowXL’s diary booking service and nominated day service. All items will be fully tracked with regular communication from the ArrowXL customer team provided throughout the delivery process.

Simon Woodward, Johnson Health Tech UK’s Operations Director, said: “As we have continued to grow it became clear that we needed to partner with somebody who already had experience within this market sector and would be able to hit the ground running, but also provide the infrastructure to support any changes or ‘curve-balls’ that may appear in changing market conditions. ArrowXL has the experience and expertise to provide us and our customers with the high level of service we require.”

Craig Kavanagh, Sales Director at ArrowXL said: “Johnson Health Tech UK is a fast growing fitness equipment company and we are proud to be playing such a pivotal role in their ongoing success. We know how much care and attention goes into the Johnson operation, and our delivery service will mirror that effort.

News

Seven ways to support your LGBTQIA+ co-workers. Becoming an ally to the community

There are no set rules when it comes to disclosing sexual orientation in the workplace; it’s ultimately a matter of personal choice and should be entirely based on an individual’s decision and how much of their private lives they choose to share with their colleagues or employees.

However, if people do wish to share their sexual orientation with their colleagues and friends at work, how can you as their teammate, line manager or boss, support them and make them feel comfortable.

Here are seven ways to become an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community:  

  1. Do your research:Read up and understand LGBTQIA+ history including rights and civil rights movements. Often demonstrating an ability to understand, learn and research shows the commitment to want to become an ally. Learn the different terminologies and the difference between them so you don’t have to ask colleagues what they mean.
  2. Listen:The power of listening is very often underrated, and sometimes people just need someone who will hear them out. Resist the temptation to interrupt, or indeed, offer your opinion. The more we listen to each other, the more we’ll understand, and this will make it easier to remove barriers, raise awareness and create an inclusive workplace culture.
  3. Speak out:If you have a conversation with someone and it concerns you, elevate your reports to the appropriate person and make a plan for dealing with them. Actions should have consequences, and you need to make it clear that discrimination and harassment will not be tolerated. When we witness discrimination in the workplace, it can be very uncomfortable and it’s much easier to pretend you haven’t heard, or just simply to say nothing. We all need to do more to support each other and have the courage to speak up when we see or hear discrimination.
  4. Role model behaviours:The key to ensuring the right level of support for your colleagues is by having more advocates at all levels; advocates who live and breathe inclusivity. Indeed, role models at the top of the company are tremendously important in both the cultivation of acceptance of the self and from others.
  5. Be honest and accountable:Be honest with your colleagues and admit when you’ve made mistakes previously. Likewise own up when you don’t understand something. No one is expecting you to be an expert – and people will appreciate your honesty, rather than staying silent for fear of saying the wrong thing or saying something stupid. Wanting to learn, educate and grow through open communication is welcomed and shows that you are truly looking to be an ally.
  6. Support local community events:Being present at conversations about inclusiveness, attending networking events and support groups and just being open in communicating your enthusiasm means an awful lot to the community.
  7. Take responsibility:It’s important that best practice doesn’t just come from the top. In fact, a shared responsibility for anyone working within the team, no matter their background, ethnicity, sexuality or gender, to set an example of inclusivity is essential. This can be done through encouragement, picking colleagues up on potentially derogatory language, strong anti-discrimination policies, listening to staff and concerted diversity training. This will also lead to a team working together more effectively, and more collaboratively too.

Words by: Anthony Kielty, Business Intelligence and Management Lead at Vita Health Group

News

Planet Marketing Launches its Climate Conscious Marketing Agency

Amid the climate crisis, Planet Marketing has introduced a new concept of marketing; an agency designed exclusively for leaders in sustainability. 

Planet Marketing, a new marketing agency for companies in sustainability, has launched.

The fight against the climate crisis is no longer the remit of activists and NGOs. Around the world, businesses are becoming conscious of their role in climate change, sustainability, and net zero. This shift has created an opportunity for brands and marketers to promote their green credentials but in some cases, “greenwash” their business models. Greenwashing has become a controversial topic, as it makes it more difficult for authentic sustainable brands to stand out.

Planet Marketing was founded to tell socially conscious brand stories and ensure that these brands that are doing genuine good are better understood.

“With an appreciation of the collective effort required to achieve net zero, Planet Marketing is committed to helping market businesses that have sustainability at their core. We can deliver targeted and focused campaigns that amplify the call for planet consciousness and drive business to a brand,” said Planet Marketing Founder and Managing Director, Simon Ellis.

“Climate Conscious Marketing is about supporting those brands that are doing good, to ensure their message is understood and is heard above the noise. It is a total paradigm shift to the way marketing is approached, focusing on ethics, purpose, authenticity and transparency. We want to tell socially conscious brand stories that engage minds and win hearts,” said Johanna Andersson, Marketing Director at Planet Marketing.

Despite price-premiums, sustainability-marketed products grew over seven times faster than conventional products between 2015 and 2019 as consumers started to make more ethical and sustainable choices. This has been replicated in B2B decision-making where approximately 62% of purchasing decisions are made emotionally (Raconteur).

