In our series of guest blogs by speakers and supporters of our up-coming Workplace Trends Autumn Conference in London: People, Place, Performance, conference manager Maggie Procopi discusses biomimicry and biophilia, which have been engaging topics of discussion at recent conferences.
Over recent years at our Workplace Trends Conferences we’ve been lucky enough to welcome Michael Pawlyn and later Richard James MacCowan to speak on biomimicry, as well as Bill Browning and Oliver Heath on biophilia.
They enthralled audiences with tales of how the natural world can solve human problems through design solutions (biomimicry) and by satisfying our innate need to connect with nature (biophilia).
But biomimicry is more than just the famous design solutions we hear about, like the stability, aesthetics and economies of the Eden Project’s bubble raft shapes, or Sharklet Technologies printing sharkskin patterns onto adhesive film, which repels bacteria and so is ideal for installation in schools and hospitals, or harvesting water in the desert like the Stenocara Beetle.
Biomimicry casts its net wider than just design. The human race has only been here a fraction of the time that nature has. We can look to the wild world for tips and best practice on people management and leadership. Just Google and learn – from how a wolf pack works to the way a beehive operates and ant colonies manage themselves.
Most interestingly for the workplace is that nature never throws anything away, unlike our largely linear economy (make, use, dispose).
In a 2010 TED talk, ‘Using Nature’s Genius in Architecture’, Michael Pawlyn illustrated a ‘close-looped system’ (circular economy) with the ‘Cardboard to Caviar Project’. Put simply, restaurant waste was turned into horse bedding, then fed to worms, which were fed to fish, whose caviar was then served at the same restaurant. Nothing is wasted, and the whole process is economically and environmentally profitable.
Over the past 10 years, PwC has systematically applied the principles of the Circular Economy to its business. I’m especially delighted that Bridget Jackson from PwC will be sharing their experiences at our up-coming conference on 17 October 2018. It’s a story that has inspired BITC to create a Circular Office programme, with c. 75 companies now signed up to follow suit.
So as well as pondering the FM budget sheet, we need to take a hard look at the contents of our bins at home and work. What things need never be in existence at all (over-packaging, I cry!), what might be reused, what might be properly recycled?
Post by Maggie Procopi, event manager of the Workplace Trends and Design & Management of Learning Environments Conferences.
This article was originally published at FM World.
Photo by Jez Timms on Unsplash
Continuing our series of guest blogs by speakers and supporters of our up-coming Workplace Trends Autumn Conference in London: People, Place, Performance, Durable’s Jonathan Brune introduces the concept of Visual Ergonomics.
Mega-trends like increasing digitisation, individualisation and urbanisation are rapidly changing the way we work. For example, it is no longer necessary to work in one place. Modern workplace designs and office furniture already strongly favour agile working, open office layouts and flexibility.
Ergonomic workspaces are playing an increasing role in today’s working world. Desk-sharing workstations must allow different users to adjust the desk height, seating and monitor position.
Acoustic systems are installed to absorb high noise emissions as well as improved ventilation and air-conditioning units to support better air quality.
However, lighting, which is also an essential aspect of workplace economics, often remains completely unconsidered.
When planning a workplace, Lighting Designers often operate on the principle that the definition of ‘light’ is ‘enough to be able to see well and cope with the tasks that will be undertaken in the space’.
Yet, recent scientific research shows that ‘light’ is far from being sufficient to provide good vision. This becomes particularly significant when comparing people of different age groups.
As a result of the darkening of the eye lens with age, a 60-year-old requires approximately two to two and a half times as much illuminance as a mid-20-year-old to achieve comparable vision.
Everyone has a personal daily rhythm which is ‘circadian’, meaning that it is driven by light and roughly synchronised with day and night.
Clinical studies have proven that some modern LED lamps which can almost completely replicate the colour spectrum of sunlight have a biological effect on the production of the hormone melatonin, just like sunlight. So these lamps can give you the same biological ‘triggers’ as you get outside even when you are indoors.
Biologically Effective Light can:
Planning regulations exist for new and renovated buildings which ensure a minimum level of illuminance and uniformity of light distribution. But there are a few flaws in these principles:
So it can be argued that traditional lighting concepts are falling behind other areas of a workplace in adapting to modern working. They no longer fit the New Work Order. But increasing knowledge of the importance of Visual Ergonomics is set to change this.
