By Anthony Lamoureux, Chief Executive Officer at Velocity Smart Technology

The Covid-19 pandemic has profoundly shifted the dial on the subject of remote work. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from working during a pandemic, it’s that the stigma around working remotely has long gone – and has been replaced with a certain enthusiasm from employees and businesses alike.

Unsurprisingly, employees who have been liberated from long and expensive commutes on crowded transport have discovered that they can put that time to better use – being more productive at work and at home and spending more time with their loved-ones. This flexibility has allowed people to bring a much-needed equilibrium to their personal and professional lives.

Many businesses also recognise the benefit of embracing this change as the opportunity to access new pools of remote talent who are unconstrained by location, and adopting new practices and technologies to boost productivity while significantly reducing the huge overhead costs of city centre real-estate.

So if both businesses and employees are both ‘accentuating the positive’, is this a win-win situation? Unfortunately not if you are a commercial landlord!

The Incredible Shrinking Office!

Decades ago, workers enjoyed expansive dedicated office spaces, often with over 20 square metres of space per employee. Companies invested in huge purpose-built headquarters, or entered stable long-term leases in city centres. This practice was all already changing before the Pandemic began, when the rise of coworking spaces saw office space squash down to a mere 5 square metres per person, as city real estate prices rocketed, and businesses reduced their office overheads.

Now business overheads look set to drop further, not by reducing the amount of space per employee, but by reducing the number of employees in the office. Surveys repeatedly confirm people’s desire to spend more time at home and less in the office – and now the experience of sustained productivity during the lockdowns has made this request impossible to refuse.

In 2019, just 5% of the UK workforce reported that they worked ‘mainly from home’. By April 2020, when the first Pandemic Lockdown was underway, this figure had leapt to 47%, according to the UK’s Office for National Statistics. Various announcements have followed this data, such as that of Lloyds Banking Group, which is set to reduce its office space by 20% over two years after a staff survey found that nearly 80% wanted to work at home for at least three days a week.

This is unsurprising, given that according to the UK Office of National Statistics (ONS), the average UK worker is £495 a month better off working from home. Encouragingly, the savings are enjoyed by both sides, with Hitachi Capital estimating that the average UK SME could save £840 per employee each month from savings on overheads such as rent, utilities and cleaning.

Flexible Work Needs a Flexible Office.

While remote working will clearly increase, the office is not quite dead yet – but it is going to need to change a lot to accommodate the new modes of work. Most people are familiar with the setup of a modern office – open plan areas filled with desks, meeting rooms, breakout areas, kitchenettes, etc. With the requirements for Covid security, plus the new modes of working, the priorities of office will now differ accordingly.

As the office evolves – so will the amenities and support services that are implicitly linked with the office – such as IT support and location services. IT support is increasingly splitting into software support which can be accessed via telephone based IT support and remote desktop control, and hardware support and replacement, which is currently still mostly carried out by IT support staff delivering replacement hardware directly to employees – a costly and outdated option which is being rapidly replaced by the advent of decentralised IT Support Smart Lockers, that can vend replacement hardware to employees who have received a unique secure redemption code from their IT support service.

If people come into the office for only a few days a week – the purpose of office time will be to maximise the collaborative aspects of work that benefit from face-to-face contact – such as brainstorming, planning and innovation. During the pandemic, remote working has relied heavily on pre-existing social dynamics and structures – i.e. people we all knew already. It is much more difficult to build a reliable and trusting working relationship remotely than it is in person, so the office will still play a major role in enabling employees to build relationships.

This will require many more small collaborative meeting spaces and meeting rooms that can enable group working, town halls, syndicate group working, and space specifically designed to foster this.. At the same time, Covid safety is likely to require smaller groupings of people – meaning the large open plan areas are likely to be removed. Offices may return to being smaller, with a greater density of smaller spaces – reversing all the open-office trends that have been advancing in recent years.

Smaller businesses may choose to take flexibility to the next level, and forgo a property lease altogether, in favour of flexible co-working spaces that have a presence in multiple cities. Flexible solutions can offer a dedicated space they can rent by the month, with innate scalability and meeting spaces that can be booked by the hour.

As the pandemic recedes and all of these changes come to fruition, the landscape of work will be changed utterly, and hopefully for the better. Crowded commutes to the centre of large cities will become less central to people’s lives, enabling them to live in smaller cities, and to attend smaller. Satellite offices, while still maintaining connectivity and productivity in their career – a pleasing thought, as the hard times of the crisis come to an end, and we can begin to look with some hope to the future.

By Nick Nooren, Head of Proteus Marketplace developed by Xergy

Over the last 12 months, there has been a significant change in the way people need and want to work. As our priorities shift and digital capabilities expand, the working world is moving to a more flexible model, one that is likely to outlast the pandemic.

A new HR landscape is emerging. Employees have seen behind the curtain and experienced a new way of working, and technology is the driver supporting this change. Aided by efficient workplace management technology, one that confidently explores the benefits of remote work and the gig economy. Ultimately improving the way businesses communicate with employees, evaluate staff data and improve performance.

