Tag Archives: hybrid working

News

Spacemade launches its newest site Beton

Spacemade, the fastest growing flexible workspace, B-Corp operator in the UK, launched its newest location, Beton by Spacemade, in Barbican, London on June 3rd, 2024.

Situated a stone’s throw away from the iconic Barbican Centre and the creative hub of Clerkenwell, the Goswell Road site aims to be the new home for creatives across design, digital solutions, and media and entertainment, providing a collaborative environment for like-minded individuals.

As the digital age continues to grow, we recognise the value of in-person collaboration among creatives. Beton aims to provide a dynamic environment that cultivates creativity and a community feel. The importance of face-to-face interaction remains paramount, particularly for creative professionals, Beton will act as the space to house strong collaboration, teamwork and networking opportunities.

Taking inspiration from the famous design of the Barbican, coupled with the creative architecture of Clerkenwell, Beton is a space that marries both boldness and creativity. Meaning ‘concrete’ in French, Beton has been designed from the ground up, across nine floors, to pay homage to the 50s and 60s style of architecture, while curating a hub in which creative ideas and concepts can flourish.

Historically, Clerkenwell has been renowned as a creative hub, but the Barbican is rapidly becoming the go-to destination for forward-thinking individuals. With its fresh, creative atmosphere, the Beton by Spacemade location in harmony with Barbican offers an environment that inspires and fuels creativity. Its state-of-the-art infrastructure and easy access to public transport ensure that creative professionals have everything they need to thrive. While embracing modernity, the Barbican remains steeped in rich history. It’s not just an alternative to Clerkenwell; it’s a creative hotspot in its own right.

Beton offers a nine-floor space, housing coworking areas, private offices, meeting rooms and private phone booths, plus a fully fitted podcasting studio available to rent. All of the space is available under private office or coworking memberships, with additional amenities including:

24/7 access

CCTV security

Dog friendly

Fully stocked kitchens

On-site community team

1GB Fibre line & Fast WiFi

Member events

Bike storage

Podcast studio

Beton has four impressively designed meeting rooms to accommodate between four and ten people, containing video conferencing technology and speedy WiFi.

On top of that, it is home to a new podcast studio – named Amplify – the perfect space to kickstart a new podcasting project, equipped with microphones, camera and tripod.

The community team at Beton will be hosting a packed schedule of events for their members each month, such as breakfast clubs, wellness workshops and power hours, usually involving partnerships with local businesses.

Beton features hand-picked furniture, meticulously chosen for comfort and efficiency, along with a carefully curated selection of printed artwork, also including hand painted murals by Sarah Sebastian to evoke inspiration and creativity.

Spacemade does not only offer coworking and meeting rooms, but an opportunity to immerse yourself in a community of professionals sharing similar goals. Beton is designed so individuals and teams can exchange their ideas and build meaningful connections with others in the same space. The thoughtfully crafted event schedule and multitude of on-site workshops are all aimed at fostering skills, networking and growth.

Located in the heart of the iconic Barbican area, Beton boasts a prime location surrounded by cultural gems, such as the Barbican Centre, with the Barbican Conservatory providing the perfect sanctuary for a lunchtime stroll.

Additionally, culinary enthusiasts will find themselves spoilt for choice with the diverse number of dining options in the vicinity. LUCA, a renowned Italian restaurant, beckons with its tantalising blend of traditional Italian cuisine crafted from high-quality ingredients.

Art enthusiasts will also find themselves captivated by the offerings near Beton. Hollybush Gardens, a gallery in Clerkenwell, showcases artwork by international artists. From curated exhibitions to events and performances, Hollybush Gardens promises an incredible journey through contemporary art.

Jonny Rosenblatt, Co-founder of Spacemade, said, “Beton is more than just a flexible workspace, it’s an eco-system designed to inspire collaboration and innovation.

“We believe that creatives thrive when surrounded by like-minded individuals and Beton by Spacemade has been crafted to foster just that. The goal is to use the creative hub of Barbican and Clerkenwell to foster the collaborative nature between the industries integral in making the area the cultural powerhouse it is today.”