Visual ergonomics is providing flexible workplace lighting. Just as you can adjust an office chair to suit a user’s requirements, you can change the light over your work station.
Visual ergonomics allows you to:
Unfortunately many lighting systems do not have these features as standard so remember to check and request them when specifying your lighting requirements.
Guest post by Jonathan Brune of Durable.
Jonathan will be speaking at Workplace Trends London on 17 October 2018.
60% of millennial employees plan to leave their company by 2020, according to a survey by Deloitte.
Unlike their older counterparts whose challenges would generally be solved by a salary increase, the problems of millennials are not largely salary-related. In a bid to hold onto their millennial employees, companies are offering more and more perks. The good news is that the perks that may attract millennials are not necessarily the most expensive but they may require the employer to think outside the box. Here are some perks employers in the UK are successfully using to persuade millennials to stay with their companies.
64 percent of millennials are interested in company perks. This is in contrast to 54 percent of Baby Boomers, for example. In the eyes of the millennials, perks should come as a standard (and not a bonus) with any job. A simple gift can show an employee that you appreciate her work in a way a bonus cannot. Enterprising employers can save money on gifts for employees by subscribing for curated boxes of product bundles. These boxes can be chosen to meet the tastes of certain employees and are usually offered at a fraction of what they would normally cost at retail outlets.
One of the number one desires of many millennials is to work for a company that has a work-life balance. Many employers shudder at the mere thought of reducing their employees’ work hours. Companies can, however, help their employees to get more time for their families without sacrificing time they would otherwise use to work. Johnson and Johnson has a service which runs errands on behalf of employees. This includes booking concert tickets and things like that. IBM, Accenture, and GE are known to help nursing millennial mothers to transport breast milk home when they have travelled abroad for work.
Millenial employees value experiences over things or money. Over three out of four millennials would prefer to spend money on an event or experience as opposed to buying something, according to findings by the events company Eventbrite. That is why companies like Yahoo offer concert tickets, backyard barbecues, and all-expenses-paid trips to foreign countries.
80 percent of millennials are interested in working for a company that has an arrangement for student loan repayment assistance. Companies like Pricewaterhouse Coopers have implemented this avenue of giving perks. Helping with student loans can help a company attract millennials.
Perks are an invaluable part of the compensation package for most employees. Because Millenials are very conscious of their employer company’s culture and values, perks are especially important for them. Companies in the UK are experimenting to discover the perfect perks for this demographic. Running errands for the employees, contributing to their student loan assistance repayment package, and sponsoring them to go for unforgettable events have been proven to be an effective perk for millennials.
Author: freelance writer Lucy Wyndham
Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash
In this guest post Christopher Glass of workagile describes the concept of Salutogenic Design.
What if health became the basis for judging every public space, every building, every workplace and every home?
Carolyn-Rickard-Brideau explains salutogenic design as “A measurable aspect of design that can help people operate at peak performance and help them to maintain physical and mental wellbeing. It is the ultimate investment in people in an architectural sense.”
Coined by Anton Antonovsky, Salutogenesis links health with the ability to comprehend, manage and apply meaning to stress, understood as a “sense of coherence.” The higher the sense of coherence, the less negative the impact of stress will have on mental and physical health. The three factors integral to a sense of coherence are:
Salutogenesis is thus most easily explained as the opposite to pathogenesis – fighting disease and illness once a condition has appeared. Whilst we hear a lot about fitness, managing diet and taking time to pause effectively in our day to day lives, there are more subtle aspects to the promotion of good health that are particularly relevant to the design of the workspace – daylight, sound, colour, ability to interact with nature, space, human interaction, empowerment, privacy and more. As people are likely to spend between 80,000 and 100,000 hours of their lives at work, it is critical that workplace design is a solutogenic design.
Dilani and many other architects, designers and theorists have begun to further explore Antonovsky’s salutogenesis theory and to approach architecture, interior design and urban design through a salutogenic lens. In doing so, they have provided useful framework to guide designers and planners who want to consider how the physical environment impacts wellness factors in order to promote health. Mapping design attributes to Antonvosky’s sense of coherence factors could look something like this:
In workspace design, elements of salutogenic design are becoming apparent as designers create spaces that encourage activity, creating outside work spaces, making internal stairs more engaging to encourage their use, and laying out enriched environments that provide the variety and novelty that humans instinctively seek.