As good HR management helps bridge the gap between employee performance and a business’ strategic objectives. Technology helps to streamline this process, creating further operational efficiencies that directly contribute to improved business development. It provides a reliable and productive “always-on” environment where employees can deliver their best work; it enables better measurement of productivity, improving user experience. A further benefit of the fast-advancing technology means HR can address the current skills gap, which will impact how organisations recruit and retain professionals.

Despite this, CIPD’s People and Machines research found HR activities appear less likely to use AI technology, with just 14% of businesses that had invested in this technology had applied it to HR processes.

Of course, as with any management system, there are some negatives to consider. One is the well being of employees. Giving employees access to the tools they need to do their jobs in a way that works best for them means they’ll be more effective and engaged. A good work/life balance is equally important for employee productivity, satisfaction and essentially mental health.  In a world that is increasingly better connected, “switching off” becomes more challenging for workers. Remote work despite offering flexibility can also become isolating. Not to mention the inherent risk of cyber security and fraud.

Nick Nooren

There is a need for human resource professionals to consider how best to use AI and automation as they continue to improve and develop, rather than adopting technology for the sake of it. It must align with the needs of the business and the employees to have a positive impact on both organisational development and employee wellbeing. For businesses to thrive, they must be strategic in deploying technology and approaching AI with proper thought and care. Understanding the role it plays in the workplace is key to boosting confidence in its deployment.

Modern workplace technology also has a unique opportunity to drive a new style of leadership. One which embraces diversity, is open to change and encourages learning and communication. A successful leader anywhere in the world understands how much technology can help in managing people. It can aid in building highly talented teams and keep track of work across a variety of channels and platforms, no matter the location.

Artificial intelligence and secure cloud-based management systems have opened the doors to wide-reaching channels of communication. These tools have improved the ease of both internal and external communication. The new leader can now influence their employees, motivate their sales teams, build customer loyalty and connect with peers through various social media platforms and blogging. It empowers them to expand their reach towards new markets across the globe, something previously beyond reach.

Perhaps the greatest benefit technology offers to leaders is access to a global pool of talent and world experts for their projects. The result? Diverse skills and experiences at their fingertips and no longer confined by locality. The ability to filter through candidates at speed is also game-changing. Using skills-matching tools empowers leaders to spread their nets wider and start engaging with talent overseas. AI can ensure that employers can access talent of all levels and skill sets. Potential employers can put out a job spec (data set) to a pool of vetted candidates sorted, prioritised and based on accuracy, put forward as desired, candidates for consideration.

We believe that organisations will increasingly look to implement smart work management systems, which are simple and easy to use. These will be platforms that will allow employees to work just as effectively outside the office, and provide the ability for businesses to find, provision and manage talent globally. Implementing new ways of resourcing and delivering teams with tactics such as smarter AI-driven talent management systems will become a necessity. The increase in service demand will continue to transform our approaches to work. Technology adoption within HR and recruitment will continue to benefit organisations in their development and future growth.

By Christian Berthelsen, CTO at Fourth

Retailers want to set and forget their payroll, and while flexibility is also key, many companies are navigating a complex situation during the pandemic. With zero-hour contracts, large numbers of staff on furlough, and workers regularly swapping or changing shifts, it can be a headache to ensure you are paying the right amount to the right people and at the right time. However, innovations in technology in recent years mean retailers now have the tools to stay on top of payroll.

The payroll nightmare

An error with salary can be extremely demotivating for employees. Being underpaid or waiting longer than usual for earned wages can lead to a host of negative repercussions in terms of employee engagement, customer service and staff retention, as well as the administrative burden in time and resource required to rectify such mistakes. The pandemic has exacerbated the damage any salary mistakes can cause; the FCA reported in February that the number of UK adults with low financial resilience has increased from 10.7 million to 14.2 million during the last year.

As well as this, there are further complications around salary at present, with employers needing to navigate the furlough scheme and keep track of those workers being paid a furloughed wage or returning from furlough. Data from Wagestream, a Fourth partner, shows furloughed workers in retail have been particularly hard hit, with 59% earning less, 54% concerned about paying for rent/the mortgage, and 47% worried about bills.

In an industry where there may be a combination of weekly and monthly pay runs, the additions of bonuses and commission, pensions, the minimum wage, National Insurance, and statutory payments are extra complications. Errors in tax codes or student loan notifications can lead to employees overpaying and lengthy admin processes to recover too.

To compound the complexity of payroll further, new requirements around safety in the workplace to minimise the risk of transmission of Covid-19 mean that staff may be required to self-isolate or change or swap shifts at short notice and may also cause many retailers to employ more temporary staff to fulfil changing demand.

Not only can inaccuracies around payroll affect workers, but employers getting it wrong also risk being named, shamed, and fined by official bodies such as HMRC or The Pensions Regulator. The risks of non-compliance with mandatory legislation around pay include a range of penalties, least of which includes a substantial fine.

