UK Businesses Embracing the 4 Day Work Week

Posted on September 13, 2022

calendar outlining a 4 day work week

The 4 day work week has been a hotly debated concept in recent years, particularly in response to ongoing discussions surrounding employee experience and work-life balance. JLL’s 2022 Workforce Preferences Barometer, which delves deep into the desires of post-pandemic office workers, highlights a prominent gap between the flexibility currently being offered by employers and demand from employees. Currently, 56% of employees express a desire for a 4 day work week option, whereas it’s only provided under 29% of companies’ Employee Value Propositions (EVPs). 

This 27% gap between workforce expectation and market supply clearly illustrates the need for more businesses to consider leaving the five-day working week behind, or at least attempting to do so through a considered trial period. With various studies highlighting the benefits to business productivity, retention, and overall employee life satisfaction that such a shift can provide, it’s no surprise to see a groundswell of support.

Read more »

Tagged , , , , ,

Rising Demand in the UK Flexible Office Space Market

Posted on September 2, 2022

empty chair in front of a desk with a half-opened laptop on itThe events of 2020 caused substantial disruption to the commercial real estate sector. The office space market in particular was heavily impacted by lockdowns and other pandemic-related restrictions, still struggling to get back to pre-pandemic occupancy levels more than two years on.

Prior to the pandemic, non-traditional working models had already gained some prominence. Having now emerged on the other side into a ‘new world of work’, the adoption of flexible workspaces has accelerated interest in both hybrid and remote working models. An ever-increasing number of businesses are now finding themselves entering the flexible workspace market, increasing uptake in tandem with society-wide changes towards remote working, heightened mobility, and the overhauling of workspace design.

Although demand and activity levels for traditional offices are still lagging behind pre-pandemic expectations, opportunities for growth are emerging in other parts of the office space industry. In this article, we discuss the increasing demand for flexible office solutions seen across the UK, and the impact of this trend on wider CRE and labour markets.

Read more »

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

How Long is Maternity Leave in the UK? A Full Guide

Posted on August 30, 2022

If you are pregnant and working in the UK, you may be wondering how long your maternity leave will be. The good news is that UK law entitles most pregnant employees to a minimum of 52 weeks of maternity leave. This leave can be taken all at once, or split into several periods, as long as the total amount does not exceed 52 weeks. In this blog post, we will discuss the length of maternity leave, how to take maternity leave in the UK, the benefits often associated with this time away from work, and what rights you have as an employee.

Read more »

Tagged , , , ,

10 Common Employee Misconceptions in the Workplace and How to Avoid Them

Posted on August 19, 2022

There are many misconceptions that employees can possess about the workplace and their role in it. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these misconceptions can lead to tension and conflict in the office, potentially harming productivity and damaging relationships with coworkers. It is important to be aware of these workplace myths and learn how to deal with them effectively.

In this blog post, we will discuss 10 of the most common employee misconceptions and how to avoid them.

Read more »

Tagged , , ,

5 Things That UK Employees Want in an Office Environment

Posted on August 12, 2022

The needs and preferences of office workers have changed dramatically in recent years, causing much of the market to shift their offerings to create a positive work environment that stimulates employee engagement. These changes have largely been linked to increased demand for flexibility in the workplace, in addition to more humanistic office design elements and healthy working initiatives.

It’s well known that happy workers are more productive. An extensive study out of the University of Oxford even quantified this boost – with a finding that happy workers are 13% more productive. Employees are undoubtedly the most valuable asset for the vast majority of businesses, making a focus on improving mental health and building a positive working environment extremely vital.

But what exactly do employees want in an office environment? What types of things can employers provide to strike a healthy balance between productivity, positive reinforcement, hard work, and employee happiness? Below, we’ve collated five core things that employees can do to make employees feel happy at work, both inside and outside the office walls.

Read more »

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Average Office Worker Salary UK: How Does Your Job Stack Up?