Beton is designed to meet the unique needs of small and medium sized enterprises as well as freelancers. With flexible office space, this is the perfect location for growing businesses and independent professionals to succeed.

For those interested in joining Beton, for coworking, pricing starts at £129 for five days, £189 for 10 days, £299 for unlimited access and £499 for a fixed desk. For private office hire, pricing starts at £625 per desk.

For use of the podcast studio, Amplify, pricing starts at £45 per hour, £110 per half day and £160 per full day.

For use of a meeting room, pricing starts at £40 per hour + VAT.

For more information about Spacemade and its flexible workspaces, visit Spacemade’s website.

News

IT business doubled in size after helping people transition to hybrid working

A PROMINENT IT business which doubled in size during the pandemic helped thousands of people transition to remote working via a series of online webinars.

Award-winning RISC IT Solutions – the largest Microsoft Gold partner in North Wales – held more than 70 virtual advice and guidance sessions over two years for more than 2,600 users representing 1300 companies UK-wide.

Founded by Paul Roberts, the firm has increased its staff and revenue numbers by 100% and is in a strong position having recently celebrated its 21st anniversary.

Managing Director Jeremy Keane revealed they will continue to push for 20% organic growth year on year and are on the lookout for skilled new recruits and partner organisations, having secured contracts with leading names in multiple industries, including Adferiad Recovery, which provides services for people with co-occurring mental health and substance misuse conditions.

“We are growing in every way, which is fantastic, but the pandemic has also given us a chance to reflect,” said Jeremy.

“The health and wellbeing of our staff is a priority, as well as their professional development and continuing to give back to our community.

“We now have a Wellness Champion, our employees have access to free Welsh lessons and are encouraged to nominate worthwhile causes we can support.

“While continued expansion and growth is key, we can only do that with a talented, resilient team, and we definitely have that.”

As one of “the best kept IT secrets in North Wales”, RISC IT Solutions now has 24 staff and is focused on building on its enhanced IT packages, namely managed IT support, telephony, and cyber-security.

Business Development Director Mark Lawton said hosting the free webinars for clients – before opening it up to different industries – proved invaluable.

“It was pivotal for RISC because  it put us in front of a completely new audience,” he added.

“We are well-known across the country but here in this region a lot of people are still unaware of what we do, so being able to demonstrate our services and offer guidance gave us the platform to connect with IT users nationwide.

“Hybrid working will be with us now indefinitely, but of course just a few years ago it was unprecedented, so for us to be able to help thousands of people was heartening, it’s something we are very proud of.”

For more on Risc IT Solutions, visit www.riscitsolutions.com and follow @riscitsolutions on social media.

Commercial Property, London News, News, North of England

Flex Space to increase 50% in four years

Hybrid working policies are driving demand in the flexible workspace market as companies are using coworking and serviced offices at record levels.

In its annual UK Market Research Report, The Instant Group’s data shows that demand for flex space across the country is up 22% in the last 12 months. Regional cities – such as Leeds and Manchester – are leading the way in this increase but the latest market data shows a recovery in central London.

The size of the space being taken with flex operators has also increased by 44% since the pandemic as larger companies incorporate more flexible workspace in their real estate portfolios.

With demand for flexible space eclipsing pre-pandemic levels, the result is that the supply of new centres is growing and diversifying at a rapid rate. New supply is primarily coming from traditional landlords. GPE has announced that it aims to grow its flex offering from 13% to 25% of their total portfolio by 2027, and CBRE have taken over 40% of Industrious to boost their flex product. Many other landlords are already following suit, shaking up the flexible landscape in the UK.

Supply of new workspace grew at 5% throughout the pandemic but that rate of growth is expected to double this year. The number of flex spaces will double by 2026 and account for more than 150m sq ft of office space in the UK, or 10% of total UK office space.

Despite the increase in supply, average workstation rates are up 4% on H2 2021, currently averaging £408 pcm across the UK. This is primarily due to demand in major cities picking up as well as operators increasing rates to cover inflationary costs.

Lucinda Pullinger, UK Managing Director, The Instant Group, said: “Flex space is now a critical component of most companies’ office strategy. Hybrid working has entrenched the role of serviced offices, coworking and meeting rooms. After the ups and downs of the past two years, it is very exciting to see growth in markets such as central London again.