Simon Ellis continued: “It can be difficult for authentic brands to stand out amongst the many businesses trying to appeal to this segment. Brands that are leading the way often find their messaging lost in a busy marketplace of green claims or confused by the sheer number of certifications, indices, complex science and acronyms that don’t work in favour of clear customer communication. We are changing that.”

Sustainable marketing is much bigger than creating a short-term emotive response. It uses purposeful messaging to tell the story of a brand’s carbon reduction activities, net zero strategies, circular economy innovations, social justice campaigns or philanthropic efforts. Climate-conscious marketing is a vehicle for sustainable brands to help bring the client along on the journey. It creates dialogue, develops relationships and contributes to a positive global impact that goes far beyond a business’ clients.

About Planet Marketing

Founded in 2021 by a team of strategic and creative marketing experts passionate about sustainability, Planet Marketing is a full-service digital marketing agency exclusively working for leaders in sustainability.

News

Four in five Brits want to make it illegal to force employees to work from the office

Over a year on from the start of the first national lockdown, employees do not want to revert back to how they used to work, according to new research from identity firm Okta and Censuswide. The study of more than 10,000 office workers, including over 2,000 in the UK, finds that employees want the freedom to define their own working preferences after a year of having no choice but to work from home.

Nearly four-fifths (79%) agree with changes to legislation that make it illegal for businesses to force employees to work from the office. Almost half (48%) want some exceptions to this, such as for emergency services workers, while 31% believe it should be against the law in all cases. This comes amid governmental discussions about extending existing flexible working rights, while some countries have announced plans to implement legislation, such as the ‘right to disconnect’.

“Many Brits have spent more than a year following the rules and working from home,” says Samantha Fisher, Head of Dynamic Work at Okta. “Going forward, it’s clear they want the freedom to work on their own terms, whether that’s returning to the office, working remotely, or a mix of both. A change in legislation would put the choice in the hands of employees, and give organisations the opportunity to undertake assessments, reevaluate processes, and enable better methods that support working across a multi-location strategy.”

Over a third (36%) either want to work in the office five days a week or cannot do their job away from the office. In a similar survey conducted by Okta in May 2020, 24% of workers stated that they wanted to go back to the office full-time.

Brits favour permanent remote working more than their European counterparts, with 19% hoping to work from home forever, higher than the Netherlands (12%), Switzerland (14%) and France (15%). 43% of Brits want a hybrid approach, spending some days in the office and others at home.

While workers have individual preferences, these do not necessarily align with what they believe their employer will implement. Half (50%) expect their employer to offer flexibility when restrictions ease. However, almost a third (31%) believe their employer will require them to go into the office full-time, and 16% say their business hasn’t discussed workplace flexibility for when restrictions ease.

 

Preparing the workplace for a new world

For those set to return to the office, businesses face the additional challenge of ensuring the workplace is fully prepared. 40% of Brits say they would feel safer returning to the office if social distancing measures were in place, such as spaced out desks, screens between booths and one-way corridors.

Other measures that would help workers feel safe include:

  • A reduced number of people in the office (34%)
  • Covid-safe technology, such as phones that help to maintain social distancing (27%)
  • Compulsory mask-wearing (26%)
  • The ability to go into the office earlier or later to avoid rush hour when commuting (22%)

22% of office workers also favour compulsory vaccine passports, while 15% support voluntary vaccine passports. These status certificates are anticipated to play a role in enabling international travel, and discussions are underway as to whether they could also help to reopen workspaces.

“Businesses must listen to employee preferences and implement necessary changes to support them, no matter where they’re working,” comments Fisher. “If staff want to go back, the workplace must be fully prepared with safety measures. If they want to work elsewhere, there needs to be sufficient tech in place to support this. In this new world of work, employees call the shots. Location is no longer a top priority, so talent will choose to work wherever fits their needs best, or move onto the next role.”

 

Londoners escape to the country?

Traditionally seen as the country’s primary working hub, those who live and work in London have alternative preferences to the UK overall.

Londoners generally expect more flexibility from their employers, with almost two-thirds (64%) anticipating that they will have more freedom to choose where they work once restrictions ease, compared to half (50%) overall. London-based respondents  are also more likely to work in an asynchronized environment, in which there are no fixed hours for employees and people can choose where and when they would like to work – 70% would opt for this if given the choice, compared to 62% of office workers more broadly.

When attending video meetings, 38% of those based in London choose to keep their camera off to maintain privacy, while this remains an issue for only a quarter (24%) of the UK overall. On returning to the office, they are also more likely to support vaccine passports as a measure to help them feel safe. 26% support compulsory vaccine passports and 20% want voluntary options, compared to 22% and 15% respectively for the rest of the UK.

However, Londoners are also more likely to move elsewhere should their employer decide to change to a fully remote work environment. Almost half (48%) would choose to move out of the city, whether somewhere else in the UK or another country entirely, compared to 38% of Brits overall. Top reasons cited for wanting to move elsewhere include cheaper rent or mortgage costs (31%) and more outdoor space (29%).