Using technology to solve the problem

As workforces and companies reopen and grow, so too does the task of ensuring payroll information in different locations is up-to-date and correct. This is exacerbated by companies’ greater use of temporary workers and of course furloughed and semi-furloughed employees. Using technology that consolidates and integrates a company’s payroll, HR, time and attendance, rotas and finance systems can significantly help manage such tasks. For example, Fourth’s Payroll and Benefits Solution ensures the right data flows through the system so retailers can be sure they are paying their staff the right amount at the right time, since the tool integrates HR, scheduling and payroll into one simple solution. Users can also access a Payroll Bureau service, and Pension Auto Enrolment Managed Service, which means customers can pay their employees whilst fulfilling their obligations to HMRC and the Pension Regulator.

Retailers can also use such technology to empower employees to make changes to their own payroll information, view pay slips and access benefits as well as view and swap shifts. Other benefits include ensuring compliance with national minimum wage and working time directive automatically; tracking spend in real-time; comparing scheduled hours with hours worked; accruing holiday time automatically; and easily managing statutory payments and company policies. Fourth also has a tool that allows retailers to streamline expenses; users can log expenses as they happen, and its pensions solution also helps ensure pension compliance so that retailers can ensure pension payments are calculated correctly and take advantage of a complete auto-enrolment assessment cycle by linking the solution directly to payroll.

These technology systems help to standardise operating procedures and empower employees with mobile and off-network access to these systems, so they can be notified of changes in real-time and engaged to update details whenever they need to.

Alongside these benefits, using AI automation to replace repetitive payroll processes such as data processing errors and compliance issues can lead to significant time and cost savings for payroll. It is also helping companies review payroll information in real-time, looking for data that might reveal errors and underpayments for example.

Both Payroll and HR can use automation tools to improve efficiency and compliance through better, more accurate reporting. Such as, running automation on payroll data regularly to check it is compliant and automating the onboarding of employees. It traditionally takes several hours to onboard a new employee manually, but using AI technology this can be turned into seconds, with no errors.

Retailers should also consider financial wellbeing platforms that can empower workers with more real-time power over how they access their earned wages and is a powerful way to help improve employees’ financial wellbeing, especially as retailers look to recover from the impact of Covid-19.  Earned Wage Access, such as that offered through Fourth and Wagestream’s partnership, allows workers to access, track and save their earnings in real-time, thereby preventing people from having to rely on predatory forms of credit. This can all be managed through an app, making it simple and accessible for workers.

Managing payroll is complicated but need not be burdensome. Technology can be leveraged to ensure you can pay workers effectively and efficiently, without worrying about compliance, regulation, and law changes. Software solutions must be implemented to reduce administration and improve payroll accuracy and timeliness. Integrated payroll systems can ensure retailers are well-prepared and resilient on the road to recovery as we build back from the pandemic.

By Richard Godmon, a tax partner at accountancy firm, Menzies LLP.

Share incentive plans that reward employees in a flexible way can prove a tax-efficient means of incentivising staff performance and retention, especially at a time when pay rises and cash bonuses are out of the question for many SME employers. But where should business owners start?

A recent fall in many business valuations, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, means that now could be the ideal time for business owners to rethink workplace rewards. Lower business valuations mean that shares will have a lower value too, which means that qualifying employees can expect to gain by selling them at a higher cash value further down the line.

There are a variety of ways that employers can reward staff through share ownership. For example, they can issue shares directly to key employees, who are required to pay income tax on their value at the point that they take ownership of them. Whilst this is a relatively simple solution, there are some important considerations to take into account, such as ensuring that existing shareholders understand that this approach could dilute the value of their own shares. For the employee, the need to pay tax when they take ownership of the shares may also not seem attractive immediately.

Most small businesses prefer to establish an approved, tax-advantaged share option scheme, such as an Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI) scheme. With this type of scheme, employees are not normally required to pay any tax when they exercise their share options, and are liable for capital gains tax (CGT), rather than income tax, when they sell them. In some instances, employees may also qualify for business asset disposal relief, previously known as Entrepreneurs’ Relief, which means they would be liable for a 10% rate of CGT when selling their shares.

Richard Godmon

Some employers may not qualify for one of the HMRC-approved schemes however, because the business has gross assets of more than £30 million or it is a subsidiary of a much larger business. In addition, some employees may not qualify for an approved scheme if they work insufficient hours, and businesses practising certain trades, such as property development or financial services, are also excluded. Businesses and employees affected in this way may opt for an unapproved share incentives plan instead. However, these plans don’t share the same tax advantages. This means that income tax is payable when shares are exercised, and any growth in the value of the shares, which is realised by the employee after this point, is liable for CGT.

When established and communicated in the right way, share incentive plans can be incredibly motivating for staff at all levels – from directors and senior managers, through to talented recruits. As well as being useful in helping to tie workers into the organisation, they can also align the interests of employees with those of the business, helping to drive performance and productivity. Before introducing a share incentive scheme, business owners should decide how much equity they are prepared to give away and have a clear idea of what they want to achieve.