“However, we would sound a note of caution that recessionary fears are likely to see some organisations put their office moves on the back burner in H2 as they watch the wider macro-economic picture play out. With more landlords entering the market in the next 24 months, there will be an increase in supply to meet current demand levels with the flex market set to become an increasingly competitive market.”

Instant’s data is based on its market leading flexible workspace platform which placed customers in flexible workspaces in over 225 cities and towns across the UK in the last 12 months.

Hybrid Working, News

Mid-sized businesses champion true hybrid working, but adoption struggles remain

New research from Grant Thornton UK LLP’s latest Business Outlook Tracker* finds that, since the lifting of legal COVID-19 restrictions in February, just over half (51%) of the 604 mid-sized businesses surveyed have adopted a hybrid working approach.

This is quite a significant dip compared to responses from the December 2021 round of the Tracker, when 88% of respondents surveyed were working in a hybrid way.

The new findings show that hybrid working is offering many benefits to the 310 businesses who said they were adopting this approach. These benefits include boosting productivity (54%) and improving their people’s wellbeing (65%).

Overall, just over half (51%) of those who have adopted a hybrid working approach find that it is working well in their business. This is a drop compared to December however, where 64% of those working this way believed it was working well, suggesting that struggles remain with adopting an effective approach.

In fact, almost one in five (19%) of those currently adopting a hybrid working approach said that they’re struggling to implement it effectively.

Andrew Howie is Managing Partner in Scotland for Grant Thornton UK LLP, said:

“While flexible approaches and working from home has been the norm for many office-based workers over the last two years, most of the time has been spent with everyone having little choice and working the same way – remotely. With legal restrictions now completely removed, we have entered a new environment where companies and their people are learning to embrace and adopt true hybrid working approaches. With more disparate workforces, potentially spread across the country, it will take time for teams to find a rhythm that works for the individuals, the team itself and clients.

“While having a choice over ways of working may take some time to adjust to, for both businesses and their people, it’s vital that businesses do prioritise this and support their talent in helping them decide how to work. The reliance on technology to keep us connected has been key over the last couple of years, and this next step is no different. Effective and efficient use of technology, and ongoing communication with your people, will once again be critical. But the technology required may change slightly, with requirements for more in-office tools that enable seamless communication and interaction with those at home to support different ways of working and keep a more agile workforce connected.

“There is no doubt that those that fully embrace true hybrid working, and work with their people to support them in deciding what work is best done at home and what sort of work achieves the best results when done in person, will have a sustainable, competitive advantage. Both in productivity and, critically, in attracting and retaining talent.”

The new research follows the findings of an internal survey from Grant Thornton earlier this year which found that, of the 2,206 people in the firm who responded, the majority believe that hybrid working allows them to be more productive (93%) and supports their wellbeing (91%).

A more recent internal firm survey in early May also found that 95% of the 2,018 people who responded feel trusted by their manager to work in a hybrid way and do their job effectively no matter how, when or where they work.

News

Are Paid Commutes the Future?

Business owners believe that commute-related incentives are key motivators for getting employees back into the workplace

Research by financial comparison experts NerdWallet has revealed that 86% of business owners believe that their employees will be more likely to return to offices if their commute was incentivised.

Over three quarters (76%) of business owners believe that if commute time could be included in working hours, employees would be amenable to a more permanent return to the office. This would enable employees to arrive later and leave earlier if they were able to work en route. In fact, over one in four (26%) employers think this will be the most effective measure to encourage employees back into their workplace.

One of the biggest challenges facing employers keen to attract more employees back to the office is the significant financial savings that hybrid working has brought. NerdWallet research has found that employees who were able to work remotely or in a hybrid model, saved, on average, £234 a month by cutting out commuting costs, reducing the appetite for a daily commute.

