From 30 June 2014, all employees have the legal right to request flexible working – not just parents and carers.
Kate Lister’s insight:
This is becoming a big trend both in and outside government. Just last week, President Obama announced a similar right for US federal employees (http://1.usa.gov/1qrPOPO).
Employers are finally waking up to the fact that flexibility is essential to the sustainability of their workforce.
So why exactly does working from home make employees absolutely giddy with joy?
Kate Lister’s insight:
The short answer: avoiding the commute, choice of environment, healthier living, greater flexibility, no office dramas, great collaboration.
“More than a hundred professionals from around the globe gathered in early June near London to probe the future of work … For those who attended, this second IFMA Foundation Workplace Strategy Summit was like Christmas in June.” Here’s a recap.
Kate Lister’s insight:
Space didn’t permit me to cover all the great presentations and conversations, but if you love thinking about the future of work, this brief summary will no doubt inspire.
“Much attention has been given the increase in transit use in America. In context, the gains have been small, and very concentrated.
Virtually all of the urban core gain (99 percent) has been in the six metropolitan areas with transit legacy cities (New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, and Washington).
Kate Lister’s insight:
Work-at-home, the article reports, is growing faster than any other mode of “travel” to work.
I’ve been working from home for years, and I’ve built my company as a completely virtual one. So when I hear the pervasive myths (lies, really) that continue to exist about working from home, it gets me a little grumpy….
From personal workspace to open staircases and video gaming, companies are rethinking how and where their employees work. Does your workplace give you a competitive edge?
Kate Lister’s insight:
My favorite is: Let Workers Decide how to doe their work. While it’s not cited, the article says that companies that do this grow four times faster than others.
On Wednesday I witnessed something quite special – a group of people with authentic commitment and passion underpinned by decisive leadership. I came away from the first British Institure of…
Kate Lister’s insight:
This is so essential to workplace success. FM and HR coming together is a great start, but we need to bring IT, Sustainability, Finance, and Marketing to the table too! Kudos to BIFM and CIPD!
Tussling with technology but imprisoned by the straight-jacket of convention. It’s hard to imagine that a London cab driver and a New York book editor have much in common – but they do.”
Kate Lister’s insight:
This is a great article by the Chairman of one of the nation’s largest venture capital firms. I love this line: “this too is an exercise in denial about the march of technology and being trapped within the straightjacket of convention.” The lesson is as simple as the “ig Dog slogan, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.”
Metrics are a combination of art and science. The trick is to inspire action around the goals you set.
Kate Lister’s insight:
There are some interesting insights here into how to measure results in the information age.
A great community engages its citizens, and a great company engages its people.
Kate Lister’s insight:
“In a 2002 Harvard Business Review article, Peter Drucker hit the nail on the head when he said, “They’re not employees, they’re people.” Companies that operate using this principle can create exciting environments where people feel inspired and energized, and look forward to coming to work. They’ll want to contribute to the success of the company, and they’ll do it with high levels of engagement.”