Sometimes, employees can be sceptical about the value of a share incentive scheme and, given the choice, most would prefer to receive a pay rise or a cash bonus. To overcome this, employers should ensure workers have a sound understanding of the strategic growth plan of the business and if appropriate, its exit strategy. The value of the shares may need to be explained in detail. For example, if a key employee is being rewarded with a 1% shareholding, this may not sound much, but if the business plans to sell in five or ten years’ time for an estimated £50 million, or float on the stock exchange, it could amount to a sizeable cash windfall.

Share incentive schemes are most effective when applied by entrepreneurial businesses that are well-funded and have a strategic growth plan, with clear financial targets. It is important to seek advice however, as implementing such schemes is a complex area and mistakes can be made. For example, it is not unusual for directors of small businesses to attempt to put in place an approved share incentive scheme, only to find out several years’ later that certain eligibility criteria were not met and employees are liable for income tax rather than CGT.

Employers should also be prepared to answer employees’ questions about the proposed share incentive scheme. For example, some employees may want to know what will happen to their shares if they retire or otherwise choose to leave the company before they can be exercised. To address these concerns, the employer may wish to create an internal market or Employee Benefit Trust, so the exiting employees can sell their shares back to the other Trustees in exchange for a cash payment.

In some situations, businesses that don’t qualify for an approved scheme, because they own significant property assets, for example, may choose to set up a ‘phantom share incentive scheme’. This type of scheme involves allocating a nominal shareholding to the employee, which is calculated based on the business valuation. Whilst the employee doesn’t own any actual shares, they have a legal agreement that gives them a right to claim a cash payment equivalent to the value of their phantom shares, after a specified time period.

With the economy rebounding rapidly, there is an opportunity for SME businesses to achieve strong growth in their target markets. Whilst they may not be able to match the salaries and rewards of some larger companies, a creative and well-communicated share incentive scheme could be key to their success.

By Andrew Duncan, Partner and UK CEO at Infosys Consulting

2020 was, in many ways, marked by action. The global pandemic and the resulting economic crisis and widespread social unrest led to an adrenaline-fueled response on a personal and business level. Faced with unprecedented circumstances, teams pulled together with a fighting spirit to adapt and survive in the new normal. 

However, as we entered 2021 and a new lockdown, the high-energy spirit has faded, and pandemic fatigue has set in. Employment remains virtual and the boundaries between work and homelife continue to blur. We are seeing stress-levels rise and disillusionment grow as we rely on personal resilience to survive the isolation. For business leaders, this is a difficult time to be at the helm. How can we ensure our teams are physically and emotionally supported through the extended vacuum of COVID-19, while maintaining productivity levels in a still unstable climate?

Collaboration ecosystem

“Videoconferencing fatigue” is sweeping businesses almost as quickly as pandemic fatigue. Many well-intentioned employee wellness initiatives are based around video calls; unfortunately, research has shown that their traditional “box grid” layout tires our brains and drains energy. Leaders are looking for alternative ways to encourage collaboration across teams that take a different format, and innovative technology companies are already developing solutions to meet this need.

New videoconferencing platforms based on VR and AR create simulated environments for users to meet, communicate and interact in a more natural setting. Similarly, virtual connection-building tools (or internal talent marketplaces) can encourage contacts between individuals and teams, make personalised recommendations to link employees with like-minded colleagues or mentors, and support onboarding processes by connecting new hires with their team. 

Empowerment

Team empowerment is in many ways more critical than ever. Research has demonstrated that psychological empowerment is in turn positively associated with a broad range of employee outcomes. This includes job satisfaction, organisational commitment, and task and contextual performance, and is negatively associated with employee strain and turnover intentions.

By stripping out unnecessary bureaucracy and encouraging people to make faster decisions amid uncertainty, leaders can provide this purpose and help to prevent long-term stagnation. The agile methodology, with its focus on empowered frontline teams and clear outputs, lends itself perfectly to this. We are seeing many of our clients implement some of the core agile principles, defining outcomes, then letting teams chart their own path toward them, thereby instilling autonomy and the intrinsic motivation that goes with it.

Digital interventions

New AI-driven technologies based on workplace data offer employers the ability to identify employees who are struggling with pandemic fatigue. Without regular face to face meetings and the spontaneous interactions that take place in an office setting, managers may find it harder to spot employees who are at risk for low productivity or thinking of looking elsewhere. 

By understanding data and behaviours that most closely correlate with workplace success and failure, managers can identify team members suffering from emotional stress and fatigue and proactively intervene to address issues like poor engagement and feelings of low inclusivity. At the same time, they stand to improve work processes and create personalised employee experiences that create better engagement and outcomes. 

Reskilling

As we witness the economic aftermath of the pandemic, and investments in automation and AI continue to grow, employees’ own market value moves front of mind. Reskilling employees is more than a strategic decision in order to maintain a competitive edge. Employees increasingly expect investment in their marketability as part of their reward scheme.