With many struggling to save for a mortgage deposit in the wake of the rising cost of living and record average house prices (£278,123 in February 2022, according to Halifax’s House Price Index), over a quarter (29%) of employees are prepared to add up to 45 minutes to their commute to afford a property if their commutes were less frequent.*

As a result, employers may need to incentivise the commute to make attending the office a more attractive proposition to the workforce, with NerdWallet’s research suggesting that most employers agree on these hypothetical measures. A large majority of businesses (86%) felt that reimbursing commuting costs would be an effective incentive. This could be implemented in the following ways:

  • 68% agreed with reimbursing commute expenses, e.g. a bus or train pass
  • 67% agreed with paying for parking
  • 64% agreed with cycle to work incentives, g. cash back on bike purchase schemes
  • 63% agreed with grants for electric vehicles used for commuting

In terms of how these incentives could be implemented, employers were asked about how they could be calculated and whether limits would be needed. To ensure equality when introducing commute incentives:

  • 39% felt that a maximum travel distance per day should be set
  • 41% felt that a maximum travel time limit per day should be set
  • 42% felt that a limited number of days’ public transport should be reimbursed

However, more than a third (38%) of employers were more generous, stating they felt public transport costs for the entire working week should be reimbursed if their employees were required to return to the office full-time.

Of the employers who were more open to a hybrid model with three days in and two days remote, 42% thought paid incentives were important to motivate a voluntary return to the office compared with only 21% of those wanting a full-time return to the office. By contrast, 45% of those looking for a full return to the office prefer to make the office space itself a more appealing destination to draw people back in.

NerdWallet’s newly launched Map My Commute interactive tool helps home buyers discover the full range of locations where they can afford to buy or rent a property based on their budget and desired commute time. 

Commercial Property, News

The Office is back: Research reveals the ultimate working week formula, as 95% of employees say they’re ready to be back in the workplace

As ‘work from home’ advice ends and workers are encouraged to head back to the office, a study by the north-west’s largest out of town business park, Warrington-based Birchwood Park, has revealed the majority (82%) of us are happy to be heading back into the office at least 2 days a week – but employees have extra demands to improve satisfaction at work.

With 95% of people shunning working from home every day, Birchwood Park’s research revealed the reasons behind this shift in attitude towards homeworking lay in the impact on work-life balance and convenience.

Amongst the biggest factors having a negative impact on our lives whilst working from home are increased screen time and longer hours (45%), feeling disconnected from our colleagues (44%), and increased difficulty in switching off at the end of the day (32%).

Additionally, the office has a key role to play beyond work with 73% of workers valuing the ability to socialise with colleagues above all other benefits.

However, it’s clear employers need to do more to support staff in transitioning back into office-based working, with less than 50% of those surveyed expressing that the company they work for is doing enough to support workplace wellbeing.

Coming out as the top areas in which employees would like to see the most improvement from their employers is the introduction of flexi-time, greater flexibility to work from home as required, and adaptations to the workplace such as break out areas, quiet working facilities and desk adaptations for greater comfort.

Commenting on the findings, Martin O’Rourke, Commercial Director at Birchwood Park, said: ““After almost two years of home-working for some, the results are very clear – people want to return to the office, and we’re seeing an increase in interest in office space here on the park as a result.

“However, it is troubling to learn that many do not feel that their wellbeing is thoroughly supported by their employer. That’s why we’ve launched our Workplace Wellbeing hub – to help employers understand that the office plays a much bigger role than simply being a place to work, and offer advice on how to better support their staff at work.”

As part of Birchwood Park’s ongoing commitment to facilitating wellbeing in the workplace, the business park’s content hub is its latest initiative to help make improving staff wellbeing easier for a business, and will feature a handbook developed in collaboration with workplace wellbeing expert and founder of award-winning Rener Wellbeing, Khalil Rener, alongside a charter calling for all businesses on the park to commit to best practise advice.

Speaking about the project, Khalil Rener commented: “It’s refreshing to be working with a business destination so committed to supporting the wellbeing of employees across multiple industries and sectors, and our hope is that Birchwood Park’s Workplace Wellbeing Handbook will act as a catalyst for change for businesses.

“With government advice shifting away from a ‘work from home order’, it yet again means change for businesses and employees alike which is tough. Yes, the novelty has worn off when it comes to working from home so it’s not surprising that 95% of people do not wish to work from home full-time, but it’s vital that employers don’t assume it’ll all be plain sailing as soon as we’re back in the office. Our aim is to provide clear guidance on the journey back to office-working, ensuring it is a smooth transition for employers and their team.”

