Latest news with #remotework
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Southampton University report warns of privacy threats at work
Researchers have warned that workplace surveillance is threatening people's right to privacy.A report by the University of Southampton and the Institute of Public Policy Research showed new technology allowed for intense and extensive surveillance of author Dr Joe Atkinson said currently workers were not told how they were being added: "Employers have always wanted to oversee their workforce, but technology is fundamentally changing the nature of these practices." The report, "Negotiating the Future of Work: Legislating to Protect Works from Surveillance", found since the shift to remote work caused by the Covid 19 pandemic, workers have reported an increase in the use of surveillance claimed that biometric sensors, facial recognition cameras, and the monitoring of communications and computer activity allow employers to collect and process data that would not have been accessible to human managers in the Atkinson, a lecturer in employment law at the University of Southampton, said: "This vast and detailed surveillance threatens workers' right to privacy and can also have a chilling effect on the right to freedom of association, expression and belief. "It can increase stress and anxiety, lead to lower levels of autonomy and satisfaction at work and deepen existing power imbalances."For companies, excessive surveillance decreases staff wellbeing and satisfaction, leading to higher staff turnover, and potentially hampering productivity." 'Collaborative relationships' He said in many cases workers were not being forced to be monitored, but highlighted that it was not always that simple."If you're an employee and you're asked by your manager or you're given an instruction, really that is tantamount to being forced," he government's plan to Make Work Pay committed to "ensuring proposals to introduce surveillance technologies would be subject to consultation and negotiation" with Atkinson said the university's report detailed how the government's plans can be best the suggestions was the introduction of new information rights so workers can challenge unjustifiable monitoring said it is about raising awareness of the use of this tech with employees and developing "collaborative relationships". You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Side Hustles Take Offices Buildings Beyond 9-To-5
Bankrate report from July of last year revealed about one-third of Americans are working a side hustle, with the Millennial and Generation Z cohorts the most likely to be pulling extra hours at a second job. By the time a more recent survey of side hustles was revealed by MarketWatch in April, it appeared the portion of Americans toiling at part-time second jobs had surged to half, with 72% of Generation Z and 62% of Millennials logging overtime at jobs that weren't their primary vocations. The seemingly growing American predilection to take on side gigs has helped recraft conventional assumptions about the workforce. But it's not just people tackling part-time jobs after the close of regular business hours. It's more and more common for the nation's office buildings to moonlight for extra income on an after-hours basis. With return-to-office mandates helping revive demand for office square footage at the same time retail's recent 4.1% vacancy rate signals a supply shortage, office building owners savor a rare opportunity. They can ride new revenue streams by leasing space for retail pop-ups, brand-propelled activations and private gatherings. Turning available space over for multiple uses not only brings landlords greater revenue from the same square footage, but generates greater foot traffic, a boon to both landlords and tenants. Popular choices Florida's largest office property owner, CP Group, is among the owner-operators leveraging this concept. At The Center (formerly CNN Center) in Atlanta, branded pop-ups and a proposed entertainment hub heralding the 2026 World Cup are both intended to lure members of the community while also attracting additional corporate tenants. Miami Tower's rooftop pool and Skydeck terrace high above central Downtown Miami are popular choices for private events. And in Boca Raton, a former IBM research facility turned 1.7-million-square-foot Boca Raton Innovation Campus (BRIC) has seen its sprawling conference and event space become host site for weddings, mar mitzvahs and charity events. 'Our business is evolving to change the traditional office building environment from one that has been cloistered from the broader community to one that has been integrated within it,' says Angelo Bianco, managing partner, CP Group. 'This has had a significant positive impact on our office buildings, increasing rental rates, tenant retention and leasing velocity.' National real estate owner-developer AmTrust RE now offers several rentable amenities spaces at One East Wacker, its freshly refurbished trophy office tower on the northern border of Chicago's Loop central business district. Following its renovation, the tower offers state-of-the-art technology and contemporary interior design attracting private and public events. An event hall, sky lounge with bar and large conference rooms host both corporate and personal events, with booking through platforms like PartySlate. An added inducement to rent space in the 63-year-old, 41-floor marble-clad building is its location near the center of downtown Chicago, steps from the increasingly popular Chicago Riverwalk, and a short stroll from Millennium Park and North Michigan Avenue. 'Opening amenity spaces for non-tenant uses creates a more vibrant workplace environment and can also introduce cost savings opportunities for tenants of the building,' says Jonathan Bennett, president, AmTrust RE. 'The added stream of revenue for property owners can offset costs and allow them to offer tenants access to these spaces at a discounted rate, enabling another means for businesses to take advantage of their office community.' First 'metroburb' In a class by itself is Holmdel, N.J.'s Bell Works, a masterpiece designed by Eero Saarinen as the Bell Labs campus, which opened the same year One East Wacker did. The 2-million-square-foot building, dubbed the nation's first 'metroburb,' is now home to businesses, shopping, dining, lodging and the arts. Among its side hustles is serving as a shooting site for film and TV productions, such as Law & Order: Organized Crime, The Crowded Room, and the extolled Apple TV series Severance, as well as TV commercials. A second Bell Works, this one originally constructed as the AT&T research facility and now a destination for business and culture, stands in the northwest Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates, Ill. and is termed Bell Works Chicagoland. Both the New Jersey and Chicago complexes host community functions and private gatherings. For instance, the ballroom at Bell Works New Jersey can be booked for galas and weddings, and a sprawling rooftop deck provides a scenic milieu for outdoor corporate clambakes and private throngs. The last few years have seen little more than bad news for the office sector. But the extra hours of work some office structures are logging supplies hope of brighter days ahead.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