The ideal spatial framework for salutogenic design is thought to translate into three key components: welcoming spaces for meeting and social exchange, familiar spaces for orientation and reassurance and quiet spaces for focus and/or restoration.
Designers are now beginning to understand the importance of designing restorative elements in buildings – these typically involve views to natural settings and biophilic elements that provide a sense of scale, offering a calming evolutionary memory which has been shown to reduce blood pressure and stress levels. These places provide a place for unconscious processing in the brain and allow a renewal of attention and focus.
Spaces are now being considered as complex ecological systems where salutogenic design intervention can lead to new structures of interaction, new resources, and individual, social, and organisational learning.
In the design world, Salutogenic design is being evaluated and endorsed through vehicles such as the Delos WELL Building Certification which focuses not just on those well-known elements of the wellness industry such as air, water and light but also elements associated with comfort, nourishment, fitness and mind. Salutogenic design has been shown to provide sensory design with high outputs, be cost-effective, sustainable and require very little maintenance.
Whilst biophilic design is about engaging with nature and natural elements to help with the restoration process, salutogenic design encompasses these elements and much more with the aim of encouraging active health, productivity and efficiency. It is easy to see why salutogenic design is beginning to represent international best and emerging practice in workspace design.
Guest post by Christopher Glass of workagile.
Workagile will be at our Workplace Trends London conference on 15 October 2019.
In the first of our guest posts from supporters and contributors to our Workplace Trends London Conference on 17 October 2018, Vanessa Champion of Argenta Wellness takes a look at biophilia for the workplace and in healthcare.
For many of you reading this article, you’ll likely know all about it, or at least have heard the terms “biophilia” or “biophilic design” used in various magazines or newspapers, in fact I see it’s recently been covered in media outlets as random as NBC and the Daily Mail.
Companies like yours and mine, if you subscribe to these wonderful Workplace Trends updates, know the huge benefits that nature, biophilic and human-centric design can bring, not only to our health and wellbeing but also to companies’ staff retention and bottom lines. And it is also likely that you, like us, are creating some amazing spaces and transforming lives.
At Argenta Wellness, we were established after witnessing first hand, the total difference a simple image of nature made in an NHS isolation ward. From a view of a grey messy pinboard, dustbin and clock, the patient’s view was transformed into a vista of calm and beauty. Doctors and nurses commented on what a positive and refreshing difference it made, and were amazed that the print could be cleaned and was hospital grade. I suppose they were used to Ikea prints that harbour dust and the subject matter of New York taxis in a traffic jam is not that appropriate for inducing calmness and wellbeing! As founder of our company, I now have a personal bee in my bonnet to bring nature into every NHS in the country. If you would like to join us on this journey, let’s talk!
The thing is, while I am talking with heads of procurement for acute care wards, it is the administration staff and also other suppliers who are approaching us to bring biophilic enhancements into their offices too. Knowing the value and understanding the qualitative evidence-based research that has been done on biophilic design in workplaces and hospitals has been key in unlocking interest and sales. It’s not all pretty pictures and pricing.
I honestly don’t think it will be long before Jo Public will start sharing and shouting #biophilia from the rooftops, Instagramming like mad and over-taking #hygge and #lagom as the new must-have trendy term. The important thing though, is for us as professionals and pioneers of biophilic design to ensure that people are educated properly, that they understand what it is, what types of images make a difference, what lighting is best, what shapes and spaces make for happier homes and workplaces. Events such as these inspirational conferences run by Workplace Trends, bring us all together, one big voice and a strong movement to make people’s lives better. Our company is one piece in the biophilic jigsaw puzzle, which is why we work with designers, innovators, disruptors and other suppliers, together we can make a bigger positive impact.
I am learning all the time, and I am excited how future workplaces will look, heartened by media coverage of the benefits of biophilia, although they are churning out the same quotes from EO Wilson. Maybe there is a need for a “standard” in biophilic design? I’d be on the board like a shot!
Guest post by Vanessa Champion of Argenta Wellness
Photo copyright Vanessa Champion.
Vanessa and Argenta Wellness will be at our supporting exhibition at Workplace Trends London on 17 October 2018.