For more information on Birchwood Park’s campaign to improve workplace wellbeing and support in the transition back into the workplace, visit https://bit.ly/3sFCVqN

HR News

UK Greetings chooses Macro 4 to support HR’s switch to hybrid working

GDPR-compliant information management system will provide HR team with easy online access to hundreds of thousands of employee documents from home or office

Crawley, UK, March 1, 2022 – Major greetings cards publisher UK Greetings has selected Macro 4, a division of UNICOM® Global to deploy a new GDPR-compliant online content store for its Human Resources department following a switch to hybrid working since the pandemic. The new system will deliver secure remote access to employee documents, helping HR to provide a responsive service to the company’s 2500-strong workforce from any location.

By replacing its existing manual paper-based filing system, the card publisher, whose cards are available in major UK supermarkets and independent retailers, plans to realize HR efficiencies and time savings while enhancing GDPR compliance and reducing its paper and printing costs. Reducing the use of paper will also support the company’s sustainability goals.

UK Greetings, one of the largest direct to retail publishers of greeting cards and social expression products in the UK, has a loyal workforce including many long-serving employees. As a result, the company has thousands of personnel documents which it needs to keep securely stored and accessible, covering a wide variety of information relating to the employment relationship.

The decision to move away from paper was made when the HR team started working from home during the pandemic, explained Laura Roderick, HR Manager at UK Greetings:

“With all our documents kept in filing cabinets in the office, we were unable to access the employee records we needed to work effectively. Even before this, however, we were planning to go digital eventually as we knew all the printing and filing we were doing was not the best use of our time. COVID-19 just gave us an additional incentive.”

Macro 4 will use its Columbus enterprise information management software to create an online content store for UK Greetings’ employee information. Existing paper documents will be scanned into the system, while new documents will be captured digitally. All information will be held together in individual employee files.

The solution will use encryption and role-based access to protect employee information and ensure only authorized staff can access it. Information lifecycle rules will be applied to make sure information is deleted when required under the GDPR.

As a trusted supplier which had already implemented an information management solution for the UK Greetings finance department, Macro 4 was recommended to the HR department by the company’s IS team.

“In HR we need the right information at our fingertips to support our customers – the UK Greetings employees – as well as helping us to work efficiently and effectively whether we’re at home or in the office. We’re confident that this is what the Macro 4 system will deliver,” said Laura Roderick.

 

 

News

£10bn boost for economy as a result of return to office

Research suggests return to offices will see city’s workers each contribute up to £1,373.57 to economy per year

With workers being encouraged to return to the office as part of the Government’s announcement of a return to Plan A, one firm has calculated the impact that busier city centres could have on the economy across the UK.

Based on workers returning to offices just two days a week, Frank Recruitment Group has calculated a potential windfall for businesses that support the country’s workforce. Their research shows workers could spend up to £1,373.57 each per year, even without going back to the previous Monday-Friday routine. That’s based on the average price of a morning coffee at £2.81, with lunch also coming in at £5.77, just twice per week, as well as transport costs incurred on the commute.

With almost 7,968,500 workers based in England’s cities in total, that means a potential annual spend of £10,945,276,608.00 available, which is welcome news to those companies that have struggled to keep the wheels turning during the pandemic.

“There’s a huge range of businesses that will benefit from workers returning to the office,” said Zoë Morris, President at Frank Recruitment Group. “Even further beyond the 9-5 are the people working to get us into our cities, serving us post-work drinks and meals—there’s an entire support network around the desk-based workforce that we don’t often think of.”

Despite the lifting of restrictions, the success of remote work during the pandemic is likely to mean that the return to offices won’t be on a full-time basis. “I think most people are looking forward to having the option to be together in person again,” added Morris. “Remote work isn’t for everybody, so having a hybrid approach offers the opportunity for employees to get a better work-life balance than has ever been possible before.”