The ability to grow and develop, especially during times of change and stress, should be a high-priority business initiative, and leaders can seize this opportunity to cultivate a learning mindset in their people and organisations. Now is the time to offer more training courses, skills development initiatives, and other ways to engage staff through learning opportunities. When done effectively, it creates enduring value for employers and employees alike, providing increases in productivity, commitment and diversity, and cost savings over external hires. 

Look ahead to the next shift

Right now, businesses are operating in a prolonged climate of stagnation, suffering ongoing lockdowns with no definitive end in sight. However, once the vaccine rollout is established, we will see further technological innovation and business-model disruption. Consumer spend is likely to bounce back to an all-time high, and companies will scramble to win back business and reclaim customers. 

Leaders who accept the ever-changing nature of the pandemic are able to better manage the energy of their organisations. In order to regain the momentum of their initial rapid pandemic response back in March 2020, businesses can look to the vaccine rollout as a fresh opportunity to mobilise their teams for action. Are our people ready for the next stage, and how can they be energised to deal with the pandemic aftermath?

By Jack Johnson Senior Outreach Executive,Medaiworks

Now that the world has placed a greater focus on the effects we have on the environment, finding more environmentally friendly ways to source our energy is vital. The world has already found some innovative ways to sustainably produce energy without the reliance on coal, oil, and natural gas. However, there is still more to be done. Other than the changes we as individuals make, businesses need to adapt their operations to use greener sources of energy – such as wind power.

With Boris Johnson pledging that by 2030 offshore wind farms will generate enough power for every home in the UK, the race is on to make wind energy the future. However, what does the future look like for businesses? Here, we discuss if wind energy will be the future for meeting UK business energy requirements.

Wind energy: the pros and cons

In short, wind energy relies on wind turbines to generate electricity. As the blades turn, they rotate a generator and a shaft that converts the energy into electricity. The UK is one of the best places in the world for wind-powered energy. So, why is it not being used more often by businesses? Here, we discuss the pros and cons to businesses for using wind energy as an electric connection.

The pros

• It is one of the cleanest forms of energy. Since no fossil fuels or other pollutant forms of energy are required, wind energy will provide your business with clean, low carbon energy.
• Offshore wind farms can produce a high amount of energy since there is more wind at sea. For businesses, having a reliable supply of energy is vital to prevent delays in operations.
• Offshore wind farms provide reefs for fish. Not only do they have very little impact on wildlife, but they are also an incredibly green way to generate energy.
• In 2019, the ‘Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2019’ report found that it cost more to keep coal plants in operation than to run onshore wind farms. Other than the environmental advantages, there are also cost advantages too.

The cons

• For offshore wind farms, these can be expensive to construct and to repair.
• When the turbines are not running, they rely on fossil fuels for backup. This means wind turbines don’t always provide absolute green energy.
• Wind turbines impact views. Since onshore turbines tend to be built on the top of hills, these can be seen as negative blights on some landscapes.

Wind energy and business energy: the requirements

With the pros and cons considered, the environmental aspect of wind energy undeniably has many benefits. However, whether wind turbines are the future of energy for businesses comes down to more than just the environmental factors. The overall question is whether wind energy can produce enough to supply UK businesses with power all year round and how the energy sector balances its electricity general profile in a low carbon way

In terms of how much electricity UK businesses require per year is as follows.

• Micro-sized businesses can require between 5,000 to 15,000 kWh each.
• Small businesses can require between 15,000 to 30,000 kWh each.
• For medium businesses, these average at 30,000 to 50,000 kWh each per year

As for how much gas UK businesses consume per year, the average varies depending on the size of the business too.

• Micro-sized businesses require around 10,000 kWh each
• Small businesses require approximately 25,000 kWh each
• Medium businesses need around 45,000 kWh each

The level of output per wind turbine varies depending on its size and how fast the wind is travelling through the rota. The more wind, the more energy. An onshore wind turbine with a 2.5-3MW is thought to produce around 6 million kWh of energy per year, supplying on average 1,500 households with electricity.

So, is there enough wind energy for UK businesses?

The average UK household requires around 3700kWh of electricity per year and 12,000 kWh of gas. To help supply this, there are 8,600 onshore wind turbines and 2,300 offshore wind turbines currently in the UK. In comparison to the amount of energy businesses require on average per year, it’s clear that more wind turbines are needed to generate enough power to cover both homes and businesses.

However, that’s not to say this isn’t an unrealistic goal for the UK to achieve. With the Government setting numerous targets to help lower the impact of climate change, a huge part of this is finding more environmentally friendly sources of energy. Although initial investments might be high, in the long run, wind energy can cost less than the likes of coal-powered energy as mentioned above. Therefore, it is financially possible for wind energy to be the future power for businesses.

In terms of reliability, there has been some issues raised with this. If wind-powered energy causes delays when supplying businesses with electricity and gas, this could severely impact production levels for businesses. Therefore, other sustainable energy resources, such as solar panels, may be more beneficial. Or another solution to this is to strategically place wind turbines in specific places. For example, since offshore turbines are exposed to higher speeds and consistencies of wind, investing in more wind farms at sea will help prevent the issue of power inefficiencies for businesses.

