Managers are warming to 'workations' says new report

 

New research from the Chartered Management Institute indicates that while one in five UK managers have taken what they call a “workation” - working remotely from a location away from their usual home or office - strong support for this emerging trend of flexible working depends heavily on the presence of clear, well-managed organisational policies.

The research also highlights a striking difference in how workations are treated if organisations have invested time to create a clear policy. While 52% of workers whose organisations don’t prohibit “workations” believe their manager would be supportive of workations, and 38% say the same of their organisation, these figures rise dramatically among those employers that have formal policies. In those circumstances, 84% report managerial support and 86% organisational support, compared with just 48% and 29% respectively among those without a policy.

The data shows that workations are far more successful when supported by robust guidance. Among managers whose organisations have a formal policy, more than half (56%) say it includes prior manager approval. Other common safeguards include guidance on data protection and cybersecurity (45%) and prior HR approval (38%). 

Many policies also set out restrictions on days (35%), devices (33%) and permitted locations (32%), as well as expectations around working hours (25%) and compliance with local tax and visa rules (24%).

When asked about potential gains from allowing workations, managers identified increased employee wellbeing and mental health (35%) and improved work-life balance (33%) as the top benefits of workations. However, concerns remain around organisational risks, with 29% citing potential data security or compliance issues.

Petra Wilton, Director of Policy and External Affairs at CMI, said: "If organisations want to make ‘workations’ work, they must put clear, transparent rules in place and actively manage them. Where strong guidance exists, managers are far more confident and supportive. As with any form of flexible working, it’s skilled management, not good intentions alone, that determines success."

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Garden office January bargains

This can be a good time of year to take advantage of garden office and garden buildings supppliers' New Year offers and sales. Malvern Garden Buildings is offering 10% off any garden building plus free installation worth up to £2,650 throughout January (click link for more details).

You can also save up to 35% on Malvern's collection of Breeze Houses in the same January sale, with 25% off new circular Breeze Houses, 30% off new Oval Savannah and Oval Safari Breeze Houses, and 35% off new Oval Amanzi and Oval Cape Breeze Houses.

Meanwhile, Booths Garden Studios has extended its "old prices offer" to the end of February, so you can still take advantage of its old prices by having your studio installed by February 28. So for example, its 20' x 8' QCB4 has risen by £700, from £23,346 to £24,046.00, but you can still take advantage of that lower price if you are swift as they don't have many slots left.

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Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master, bespoke garden rooms and offices designed, manufactured and installed throughout the UK

 

The end of the black shed?

Interesting thoughts on this question from Christopher Hodge who runs Shackadelic in an interview with The Times ('How posh is your shed?'). Here's the snippet:

So what next in the evolution of the super hut? Hodge predicts the end of the black shack. Most current clients tend to opt for a black painted exterior, a look that Hodge says will soon look outdated. “For me, peak painting of the shed black was probably a couple of years ago. I’m trying to convince people to be a bit more colourful. I’ve been experimenting with old lime rendering techniques and tiles and Japanese carpentry, weaving bamboo, things like that. Currently I’m really into folk art and I’m working on folk stencils.” 

Picture courtesy Shackadelic of a 7.7m x 3.4m guest house project with painted larch exterior cladding, corrugated onduline roof, with French doors and two skylights.

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Ellen Hooper: shedworker

An interesting case study from Malvern Garden Buildings which profiles Sussex-based jewellery maker Ellen Hooper, founder of Graceful Deviant. Ellen handcrafts unique pieces from silver and gemstones in her garden studio. This is how she describes it: 

"My studio is for nothing else but being creative—and not being able to see that pile of washing you should really get on with helps too!  It’s a self-contained space with minimal distractions, apart from the weather, the birds and the odd squirrel! Although it may only be a few feet away from the house, my garden studio feels so removed that when I close the blinds and lock the door at the end of the day, it really feels like leaving work behind."

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Monday's posts are sponsored by Smart Modular Buildings, the UK's best garden room company