Employers are failing to invest in remote working and shedworking

 
Workplace flexibility and remote working is being held back by a lack of mobile technology provided by employers, according to a new study by workplace solutions provider Steelcase.

Its research found that only half of British workplaces currently accommodate remote working – six percentage points less than the global average - while fixed technology still exceeds mobile by 2:1 in UK offices.

The authors say the findings suggest that the ‘remote working revolution’ and its predicted efficiency savings could be held back by a failure to invest in the tools and tech to make it a reality. A previous study by the Centre for Economics and Business Research have showed that a “work from anywhere” culture could add up to £11.5bn per year to the UK economy.

Only 39 per cent of UK workers are provided with a laptop, compared to 77 per cent who have a desktop computer, found the study. Meanwhile, only 38 per cent are given a mobile telephone, compared to 91 per cent who have a landline.

As a result, nearly a third of employees say that they aren’t satisfied with the IT and telephone equipment provided by their employer.

At the same time there are indications that UK employees are keen to work more flexibly, with 17 per cent saying they have already adopted nomadic working, spending less than 40 per cent of their time behind a desk. Meanwhile, nearly a quarter report working remotely at least once per week with almost one in ten doing so every day.

“With the array of innovative technology on the market today, it’s surprising that so many workers are still tied to their desks, with just a desktop computer and landline provided by their employer,” commented Bostjan Ljubic, VP Steelcase UK & Ireland.  “Our research has shown that the most engaged workers are those who have more control over their work experience, including the ability to work in the office, at home, or elsewhere - depending on their task, personality and work style. Yet, without the necessary tools to do so, employees can feel constrained, lacking the mobility and flexibility they need to do their best work.

“Studies have shown that increased engagement means greater productivity, innovation and employee retention; factors which impact business performance and ultimately the bottom line. With demand for remote working set to increase, employers would be wise to invest in the right tools and technology now, or they could be left behind." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional buildings.

Shedworking standing up

I know various shedworkers who - like Winston Churchill and Ernest Hemingway - prefer to work at a stand-up desk (and even a couple who have treadmill desks). For them, and others considering this way of working, there's an interesting article at the Guardian on whether it is healthier and more efficient or not. Here's a snippet:

While the benefits of standing desks may be overstated, the risks of sitting are not. You can take walking breaks throughout the day and use the stairs, whatever desk you have.

Well worth a quick browse. ----------------------------------------------------

Wednesday posts are sponsored by The Stable Company®, the UK's premier supplier of garden offices and garden rooms. Click here

Garden offices and shedworking: Latest figures

 AMA's latest report into the health of the garden building industry estimates that the market for domestic garden buildings and structures grew by 3.5% in 2015. Following a relatively flat period between 2010 to 2013, it says that growth began in 2014 and into 2015, thanks to improving consumer confidence and spending.

"The trend towards homeworking has continued," say the authors, "and there is a growing need to provide accommodation for parents and children unable to enter the housing market. Also benefiting the market are the increasing uses of garden buildings for leisure activities as well as the trend for upgrading specification and increased customisation of buildings... Homeworking has been increasing since 2011 and it is likely that its popularity will continue to grow, particularly as faster broadband coverage reaches all parts of the UK, which is likely to continue stimulating demand for garden offices. "

The report adds that increasing variation and choice of products also benefits the market which it predicts will grow by 3-5% a year until 2020. One limiting factor it highlights however may be the decreasing size of the average garden size of new builds as well as the large proportion of flats and apartments expected to be built to meet the Government’s housing targets.

An article in DIY Week also points out that sheds are the leading type of building in the sector (35% share), followed by garden buildings for all year use, then log cabins and summerhouses, each with more than 20% of the market.

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Tuesday posts are sponsored by Garden Spaces, suppliers of contemporary garden buildings, offices, gyms and studios, many of which do not require planning

The fall and rise of the shepherd's hut

A nice piece in the Daily Telegraph by Eleanor Doughty looks at the rise of the shepherd's hut as a popular garden office (and general garden building) choice. There's a chat with long time friend of Shedworking Richard Lee from hutmakers Plankbridge and also with Paul Bennett from Red Sky Shepherd's Huts. Here's what he says:

“People are moving around less, and increasingly looking for extensions for their houses. But that’s a massive undertaking, it’s messy and expensive. A shepherd’s hut is low maintenance. All you’ve got to do is hook it up to an electric supply, and you’ve got an instant extension. It is the most personal room you ever own. When you move you can take it with you. That’s a big deal.”

Well worth a browse. --------------------------------------------------------------------
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Beach Houses, Margate

 

Inspired by traditional beach hut designs (tall gable roofs, timber cladding), the 11 Beach Houses at Margate on with Strutt & Parker also have traditional beach hut views across Westbrook Bay, or as the estate agents put it "With uninterrupted sea views these homes playfully reinterpret the conventional British beach hut creating a modern retreat and are the perfect seaside getaway to enjoy with family and friends". The homes are two bedroom, open plan, with a sea-facing first floor balcony and ground floor terrace. It's all within a gated development and there's dedicated underground parking.

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Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional buildings.

Bussum Garden Studio

A lovely design by Serge Schoemaker, this garden office in Bussum, Netherlands, is a shedworking space that also doubles as guest accommodation. It's unusual shape is designed to fit into a long, narrow garden and it is clad in black-varnished red cedar shingles as a nod to the traditional local wooden sheds designs - 2,000 shingles were sanded and painted by hand to cover it. Inside, the whole surface is made from transparent white-lacquered birch plywood.  The whole thing is 30 m2.

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Wednesday posts are sponsored by The Stable Company®, the UK's premier supplier of garden offices and garden rooms. Click here

Casa Kiké

 
There's often a bit of a fuss about size when it comes to sheds and garden offices. This is certainly towards the larger scale of shedworking... Gianni Botsford Architects designed this wooden pavilion for a writer in Costa Rica and it features a studio space, with library, writing desk and grand piano. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday posts are sponsored by Garden Spaces, suppliers of contemporary garden buildings, offices, gyms and studios, many of which do not require planning