There is no possible way to give a definitive answer about what the future holds for energy sources for UK businesses. However, one thing for certain is that switching to wind-powered energy is a possibility and a mix of local carbon energy generation technologies will be key to achieving the balance needed to power our lives. With more investments in the efficiency and scale of wind farms to provide enough power for businesses, the future of the UK could be a much greener one.

Sources

https://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/guides/wind-farms/#step4

https://justenergy.com/blog/wind-energy-pros-and-cons/

https://www.northernpowergrid.com/get-connected

https://www.strata.org/reliability-of-renewable-energy/wind/

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b96f4db23c4449849deb60c0953b2509

Roles in retail among Gen Zers have overtaken the traditional paper rounds favoured as first jobs by millennials through to baby boomers.

In addition, everyone other than Gen Z felt that understanding the value of money was the most important skill they picked up from their first job. Instead, Gen Z, who tended to embark on their first jobs at a later age than any other generation, felt that finding their independence and improving their communication were the skills they most valued.

Those in Gen Z are also more likely to work in a similar industry to their first ever job than the other age groups. This is why they understand the importance of gathering relevant experience more than previous generations.

This is according to a survey of 2,000 adults, which was conducted by Moneypenny.

The survey quizzed people on what they did, what age they were when they started, how they applied and the reasons why they wanted to work.

The data revealed the generational differences between types of first jobs and the influences they had on peoples’ experiences, as well the skills they gained from their first job, how many hours they worked and if this role influenced their current career.

The application process has changed over the years, with online applications being more popular than walking into the workplace as the years went by.

34% of 65 and overs said that they walked into the workplace of their first job and asked for a role there. However, just 20% of 18-24 year olds said they found success through the same process, with 16% opting to apply online instead.

The most popular method with 25 to 34 year olds was using family connections to secure the role, with 39% saying so.

A pattern across the results showed that more traditional job roles such as paper rounds and farm work have, in fact, declined over the years, with service industries job roles becoming more popular, such as in the retail and hospitality sectors.

The most common first job for baby boomers was a paper round, with 27% saying they delivered in their local area. A paper round was also most popular with millennials, aged 25 to 34 (18%) and Gen X aged 35 to 44 (31%). However, only 14% of Gen Z said this was their first job, opting for a role as a retail assistant instead (19%).

After the paper round, the most common first job across all age brackets and regions was that of retail assistant, with 16% of participants saying that they put out stock, worked the tills and helped customers.

As technology advanced, different types of job roles became available and child labour laws were introduced, generational differences between first jobs became increasingly apparent.

The survey results revealed that baby boomers started their first jobs aged 12 to 13. Following on from that, each generation started their first jobs a little bit later than the last. Overall, there is a four year gap between Gen Z (aged 18 to 24) and baby boomers (aged 55+) working their first ever job, with Gen Z starting their first jobs aged 16 and over.

But, how does the motivation behind entering the world of work differ between the generations?

The data showed that the majority of each generation surveyed said their main motivation to get a first job was to have pocket money, with 55 to 64-year-olds saying so the most frequently (65%).

The other most popular choice across the generations was to become more independent, with 18 to 24-year-olds saying so the most (47%).

The data also revealed that gaining work experience was more important to Gen Z than baby boomers, as 42% of 18 to 24-year-olds said this was their main motivation, compared to just 15% of 65 and overs.

The most common values those surveyed learned from their first jobs was how to work hard and handle money.

But being punctual was the most important element for those 65 and over, as 58% said this was what they learned the most from their first role.

However, everyone other than Gen Z, felt it was the value of money that was their most important skill picked up from their first job. Instead, Gen Z felt that improving their communication was the skill they most valued.

Ceri Henfrey, Head of Operations at Moneypenny, said: “Our first job when we’re growing up really instills a sense of responsibility and work ethic in us, even if our main motivation was most likely the paycheck at the end of the week.

“The paper round taking the top spot was lovely to see, as it’s such an integral part of a neighborhood. We hope to see that it stays the most popular choice across the UK and its generations.

By  Alex Hattingh, CPO, Employment Hero

There are three broad symptoms of burnout: exhaustion (mental and/or physical), cynicism (where you feel detached from work) and inefficacy (where a crisis of confidence leads to a fall in productivity). Signs of burnout may include fatigue, troubled sleep, shortness of temper or the inability to focus. Burnout is an increasing problem in our always-on work culture. There is a long list of possible causes of stress in modern workplaces: everything from long hours and heavy workloads to harassment and discrimination. In a world of work overload and constant notifications, it can be impossible to switch off.

What can you do to prevent burnout?

1. Be aware

The first step in preventing and managing burnout is awareness. We need to tune into our stress levels, It’s important to be conscious of signs of stress in your body, some of them you’re not always aware of. Is it headaches, is it tightness in the shoulders, is it a lack of energy, is it waking up in the middle of the night?

