64 per cent of Americans that have or had worked in an office environment said that it caused their health and fitness levels to decline. Not only that, a whopping nine in 10 who have gained weight while working an office job blame their workplace for playing a role. A new study of 2,000 Americans, […]

For UK workers, commuting time has increased by 18 hours compared to a decade ago, according to the TUC. Meanwhile, a study by Totaljobs shows the average worker is set to spend a whopping £135,000 on their commute by the time they retire. Following these findings, Instant Offices investigated which cities around the world are the best and worst for […]

Louis Armstrong’s ‘It’s A Wonderful World’ is the song Brits are most likely to play to help them make it through the day. The 1967 ballad came out ahead of The Beatles classic ‘Let it Be’ and Elton John’s ‘Your Song’. Other popular go-to artists for taking time out include Aretha Franklin, Adele and Ed […]

Almost 40% of UK businesses do not provide employees with an adequate staff room for work breaks, while 8% of companies are breaking the law by not having toilet facilities. In a survey of more than 1,000 workers conducted by on-site accommodation provider Bunkabin, businesses have been found in breach of the Workplace (Health, Safety […]

Parents are paying the price for taking time off work to look after sick or injured children in the shape of extra costs, cancelled holidays, unpaid leave and increased stress. New research from MetLife UK shows 76% parents taking time off work to care for children in the past two years say it has had […]

Open plan office environments are more popular than ever. Without walls and cubicles to get in the way, creativity and collaboration are made effortless and business culture can thrive, which is why employers opt for a modern, open-plan layout when designing their offices. But the increase in volume that is common in open spaces isn’t […]

‘Leave all your personal problems at work’, is often a phrase thrown around in a professional albeit casual sense, but it’s not as easily said than it is done, as shutting one’s personal problems out completely from a potentially stressful environment is something we all wish we could do. Mental health has a much higher […]

By Nicola Jagielski, Associate Director of Clinical Services at Health Assured A healthy work-life balance is a vital part of good wellbeing. Being fulfilled (and well rewarded) at work, as well as satisfied with your social and home life, is something we all aspire to. But for some people, the ‘work’ part of that balance […]

Almost half of UK employees (44%) are struggling to afford fuel prices in order to get to work. The survey, conducted by employee benefits provider GettaSub, quizzed 2,000 UK workers and discovered that rising fuel costs are having a detrimental effect on employee financial wellbeing. The results also found that just under a third (30% per cent) […]

A survey of British workers has exposed how the UK’s overtime culture is putting drivers at risk at the wheel, owing to poor sleep, pressure to respond quickly and stress and distraction.  The research1 by business insurer NFU Mutual found that more than a third of people who work full or part time in the UK […]

British workers are still uncomfortable disclosing mental health issues or burnout, with nearly a quarter (23%) admitting they would rather take an unexplained sick day than discuss their issues with their employers.   Indeed, the research carried out by HR software provider Breathe found 40% of employees are uncomfortable calling in sick to their employer […]

CIPD training specialist DPG says its survey of 2,000 menstruators has revealed a significant period stigma in UK workplaces. Almost half of workers who experience periods (48%) say there is a noticeable stigma around the issue at the company they work for. This stigma was found to affect how people act at work, as three-quarters […]

Nearly a third of the UK’s vegans have felt harassed at work or unfairly treated due to their veganism. That’s according to research that also says nearly half of employers don’t do anything to accommodate vegan requirements at work; and roughly three-quarters of employers say that vegans should just focus on their work and keep […]

Only 3% of workplaces have policies focusing on the menopause, with almost a quarter of menopausal women calling in sick as a result of their symptoms, according to new data. Forth With Life, a company that provides blood sample analysis and bio-marker tracking to promote and support health and wellbeing, recently undertook a survey exploring […]

Data taken from a subset of 500 UK employers using the e-days absence management system shows that May is generally a low sickness absence month – with just 38.6 average sick days recorded. However, last year, on the Tuesday after the early Bank Holiday Monday this spiked to 61.1 absences and it went even higher on the […]

Almost a third of British parents work too late to tuck their kids in to bed at least three nights a week, according to research. A poll of 1,000 working mums and dads found more than seven in 10 rely on partners or grandparents to read their kids a story each night. And one fifth […]

The Women and Equalities Committee has published its submission to the Government’s consultation on pregnancy and maternity discrimination protections. In it, the Committee calls for an end to what it calls ‘shocking stories of workplace discrimination and of the emotional, physical and financial impact on women’. In August 2016, the Committee published a major report […]

As technology makes it increasingly easy to push beyond the 9-5, Lucinda Pullinger, Global Head of HR at Instant Offices explores how employees and business owners alike can recognise the difference between committed working habits and work addiction.  Last month, a new study by TUC had highlighted UK workers work the longest hours in the EU […]