The Office for National Statistics has reported that 85% of homeworking Brits want their employer to offer hybrid options for going back into the office. With energy costs on the increase, it offers the potential for savings on utility bills incurred working from home, while also giving employees the chance to better control their week in a way that suits them.

“From a takeout coffee on the way to the office to treating ourselves at lunch, that spend has a fantastic impact on city centre economies, which have really struggled to adapt to the challenges of the last two years,” said Morris.

Across the 50 cities analysed, the data below shows how much an individual will spend each year in total, depending on their city. On average, a person working two days per week on-site in England will spend £1,373.57 on both hospitality and transport for work-related purposes. For local businesses looking for a light at the end of the tunnel, this provides excellent news as they recover from the effects of the pandemic.

News

East England’s mid-market struggling to implement hybrid working

New research from Grant Thornton UK LLP’s latest Business Outlook Tracker* has revealed that, prior to the implementation of ‘Plan B’ and the return of work from home guidance, hybrid working was being adopted by many mid-market firms in the East of England, but that more than a third were still facing challenges with its implementation.

The survey of mid-sized businesses found that a hybrid working approach, where people split their time between working remotely and in an office, was the most common working practice in early December with 84% of the region’s businesses working this way.

Despite the vast majority of businesses operating in this manner, 38% said that they were not finding it to be effective. The research identified that the main working style challenges for those respondents adopting a hybrid working approach, are:

  • The provision of training remotely (50%)
  • Mental wellbeing (48%)
  • Managing the work of more junior staff (38%)
  • Loss of culture (36%)

Hybrid and remote working, as well as the issues it can create, are going to remain the norm for many businesses, with Boris Johnson confirming that ‘Plan B’ and its work from home guidance is going to stay in force until at least the end of January.

James Brown, Partner and Practice Leader at Grant Thornton UK LLP in the East of England, said: “It’s clear that hybrid working is here to stay and it can offer many benefits to companies and their people, from saving costs on reduced office space to a better work-life balance. However, as our research shows, a number of businesses in the East are still struggling to make this style of work as effective as the predominantly office-based status quo we were used to pre-COVID-19.

“To be truly effective, hybrid working takes time and commitment and unfortunately there is no one size fits all approach. The whole market is on a learning curve to experiment and find the best method that works for them and ensure their people continue to feel connected and supported by their business and their teams, wherever they work.

“As we move into 2022 it’s going to be important for firms to remain open to evolving and challenging themselves as to how they can make hybrid working more effective. This enhanced agility could be achieved in a number of ways, such as investing in new technology that helps teams to train, communicate and stay connected or providing additional guidance on how work is organised and co-ordinated. With uncertainty likely to be with us for some time to come, those businesses that can embed flexibility into their everyday working practises are going to find it much easier to manage the next twist or turn that’s ahead of us.”

News

Construction begins on new Watling Street boutique offices designed for hybrid workforce

The Boutique Workplace Company is transforming the unloved but iconic building at 73 Watling Street into stylish, boutique offices aimed at SMEs with a hybrid workforce, post-Covid. 

Set to open this spring, all offices feature smart TVs to connect workers with a hybrid or remote workforce. Smack bang in the heart of the City, the characterful and historic location of Watling Street promises occupants a spectacular view from the building’s rooftop terrace and easy access to the popular shops below, including the renowned Porterford Butcher’s.

SMEs can move in from 1st March 2022 and enjoy the building’s ample amenities, as well as access to 11 of The Boutique Workplace Company offices and meeting rooms across the capital.  

Dan Wheble at The Boutique Workplace Company, comments, “The way we work has evolved massively in the last two years and we’re thrilled to see more and more businesses understanding the benefits of working for smaller, boutique companies offering flexibility, adaptability and responsiveness.   

“Our model is based on quirky buildings that fit small-medium sized businesses. They have character but needed careful planning to refit and are suited to smaller companies. This is where a building like Watling Street really shines. Plus it has amenities such as outdoor areas and smart TVs in every office, making it an innovative space post-covid.” 

The Boutique Workplace company offers a curated collection of iconic buildings in London and beyond.  

*Source: The Future of Flex report: https://cdn.worktechacademy.com/uploads/2021/07/AFK-Report-The-Future-Flex-Office.pdf