Posted on August 5, 2022

United Kingdom office workers have been forced to accommodate significant changes to their working routines in recent years, with the rise of flexible and remote working models contributing to continued variability in what exactly constitutes a ‘normal’ work schedule. The same can be said for salaries across multiple industries, as employers look to remain competitive in the current jobs market and entice full time employees back to the office. 

So where exactly do things currently stand, in real salary terms, for UK office workers? We extensively researched national statistics surrounding this topic to determine the average salary of 10 common office jobs, as well as the averages seen in 2018, to illustrate how compensation has evolved in offices across the UK in recent years.

Most of the salary data we’ve collected has come from Prospects.ac.uk – the UK’s biggest graduate careers website, with more than two million monthly site visitors. The job types we’ve chosen are from a broad enough cross-section across industries to be indicative of what salary your office job might command, even if it’s not specifically listed, so read on to get the full picture!

Read more »

Tagged , , , , ,

The Top Ten Industries in the UK

Posted on July 6, 2022

Briefcase Decorated with the Union Jack

The UK is Europe’s second-largest economy, recently overtaking France and setting itself up to become the continent’s largest by 2030. Recent data presented in the Office for National Statistics labour market overview indicates there are 29.5 million employees in the UK as of January 2022. The UK remained the world’s fifth-largest economy throughout the challenges of 2020, behind the obvious powerhouses of the United States, China, Japan and Germany. The UK economy has recently expanded at its fastest pace since World War II, and this expansion has made Britain the fastest growing advanced economy, as of 2021. But who are the major economic players in this country, which industries are leading the way? Take a look at some interesting facts and recent data about the UK’s top 10 industries.

Finance and banking

Latest data indicates that the financial services sector comprises 3% of all jobs in the United Kingdom, with 1.1 million people working in the industry as of Q1 2021. The banking industry covers the retail and commercial banking activities of deposit-taking institutions, and the UK’s banks, specifically, employ 278,504 people. Banking’s current market size (raw monetary value from total sales) sits at £92bn. Additionally, economic revenue from the UK’s banks amount to £76.2bn. Outside of London, the UK’s main financial centres are in Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, and Birmingham. Currently, banking alone accounts for 4.2% of the country’s GDP.

Information Technology

Nearly every major industry relies on modern technology to function, making the importance of the technology sector difficult to underestimate. As of late 2021, the total market size for computer consultants alone was £58bn in the UK, currently providing an economic revenue of £46.2bn. The most recent data indicates that the IT sector accounted for 4% of all the UK’s jobs. There were 940k Britons employed in IT, software and computer services in 2021, with 418,657 specifically employed in computer consultancy. As the knowledge-based economy becomes a reality, it is expected that nearly half of the UK’s GDP will come from this sector within the next decade.

Read more »

Tagged , ,

The Step-by-Step Ultimate Office Move Checklist for 2022

Posted on December 21, 2021

Cheerful diverse couple writing in notebook near boxes before relocation

There’s no doubt about it, the way that we work has forever been altered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The previously traditional workspaces that we had all taken for granted must now be adapted to accommodate this new paradigm, as seen through the introduction of social distancing requirements and brand new working schedules. Just as we dared to dream that the end was in sight and normality could return, the Omicron variant and others like it have once again thrust the world into disarray, forcing us to question whether or not things will ever be the same again.

The repeated uncertainty associated with the pandemic has created dramatic moments in the commercial property sector, as businesses struggle to ascertain best practices that can allow employees to remain safe and happy whilst also maintaining productivity. Some businesses have opted for a hybrid working model, offering employees greater flexibility over when, how and where they work. Many employees, when provided the option, have opted for remote working schedules, something which has allowed certain businesses to downsize or sublease their office spaces in a bid to reduce overhead costs. Some organisations that can’t offer remote working, whether that be due to the nature of their businesses or their unique industry, are now looking for larger spaces to adhere to guidelines and safeguard employees.

