Eat Sleep Work Repeat

WorkChat: Hang on, was the office stressing us out all along?

Sep 15, 2023

The podcast discusses various interesting topics such as the implementation of a four-day workweek, the importance of setting healthy boundaries in the workplace, the impact of office environments on productivity and well-being, and the negative effects of monitoring and micromanaging employees. It also highlights changing attitudes towards work, with millennials and Gen Z prioritizing different aspects of their lives, and explores the concept of collaboration and effective office design. Moreover, it touches on the lower importance of work in the UK compared to other countries and the challenges of virtual learning environments.

51:04

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Quick takeaways

Design workspaces to support different tasks and create environments that align with individuals' and teams' specific work requirements.

Rethink productivity measurements by emphasizing outcomes and effectiveness instead of hours spent on tasks, and tailor work schedules to individuals' preferences for enhanced productivity and well-being.

Open-plan offices can increase stress levels, but incorporating acoustic treatment, smaller spaces, and natural elements like plants can reduce stress and improve employees' mental and physical health.

Deep dives

The Importance of Designing Workspaces for Different Tasks

Workspaces should be designed to support different tasks. For focused and concentrated work, spaces with low noise levels and auditory treatment are crucial. For creativity, a certain level of background noise, like in a coffee shop, can be beneficial. It's important to consider the acoustic treatment of spaces and create environments that align with the specific work requirements of individuals and teams.

Introduction

2min

Changing Attitudes Towards Work

7min

Implementing a Four-Day Workweek and Flexible Working

9min

Setting Healthy Boundaries in the Workplace

16min

Collaboration and Office Design

10min

The Negative Effects of Monitoring and Micromanaging Employees

5min

Exploring the Impact of Office Environments on Productivity and Well-being

3min

Eat Sleep Work Repeat is hosted by Bruce Daisley, Ellen C Scott and Matthew Cook.

Ellen wrote about her learnings about being a manager

Despite government threats of legal action Cambridgeshire council are continuing their evidence-led trial of the 4-day week. “Nine in ten councils are struggling with job recruitment and retention and a four-day working week could be the answer”

Ellen mentions this article on Stylist about boundaries (registration required)

Half of the employees of Grindr were fired after the firm issued a RTO order. This included 100% of the firm’s trans employees. As Matt points out in the show trans employees are subject to the legislative whims of different states in the US and understandably try to locate in safe places.

We talk about the World Values Survey report "What the world thinks about work"

People in the UK are least likely to say work is important in their life. It's still seems pretty high, 73% of the UK public say work is very or rather important in their life - but significantly lower than other countries. Other western nations such as Italy, Spain, Sweden, France and Norway all rank much higher than the UK on this measure, with more than nine in 10 saying work is important in their life.
Headline warning: This is not a new development. the share of the British public who say work is important in their life has hardly changed in three decades
But there are big generational differences in views on whether work should always come first. One of the most interesting charts has been millennial's views crashing: it went from a hustle culture high of 41% in 2009 to 14% in 2022. That is a huge shift in attitude

Libby Sander is an internationally renowned expert on work and the workplace, the MBA Director and Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour at Bond University. She is a leading thinker on understanding the future of work, and how we can reimagine it to live more meaningful and creative lives.

Read Libby on RTO

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