New report settles Australia's working from home debate once and for all
This year we have seen a notable uptick in companies rolling back flexible working arrangements, with staff forced back into the office five days a week. One of the most common reasons bosses often give for scrapping remote and hybrid work is to 'improve productivity'. Well, we now have confirmation this is (most likely) not the truth. A new report from The Productivity Commission has explored the reason behind the Australian workforce's dip in productivity and, surprise surprise, working from home is not to blame. The report explores the phenomenon known as the 'Covid productivity bubble', which is where labour productivity rose to a record high between January 2020 and March 2022, before returning to pre-pandemic levels in June 2023. The Productivity Commission found the 'bubble' only served to mask the issues of Australia's ongoing productivity problem. 'The Covid-19 pandemic was a rollercoaster for productivity, but we are now back to the stagnant status quo,' Deputy Chair Dr Alex Robson said. The 'productivity loss' phase between June 2022 and June 2023 has been attributed to a surge in the labour market as Covid restrictions eased. Since then, the hours Australians work each week have been soaring, but this has not been matched by investment in systems and equipment needed to get the most out of the workforce, hence the drop in productivity, according to the report. One of the lasting changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns has been the shift to hybrid models. While there has been a push to get people back into the office full time, the rates of working from home are still significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels. According to the report, prior to the pandemic, 11 per cent of working age Australian adults reported working from home at least once a week over the previous four weeks, and 12 per cent worked from home on all or most days a week. During the severe lockdown, the proportion of those working from home at least once a week decreased to nine per cent and the number of people working remotely all or most days increased to 31 per cent. In April 2022, after lockdowns and restrictions eased, rates went to 18 per cent at least once a week and 27 per cent all or most days, indicating an increased popularity in hybrid arrangements. By August 2024, an Australian Bureau of Statistics survey showed 36 per cent of people reported that they usually work from home, indicating a sustained shift in work practices. Despite concerns and even some claims from industry leaders that the working from home shift would lead to productivity loss, the Productivity Commission found it didn't have any negative implications and, in fact, hybrid work can be beneficial. 'Workers do not need to be in the office full-time to experience the benefits of in-person interactions. As a result, hybrid work tends to be beneficial to productivity, or at least, is not detrimental to productivity,' the report states. Sabrina Scherm, customer success manager at HR technology company HiBob, claimed many companies are actually making the productivity problem worse with return to office mandates. 'These mandates fundamentally ignore the lessons learned during the pandemic's so-called 'productivity bubble', where workers demonstrated they could be highly effective when given the flexibility and autonomy to manage their time and working environment,' she said. 'To force employees back into rigid structures isn't just misguided; it actively risks stifling future productivity gains. 'Instead of focusing on an attendance-first mindset, the conversation must be around a results-first mindset. And we need to stop associating 'harder' work with 'longer' work.' Allowing workers to work from home some days a week can improve employee satisfaction and allows people the benefit of avoiding a commute, meaning they have additional time for other purposes, the report stated. The research also cited studies that indicate remote work can reduce breaks and sick days and result in less distractions, all of which are typically found to be beneficial to productivity. Ms Scherm believes the path to sustainable productivity lies in working 'smarter'. 'That means embracing modern tech to automate mundane, time-consuming tasks that add hours but little value,' she said. 'We can achieve genuine, long-term productivity gains by freeing up our workforce to focus on innovation and high-impact activities.' However, the report also included claims that fully remote work could have a greater negative impact on less experienced workers. For those starting out in the workforce, in-person interaction may be important for skill development 'as there may be a greater knowledge transfer from senior workers and junior workers through informal in-person interactions'. The Commission noted that the evidence on working from home is still evolving but, ultimately found hybrid work has either had a neutral or positive for labour productivity. 'There is no evidence to suggests that the trend towards hybrid working has contributed to the productivity loss phase of the productivity bubble,' the report stated.
Health Line
4 days ago
- General
- Health Line
9 Essentials for a Home Office Space That Puts You in the Working Mood
Key takeaways If you work from home, creating a dedicated work space is a must. Don't just gut it out from your couch or kitchen table. Moderately priced buys like a foot rest, greenery, and natural light go a long way. We're team standing desk and share our favorite pick below. Working from home is a whole vibe. I confess, for better or worse, I'm a proud millennial, 'I just wanna work in leggings and set my own hours,' pre-pandemic remote work aficanado. Stereotypes aside, there is an art to working so close to so many distractions — laundry, dishes, 'Friends' reruns, pieces of mail that each represent one more thing on my personal to-do list. I first started working from home in 2016, and 9 years later, I rarely actually wear leggings all day. I have come to appreciate a series of other essentials that have helped me create space to work where I also live and play. Here's what I've learned.