2. Know the signs

If you know the signs that your co-workers are under strain, you can take steps to address the causes of stress in your life – wherever they occur.

3. Self-care

Self-care is paramount to reduce stress. It’s important to allow employees to take breaks and unwind from work. One of the most widely recommended relaxation techniques is meditation, but any activity that takes you to your “Zen place” can help you to de-stress.

4. Have a positive attitude

Help change the way your employees look at work. Try to focus on the parts of the job that they enjoy and help them find value in their work. Create a positive working environment and build healthy relationships with colleagues to relieve everyone from stress at times.

5. Exercise

There are many ways exercise positively influences our mental health. Often, people exercise because it makes them feel good. After exercising, you may tend to feel more energetic, relaxed and positive, which can lead to better sleeping patterns and sharper memory. It can even help with your overall outlook on life. This all has to do with how certain parts of our brain is affected when we exercise.

As we exercise, our heart rate begins to increase, pumping oxygen to the brain. The release of hormones when we exercise also promotes the production and growth of brain cells. Exercise stimulates chemicals in our brain that can improve our mood, memory and learning abilities. When you exercise you boost the production of endorphins that help you relax, feel more pleasure, feel less pain and reduce stress hormones.

6. Get enough sleep

Sleep is an extremely important aspect in our lives, but many of us don’t pay much attention to it until it becomes an issue. Just like we prioritize eating and exercising, it’s important that we do the same for sleep. We are all creatures of habit and routine. By reminding employees to make sleep a priority in their schedule, you can reduce risk of sleep deprivation which can affect both cognitive and physical abilities as well as lead to more serious issues like insomnia.

One way to do this is to remember that the bedroom is for sleeping. Only get into bed if you’re tired, even if you’ll only get four hours of sleep. Having a nighttime routine can help you unwind and signal to your brain that it’s time for a good ‘ol snooze. But that doesn’t mean spending long periods of time doing things like reading, watching TV, following up on emails or working in your bed. Keeping these sorts of materials out of the bedroom will help strengthen your brain’s association between your bedroom and sleep.

As humans, we learn by association. An easy example is to look at how our brains learn to associate food with certain hours of the day. If you eat at the same time each day, your body will then learn to release digestive enzymes and send signals to the saliva glands to prepare itself for food. Sleep works much the same. If we only get into bed to go to sleep, our brains will learn to develop a similar association and release the right chemicals so we can get some shut eye

By St. Albans, Hertfordshire

There is no denying that the last 12 months have posed some of the biggest challenges that business leaders have faced in their entire careers. Many have shown their resilience and outstanding leadership qualities by stepping up, often out of their comfort zone, to ensure that the organisation survives and maintains a productive, healthy workforce. They succeeded where many didn’t, but at what cost?

Many leaders have been holding the fort at the expense of their personal wellbeing, taking on intense stress from above whilst also tackling the emotional complexities involved with managing people. In fact, research by Glint and LinkedIn Learning revealed that manager burnout increased  during the pandemic,  a rise of 78 per cent by the final quarter of the year in comparison to Q1 of 2020.

This Stress Awareness Month, Mindy Gibbins-Klein, a successful business owner, author of The Thoughtful Leader and host of The Thoughtful Leader podcast, is urging leaders to take a step back and focus on protecting their own wellbeing. Only then can they truly fulfil their role as thoughtful leaders.

‘As leaders we want to support and lead by example but if we fall victim to burnout or stress then we instantly lose the ability to support or influence others,’ Mindy explains.

As businesses make plans to return to the office, albeit in a different pattern to post-pandemic times, the transition is already causing increased anxiety and stress for those who are set to re-enter the workplace for the first time in a year. Leaders are not immune to these same worries and so may also be feeling anxious about the future. Mindy is keen to remind leaders that to be able to guide others through times of change, they first need to manage their own stress levels.

‘Many leaders will have already gone beyond the obvious, beyond the call of duty, and stuck their neck out multiple times over the past few months. This is bound to have had an impact on them, even if they are still in ‘firefighting’ mode and don’t realise it yet. 

The most successful leaders during the pandemic have demonstrated that they truly care for others within the business, but this has often been to the detriment to their own health and wellbeing. Leaders now need to consciously take time to reflect on their own needs so that they are able to embark on the next phase of business re-integration with all cylinders firing,” explains Mindy.