Whatever the reason for your move to a new office location, if you’re preparing to relocate to a serviced office or coworking facility, an organised and planned approach will minimise disruptions. Here are a few things to consider when moving to a new office space…

Read more »

Tagged , , , , ,

Newcastle Offices at Cobalt Park

Posted on July 1, 2019

Offices at Cobalt Park

Cobalt ParkCobalt Park is a large-scale office park and the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom. Preparation for this project began in 1996 and construction work started 2 years later. The project was completed in 2002 thanks to the joint effort of local developer Highbridge Properties, engineering firm Cundall, and Ryder Architecture.

This office development is located in a strategic location within easy reach of major roads like the A1 and A19, and was created with a focus on flexibility, so that space available would be able to accommodate future expansion. Cobalt Park was built in a designated Enterprise Zone, created to promote economic growth while offering financial incentives to developers and occupiers.

The development exceeded all expectations in terms of what it could represent to the local economy and business community. At the time it was built, estimates suggested it could help create 5,000 jobs, a significant number in the North East. However, by 2016 the park provided more than 14,000 jobs and that figure is expected to reach or even exceed 20,000 in years to come.

Overall, this has been an extremely successful project that has contributed to the revitalisation of an area traditionally affected by high unemployment levels. Cobalt Park was given an Excellent BREEAM rating in recognition of the project’s sustainability performance, and has received several awards, such as Best Large Commercial Building and Best Commercial Workplace, as well as being a finalist for multiple North Tyneside Business Awards.

Cobalt Park Office Space

Cobalt Park is a 250 acre site with nearly 30 buildings and 2 million square feet developed for commercial and office use. Office space at Cobalt Park is suitable for businesses of all sizes, since office plates range from 5,000 to 250,000 square feet.

Offices at Cobalt Park are in high demand and have high occupancy levels of nearly 90 per cent. All units are built in open plan style and fully DDA compliant. Virtual offices are also offered by some of the occupiers at Cobalt Park. Those looking for flexibility in their leases also catered to at Cobalt Park, since short term office accommodation is available under flexible terms. Serviced offices and meeting rooms equipped with top of the range IT and telecommunications infrastructure are also on offer.

Amenities

Amenities at Cobalt Park include a day nursery, a clinic, a four-star hotel and leisure club with business meeting facilities, and a biodiversity park covering 39 acres. Parking space is provided free of charge, with a parking ratio of 1 space for every 23 square metres.

Apart from the on-site amenities, the park is conveniently located near supermarkets, medical facilities, restaurants, cinemas, golf courses, and recreational landmarks. Cobalt Park was designed to be not just a place to work, but also a community, so there is a full calendar of events and activities ranging from nature walks to massage, netball tournaments, evening courses.

Key Occupiers

Thanks to its privileged location and high quality space, Cobalt Park has attracted a large number of corporate occupiers, which make the bulk of the park’s tenant base. Some of the largest and most well known occupiers include Accenture, Santander, Newcastle Building Society, Leeds Building Society, Procter & Gamble, IBM, Siemens, Barnardo’s, North Tyneside Council, and Jaguar.

Offers and Discounts

Cobalt Park staff enjoy benefits afforded by MoreCard, which gives access to deals on leisure and entertainment, and discounts on services ranging from car servicing to gym membership and including public transport, food and drink, holidays and travel.

Cobalt Park Location

The park’s full address is:
Cobalt Park
4 Silver Fox Way
Newcastle upon Tyne NE27 0QJ

The management office phone number is 0191 257 6457
Email: enquiries@cobaltpark.co.uk
Cobalt Park’s management office is open from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Getting to Cobalt Park

Distance to Newcastle city centre is only 8 miles. Newcastle airport is only slightly further away at 15 miles, approximately a 15-minute drive from the park. The nearest light rail station is Northumberland Park, located approximately 1 mile away, and there is a shuttle bus connects the park with the station. Moreover, there are 10 bus lines that directly connect the park with the city centre and with nearby urban centres like Gateshead, South Shields, and Tynemouth. In total, the park is served by approximately 30 buses per hour. Access by bicycle is also possible, since the park is located along a designated bike route, the North Tyneside Waggonway Cycle Network.