Travel Daily News
6 days ago
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Living as a digital nomad in Surat Thani: A hidden gem for remote workers
Surat Thani won't shout 'digital nomad hotspot' at first sight, but that's precisely why it's so great. It calls for slow living, deep work, and genuine cultural exchange. When digital nomads consider destinations in Thailand, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, and the islands of Koh Phangan or Koh Samui are usually the first to come to mind. However, located in southern Thailand, away from the crowds and mayhem, is Surat Thani—a hidden gem for remote workers who desire a mix of productivity, affordability, and genuine local culture. While commonly regarded as a stopping point for tourists traveling to the Gulf islands, Surat Thani has far more to offer than meets the eye. Friendly locals, an affordable cost of living, dependable infrastructure, and close proximity to breathtaking natural wonders make Surat Thani increasingly a best-kept secret for digital nomads. For those who are starting out from the capital, the Bangkok to Surat Thani train journey not only serves convenience but also as a scenic route—offering a seamless transition from urban city life to a laid-back, nature-dense environment. Why Surat Thani Is a Draw for Remote Workers True Thai Lifestyle Unlike tourist-populated towns, Surat Thani offers a truer Thai experience. The city is not flooded with expats, so encounters with locals are more authentic, prices are not jacked up, and cultural immersion is much richer. Whether walking through the lively Talad Mai Market, sampling just-made roti on the street, or speaking Thai with your barista, the everyday moments here feel pleasantly authentic. Affordability Without Sacrificing Comfort Relative to Thailand's more established nomad hotspots, Surat Thani provides a much lower cost of living. Cozy apartments are available for rent for pennies compared to Bangkok or Chiang Mai. Dining out from local eateries costs between 40-70 THB, and coworking centers or cafés with reliable Wi-Fi are readily available and inexpensive. With this affordable setup, remote workers are free to stay longer or spend more as they explore Thailand. Natural Escapes in Every Direction Despite being a working base, Surat Thani is surrounded by breathtaking nature. On weekends or work breaks, you're a short drive away from the Ratchaprapha Dam in Khao Sok National Park—a place often compared to Vietnam's Ha Long Bay. Nearby waterfalls, caves, and jungle hikes offer tranquil retreats from your screen. To mention but a few, the city is the prime mainland gateway to islands such as Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao, all of which are accessible by ferry within hours. Digital Infrastructure & Work-Friendly Places Accommodation with Work Facilities There are a few monthly renting possibilities with good Wi-Fi, air con, and peaceful environments. Hostels and serviced apartments have long-stay deals, and increasingly, Airbnb listings are designed for digital nomads who want comfort and functionality. Coworking & Work Cafés While Surat Thani doesn't yet have a coworking scene as vibrant as Chiang Mai's, it makes up for it with cozy, laptop-friendly cafés that offer free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, and ample plug sockets. Notable spots include: Chillin' Café – A modern café with comfortable seating and quality coffee. Gong Dee Café – A cozy, work-friendly environment close to the city center. Café de Balcony – Perfect for early risers, with a serene atmosphere ideal for concentrated work. Digital nomads also enjoy decent mobile internet speeds with AIS, DTAC, and TrueMove—meaning hot-spotting over mobile networks is a good backup option when necessary. Community and Connection Surat Thani does not have huge meet-up groups or expat communities, but that is its beauty. There are smaller, more intimate groups of travelers and remote workers—especially in Facebook groups, coworking cafés, and weekend island trips. If you're missing the socialization, a quick trip to Koh Phangan or Samui for a couple of days is simple and well worth it. You get both worlds: peaceful, concentrated time in Surat Thani, followed by contact and networking time on the nearby islands. Visa and Legal Issues for Digital Nomads As with other places in Thailand, most digital nomads in Surat Thani are on a tourist visa or visa exemption. For extended periods, however, you can consider the following: Thai Education Visa (ED visa) – Eligible if you study Thai. Thailand Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa – This is for more affluent remote workers who qualify by income and work requirements. Digital Nomad Visa (forthcoming) – Thailand is exploring digital nomad-specific visas, so keep an eye out through the Thai embassy or immigration website. Always check that you're working lawfully and report your presence, if necessary, at immigration centers, particularly if you're changing residence quite often. Final Thoughts: Experience Surat Thani's Unobtrusive Magic Surat Thani won't shout 'digital nomad hotspot' at first sight, but that's precisely why it's so great. It calls for slow living, deep work, and genuine cultural exchange. For those frazzled by overstimulated cities or out-of-budget beach towns, Surat Thani provides a grounded alternative that sacrifices nothing in beauty or functionality. No matter whether you're staying for a month or settling in for longer, this southern Thai city might be just the new beginning your remote life requires—a place where you can wake to birdsong, sip coffee along the river, and log in to work with a smile.