5 tips for maximising wellbeing 

To help leaders to regain control of their stress levels, Mindy shares her five tips improving wellbeing:

• Practice Grounding– You need to do whatever it takes to centre yourself, and to approach life in a grounded way. By definition, a leader has followers, people who look up to them. They are looking for guidance and direction.  The first step is to centre yourself, so that you can hold a stable place in others’ perception of you.  And this definitely spills over to their perception of your business, if you are the leader of the business.
• Conduct a Personal Audit – All thoughtful leaders are willing to examine their lives and look to improve themselves continually.  Some folks think coaching is all about fixing problems, and it can be used for that. However, the leaders who work on themselves regularly keep themselves centred and grounded, which means they are better equipped to handle problems as they arise, and tend to handle them with more grace and ease. Coaching is an ongoing mental and emotional conditioning tool, one that strengthens your core more and more.
• Block out ‘Time to Think’ Sessions – This work on yourself is not something to be done once and then forgotten about.  As you are going to continually change and evolve as a person, you want to ensure that your life plan and your life itself continue to make sense and make you happy.  My best advice is to schedule time to go through important personal goals, outcomes and vision, not just once a year, like New Year’s resolution time, but regularly – say, once a quarter.  Thoughtful leaders carve out the time to be thoughtful.
• Balance your Risk – You probably need, and hopefully have, people around you who complement your skills and experience.  What about people who complement your approach to risk? Sometimes, when you need to make big decisions, that alternative view can be critical.  I have a fairly high risk profile, in most things. Therefore I have found slightly more risk-averse business partners, mentors and advisers are the best people to surround myself with. They ensure that I don’t jump in too fast without considering options and consequences.
• Reframe your Language– Watch the words you use on a daily basis, especially about others.  It is amazing what a high percentage of the thoughts we have and words we use are negative.  We have tens of thousands of thoughts every day, and according to various sources, between 80 percent and 95 percent of them are negative!  Make a conscious effort to speak in positive language.

Following the government’s recent announcement setting out a roadmap out of lockdown many workers will now be looking ahead to a date when they will return to the office. But the return to the office also means a return to commuting.

And with research showing that workers in the UK have reclaimed around 257 hours back on average since ditching the commute last March, how will returning to the office impact any potential new work life balance workers may have carved out for themselves?

In order to help make sure that people are seeing the benefit of their reclaimed time, CRM system provider FLG have looked at ways employees can truly get the most out of their time and how businesses can promote a more productive work life balance.

One of the easiest ways to get more time out of your day is to change when that day starts. For a lot of us there is a temptation with working from home to give ourselves a lie in, afterall the furthest any of us have to go to work is probably our kitchen.

However by getting up as little as an hour earlier every day, you can actually gain two weeks worth of spare time back in your life. Giving you plenty of time for a morning workout or to catch up on the day’s news or even just binge another episode of your favourite show before you even start getting ready for work.

However as shown from the figure above, ditching the daily commute is the most beneficial way for office workers to reclaim some of their time. The real advantage here is that not only will you gain time back in the morning, but also after work too meaning you can continue being productive with your time long after you’ve logged off for the day.

How workers chose to spend that time is of course down to them. You could decide to dedicate this time to your other responsibilities, perhaps helping your kids out with their homeschooling or going to the supermarket to stock up on essentials for an elderly relative.

Or you might decide that the best use of this time would be to invest in some self-care, like getting lost in a good book or practising mindfulness to help you unwind from your day.

Real savvy office workers can even look to reclaim their lunch hour as well, seeing as you’re working probably less that 10ft from your kitchen at any given time.

By preparing their lunch in advance, perhaps with that extra hour they gained from waking up early, they can actually free up their lunch time and maybe get out of the house for a bit walking with any furry friends or just on their own. This break away from the same four walls and into the fresh air will often help revitalise yourself and prevent you from hitting a slog later in the afternoon.

And it’s not just workers that stand to gain from people reclaiming these lost hours, businesses can too. After all, if people are more productive with their spare time it also stands to reason that this approach will cross over into their working time as well.

In fact research from Deloitte indicates that 55 per cent of British workers believing their colleagues are just as, if not more, productive now than they were pre lockdown; perhaps due to having found a better work life balance.

However that being said productivity gains are not guaranteed for everyone and there are a number of ways businesses can help their employees find this balance. For example pre-pandemic flexible working was a hotly debated topic, with the 9 to 5 having ruled the business world long before Dolly Parton.

However as the pandemic and the shift to working from home has proven, change doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

Letting go of the one size fits all approach to work also allows employees to adjust their working schedule to accommodate their situations which can not only improve their wellbeing, but also have a positive impact on productivity levels.

As already evidenced by how productivity levels have been positively impacted by employees ditching the daily commute and giving people the time to fit their lives around their work schedule.

The commute will return, but that doesn’t mean businesses and employees can’t look for new ways to regain that better work life balance they’ve achieved over the last year.

Lauren Shaw from FLG adds: “It can be easy to think of productivity just relating to your work life, however it’s important to feel like you’re getting the most of your downtime too. It’s just as important to invest some time in yourself, for the sake of your physical and mental wellbeing as it is to invest time in your career.

Work life balance is a phrase that has been thrown around for years but for many employees it has often been difficult to find that balance. The current shift to working from home has blurred the lines somewhat between the two sides, however it has also presented an opportunity for people to reclaim some of their lost time and invest it in their personal lives which can only be a good thing.” 

FLG specialise in providing a unique CRM system designed for UK small to medium-sized B2C businesses that want to automate and control their processes. With a unique focus on intelligent workflows, over 350 happy customers and 5,000+ unique users rely on our platform to manage their sales leads, ensuring nothing is ever missed and no opportunities are left behind.