Tagged , , ,

Luton Offices at Butterfield Business Park

Posted on June 24, 2019

Office Space in Luton at Butterfield Business Park

Butterfield Business Park

Butterfield Business Park is an office development built in 2007 and developed in the Butterfield Green area of Luton. The park has a total area of 90 acres total and commercial space amounts to 250,000 square feet. The park was created to boost the local economy, capitalising on Luton’s strategic location near an international airport and major distribution and logistics hubs, as well as to offer business owners high-quality and bespoke commercial real estate.

The park was developed by Henry Boot Developers and its current agents are Cushman & Wakefield and Lambert Smith Hampton. Following its completion in 2007, a second phase of development started in 2015, and in 2019 45 acres were still to be developed. As of early 2019, Butterfield Business park was home to an innovation centre, a research and development facility occupying 100,000 square feet, the Office Business Village, and a three star hotel.

The project has been so successful that further expansion is planned. Planning approval was granted in 2018 and work started in early 2019. The project’s completion date was set for the autumn of 2019, when a further 83,000 square feet of commercial space are expected to be added to the park’s current stock. Within the expansion plans is also the delivery of more than 600,000 square feet of space for employment purposes on a design and build basis. Once fully developed, Butterfield Business Park is expected to have 1 million square feet of space, becoming the largest development of its kind in the area.

Amenities

Amenities at Butterfield Business Park include car parking space, an EV charging station, an on-site cafe in the section of the park devoted to office space, and a Hilton Garden Inn hotel, equipped with 157 bedrooms and business facilities, including ten meeting rooms and conferencing facilities for up to 250 people.

Commercial Real Estate

Commercial real estate space at Butterfield Business Park consists of a mix of industrial, distribution, and warehousing units. Unit sizes range from 15,000 square feet to 100,000 square feet. Space is let on both freehold and leasehold basis, and design and build office space will be available starting in autumn 2019.

Existing office space is offered at The Village and at Basepoint Business Centre, which have high-quality office units ranging from 834 square feet to more than 18,000 square feet. Self-contained office units of up to 12,000 square feet are also available. At the time of writing, a total of seven two-storey buildings were allocated to office space, many of which offered campus-style office accommodation.

Office Space Specifications Include:

– Full access raised doors
– Full height glazing
– Automated windows
– Environmentally friendly eating and cooling systems
– An Excellent BREAAM rating
– Bike shelters
– DDA compliant space
– Fibre optic-enabled
– Shower facilities

Industrial Space Specifications Include:

– Single bay portal frames
– 24-hour access
– Allocated parking
– First floor ancillary offices
– Bicycle racks
– Clear internal height of 6  8 metres
– The option to merge, combine or divide units if larger floors required
– A Good BREAAM rating

Key Occupiers

The largest occupiers based at Butterfield Business Park are Eaton R&D, Luton Basepoint Business Centres, McCann Erickson, The University of Bedfordshire, Fuji Sonosite, Total Oil, Royal Bank of Scotland, Vauxhall, TUI, EasyJet, and Hayward Tyler.

Butterfield Business Park Location

Butterfield Business Park’s address is:

Butterfield Business Park
LU2 8DL
Luton
Bedfordshire

Getting to Butterfield Business Park by Road:

Butterfield Business park sits on the A505 road near the Lilley intersection. The M1 road is approximately 5 miles away, and the A1 is also easily accessible to the A1, as is the M25, located 10 miles away. Distance to Luton town centre is 4 miles, and distance to Luton airport is 4.5 miles. The park is within a 1.5-hour drive from every London airport.

Getting to Butterfield Business Park Using Public Transport:

The nearest train station is Luton Parkway, located 4 miles south of the park. The station is on the railway line that connects Luton with London, Gatwick airport, Brighton, and several cities in the East Midlands. The park is also served by city bus services that stop right outside the main entrance and link the park with Luton, Hemel Hampstead, and Stevenage.

Tagged , , ,