Many people suffer mental health problems at least once in their life. These struggles can often be related to work. In fact, at some point in their career, 60% of employees have suffered a mental health problem as a result of work or where their work was a factor. This in turn has an effect on the economy. Through reduced productivity, absence and staff turnover, mental health problems cost the UK economy £34.9 billion in 2017. Mental health, then, is a double-edged sword, damaging the lives of those that suffer whilst also having an adverse effect on the economy.
Clearly, mental health is an issue which needs continually addressing and, although progress is constantly being made, there are still some troubling statistics which imply organisations and managers may not be doing enough to help their employees. One study showed that only 44% percent of employees feel their organisation does well in supporting those with mental health issues, whilst 27% of employees believe their organisation does not support those with mental health issues. In other words, less than half of organisations are properly dealing with mental health and nearly a third are doing nothing at all.
One of the problems lies in people’s attitudes towards mental health and their fear of others’ attitudes towards them. Employees may fear that admitting their struggles with mental health could have a negative effect on their career progression. This may not be wholly unfounded. Frighteningly, in a study cited previously, 15% of cases in which an employee disclosed mental health issues to a manager ended with the employee becoming subject to disciplinary procedures, dismissal or demotion. This implies that some managers are still dismissive and suspicious of mental health problems, making sense of the fact that most employees do not feel comfortable talking to their boss about them.
Managers, then, may not be doing enough to quell the image of them as hard-nosed or unforgiving. These are old business tropes that it might do well to banish to the past. With nearly a quarter of employees believing their organisation does not take wellbeing seriously, it is not wonder many are avoiding talking to higher-ups about their genuine struggles, for fear of disapproval and even workplace bullying.
In our work lives, the predominant cause of stress, depression or anxiety is workload, be it an overload of work, tight deadlines or too much pressure. Given that many of us may fear appearing unable to cope in front of our bosses or colleagues, we are more likely to suffer in silence. If managers continue, whether rightly or wrongly, to be perceived as uncaring about their employees’ mental wellbeing, the problem will continue to exacerbate. Talking to someone could be the key to helping escape the predicament, but with fear of their attitude towards you, you can only isolate yourself more, thereby making the workload even more imposing and increasing stress, anxiety and depression.
Managers, too, however, deserve some sympathy and certainly should not be painted as monsters; they are likely to have suffered from mental health themselves, so may be sympathetic to their employees’ issues. Regardless, mental health can still be an uncomfortable discussion to bring up and managers may lack confidence in their ability to properly navigate the conversation as well as how to correctly bring up possible issues. Managers also may lack confidence in their ability to recognise when an employee is suffering from a mental health issue.
For more hard-nosed managers, the solution seems to revolve around recognition that any perception of them as harsh and uncaring about mental health could genuinely put their organisation at a disadvantage. Also, recognition that valuing their employee’s mental wellbeing will in no way reduce the respect they receive as businesspeople. Ironically, a proper understanding of mental health for these types of managers is likely to improve their business, as their team will be more engaged, more productive and take fewer days off.
For managers simply struggling with knowing how to deal with the mental health issues of their employees, basic training could be key. Learning how to recognise when an employee is struggling, as well as how to properly approach the issue and discuss the topic with the person in a constructive way could, again, help all parties no end.
Another solution is the ongoing de-stigmatisation of mental health problems, which is thankfully continuing around the world. Mental health problems are clearly normal. Large numbers of us experience them at some point in our life. The more able we are to discuss them with family, friends, colleagues and eventually bosses the more likely life is going to be made easier and, in fact, more fruitful for both employees and employers. So, it’s vital for all managers to make clear to their employees that if they report mental health problems they will not be punished nor met with ill will. This way, employees will not have to struggle alone, can have their problems heard, and then solved and in turn their productivity and morale will increase, positively impacting the company.
Author: Conor Todd is content creator at FreeOfficeFinder
Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels
We’ll be live blogging our Learning Environments Conference on 17 May.
Bookmark this page, follow and tweet using #LearnEnvConf to take part!
(If you’re having trouble reading the blog below, please visit this alternative site.)
We had a great day at our Copenhagen Conference at DTU on Wednesday 9 May 2018.
Read the Live #wtrendsDK Blog by Su Butcher below. (If you have trouble viewing the page below please try this link.)
Never before has productivity at work been so important. With tight deadlines and tightening budgets, this is now the key to success for businesses these days. There were an estimated 137.3 million working days lost due to sickness or injury in the UK in 2016, as reported by the Office for National Statistics. How can this be reduced and productivity optimised?
Employee’s mental fitness can be affected by financial worries causing stress and sleepless nights, negatively affecting productivity. Many human resources departments are now focusing on this and introducing employee ‘Financial Wellness’ support. This way the employee has reduced stress levels over financial concerns and is able to focus on work matters increasing productivity.
Physical fitness has been shown to benefit workplace productivity by improving health, energy levels and morale. This can be promoted in the workplace by making the environment more exercise-friendly. For example, larger organisations may be able to build a gym and shower facility for employee’s use during their lunch break, but failing that, an in-office piece of gym equipment or exercise bike would provide huge health benefits for both physical and mental health thereby improving workplace productivity. Just short sessions on the piece of equipment would provide fantastic benefits to productivity that would far outweigh the loss of time spent doing this. Other areas employers could develop to promote health would be joining the cycle to work scheme and also ensuring healthy food choices and snacks are readily available to employees.
Being present in the workplace is not sufficient in itself to increasing productivity, especially for some individuals who, for one reason or another, are less motivated and prefer to chat and drink coffee to excess. Presenteeism is a term for lack of productivity by an employee during the time they’re in work. This may be caused by lack of drive, low morale or genuine ill health without taking time off.
Feeling healthy and fit is likely to make someone feel more dynamic and energetic, be less prone to physical illness, and hence reduce their presenteeism. Being physically and mentally fit will also reduce the number of illnesses acquired and resultant absenteeism or presenteeism. A good workplace policy is to encourage absenteeism in the event of genuine illness rather than promoting ‘soldiering on’ when ill, which is often a result of employee job insecurity. The implications of excess presenteeism for an employer are far worse than having some absenteeism.
Great management within your organisation can produce great productivity. Always make employees feel listened to, valued and included in decisions that will affect their working environment. Managers should always motivate by their own example i.e. behave the way they’d like all the employees to, with the emphasis on high standard and commitment. With morale, commitment, health, and fitness at their best there are no limits to the success of a business.
Author: freelance writer Lucy Wyndham
Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash
2018 sees several workplace trends that aim to enhance a company’s overall performance. With an aging pool of labour and difficulties in securing experienced and senior talent, now more than ever is HR taking a serious look at the factors that affect productivity in the workplace. Apart from people analytics and mental wellbeing, financial wellness is also viewed as a critical factor that may affect the performance of an employee. Loss of concentration, mental problems, inability to focus, anxiety, tension, and stress are counterproductive factors that affect an employee with financial problems. The good news is companies and management are finding ways to improve the situation.
Financial well-being has evidently an effect on an employee’s ability to focus on the job. The feeling of insecurity overwhelms and is overpowering which in turn affects the capacity to concentrate on tasks. A person who is not focused might be distracted and cannot zero in on their duties and responsibilities at work. It is vital that an employee finds ways to regain concentration at the workplace.
Without focus, employees who are going through financial difficulties are more likely to perform poorly at work. Money problems cause sleep deprivation resulting in low productivity levels. The ability to think critically, solve problems and meet work output & targets are affected.
Money issues also result in fatigue and burnout that affect social relationships at work. Employees may tend to keep to themselves, have little incentive to cooperate on work matters and are not generally motivated. In addition, about 10 million working days are lost each year due to stress (Thomsons, 2017).
Employees who strongly feel that their current jobs do not pay enough for them to live decently will be looking for better-paying employment. As a result, employee turnover is high costing the company lots of money to hire and train new workers.
Financial stress and anxiety have been getting the companies’ attention. Recognizing that the well-being of workers is very important in their overall performance, companies start to offer financial wellness solutions. Thomsons Online Benefits 2016/17 reports that companies that offer education and financial support enjoy a 22% increase in engagement amongst its employees. According to research conducted by Nudge, 66% of employers believe that borrowing and debt management are crucial in attaining financial wellness in 2018. It also indicated that 92% of employer respondents believe that the best financial wellness strategy should be part of an ongoing financial education programme combined with suitable employee benefits.
Despite employers saying that they want to improve their employee’s financial well-being, there is little evidence to show that the gap between aspiration and support to employees is becoming narrow, according to the same study.
Nonetheless, recognition of the problem is the first step and hopefully, more employers will follow up on a financial wellness strategy for the benefit of their employees and the company.
Author: freelance writer Lucy Wyndham
Photo by Giu Vicente on Unsplash