The company saw pre-tax profit increase by 133 per cent to £96.8m for the year to 31 March 2016, up from £41.5m the year before. But the firm said it had seen “a number of its clients” delay or cancel projects until after the EU referendum. Upcoming changes to the minimum wage and living wage initiatives could also have an impact on its business, the company said. It added that government initiatives would lead to  “significant increases to the cost of employing people, especially people on lower incomes”. “While some clients are able to afford and pass on any increases, many are not able to do so. “In these instances we work with them to identify changes to either the quantity or scope of services that we provide.” Group revenue stood at at £2.23bn, down from the £2.27bn reported in its previous results. Hard FM services accounted for £618.4m (£621.1m: 2015) of total group revenue, and £31.7m (£31.4m:2015) of group operating profit. Key wins for the division included a £100m, five-year M&E contract with NHS Property Services and a new contract to provide hard FM services to Red Bull Racing in Milton Keynes. Mitie said profit in hard FM had been “negatively affected [by] a smaller proportion of revenues generated by higher-margin variable project works”. Overall, the group’s facilities management arm reported an order book of £7.2bn, down by 5.3 per cent, from £7.6bn the year before. Source link

In an age of fast paced technological innovation, people are increasingly equipped with the ability to work from anywhere at any time. While it is sometimes argued that this leads to a blurring of work and home life, new research from the British Council for Offices (BCO) and Savills has shown that there is an increasing appetite for workers to be based in an office environment. The third edition of the What Workers Want study has harnessed the opinions of over 1,100 British office workers in order to assess the needs of the individual worker and identify trends in the sector which will affect the future of workspace design in the UK. While many workers seek flexibility in where and how they work, the research identifies that working from home has actually become less appealing; less than a third (28 per cent) of workers surveyed state they would like to work from home, a figure that has dropped from 45 per cent in 2013, when the research was last conducted. Over three-quarters of respondents (77 per cent) said that they currently work in a traditional office, with the majority (60 per cent) choosing to work from a dedicated desk space compared to only four per cent that prefer to hot desk. This desire for a dedicated desk has actually increased over the past three years, rising from a figure of 41 per cent in 2013. Although there is a demand from people to have a dedicated desk, the research shows that most workplaces (70 per cent) now also include a communal environment to work from, providing a space for more dynamic working. This is key to meeting workers’ needs with almost a third (29 per cent) deeming the ability to work from a variety of different locations in the office to be important, and almost half (48 per cent) considering access to collaboration space with colleagues as an imperative. Choice and control are key here, with workers wanting to be able to choose how and where they work, while also having a desk space to call their own. For a third of respondents (33 per cent), this would go as far as choosing to work from a standing desk sometimes if the facilities were available. Despite there being clear elements of control that workers would like to have, 42 per cent of those surveyed deemed their office culture to discourage flexible working. However, the results outline why more thought needs to be given to what goes into creating an optimum working environment that can adapt to different working styles. Whether providing fixed workspaces or more flexible approaches, the productivity impact of the workplace still has much potential to be realised. 45 per cent of those surveyed deemed the workplace to have no impact on their productivity, while a quarter of respondents (25 per cent) stated that their workplace actually decreases their productivity levels. Pointing to the opportunity that exists, half of workers surveyed (50 per cent) agreed that if the internal design of their office matched their ‘ideal’, it would increase their productivity levels. The research identified the most important factors perceived to be driving employees’ sense of wellbeing, and satisfaction with their workplace. It found: • Getting the basics right is of most importance: comfort (87 per cent), lighting (86 per cent) and temperature (85 per cent) are the three most important factors affecting employees’ wellbeing at work• Length of commute to the office is also paramount, with 86 per cent saying it is of most importance to them. Despite this, two in five (40 per cent) are dissatisfied with their journey to work• Noise level also ranks highly amongst the factors impacting employee’s wellbeing – but is an aspect of their office which many employees are dissatisfied with; 71 per cent say having quiet areas to work from is important to them, but only 30 per cent are satisfied that they currently have this Richard Kauntze, Chief Executive of the British Council for Offices, said: “What Workers Want is an important piece of research; a clear understanding of what office occupiers need and expect from their work environment is paramount to both the success of our industry and the wellbeing of the UK workforce. “It is important to remember that in creating the optimum working environment, organisations shouldn’t try to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach. Rather, it requires a deep understanding of the people using the space, and the work being delivered. Getting this right can be complex, but has the potential to reap considerable rewards in terms of productivity and should therefore be at the heart of any business’s strategy.” Steve Lang, Director, Savills Research and author of the report, added: “For employers, ensuring that the office is a space in which workers feel comfortable and cared-for isn’t just the right thing to do – it also makes business sense, helping to both attract new staff and retain the best talent. While our concept of what a ‘good’ office is supposed to look like may be shaped by photographs of innovative fit-outs at high profile companies, it’s important not to forget the basics. “Comfort, temperature and lighting are consistently the most important considerations for employees; the focus should be on getting the fundamentals right rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.” Read What Workers Want 2016 here Source link

If you’re a company dealing with hazardous waste, you need to ensure that you are working with a waste management organisation to help you out. When hazardous waste is improperly handled, it can be harmful to human health and environmental safety. Hazardous waste doesn’t always come as a solid, but can be liquid, sludges and even contained gas – this can potentially contaminate any groundwater supplies. The UK government stipulates strict guidance on how to monitor and implement an effective hazardous waste solution, and together with Reconomy – providers of skip hire – this guide will ensure that you’re managing these wastes appropriately. Identifying your hazardous waste If you are a business that operates with hazardous waste, the government have stated that you have a duty of care – meaning it is your responsibility to get rid of it in the best way possible. When picking our hazardous waste, it usually comes down to two factors – is it harmful to the environment or humans? There are many examples of hazardous waste, but the most common include the following: Asbestos Chemicals such as brake fluid and printer toner Batteries Solvents Pesticides Oils such as car oil Equipment that contains ozone depleting substances such as fridges. If your business produces any of the above – it should all be stored in a different place to other waste that you produce. Producing less and storing waste As a business, you should be trying to limit the amount of hazardous waste that you produce. Although not exclusive to these types, waste, and hazardous waste can be categorised within four main sub-categories: Construction Demolition Industry Agriculture You need to make sure that none of your hazardous waste escapes as it can be a danger, to prevent this you should store the waste in secure containers.  When storing waste that is hazardous, it should be labelled accordingly, so that everyone on-site can identify it as such. In terms of contamination, waterproof covers should be used so that hazardous substances do not run off onto the floor or any other areas. You need to prevent any spillages if your hazardous waste is a liquid – use a barrier to stop this from occurring. When these materials are being stored onsite, employees should regularly check storage areas for damaged containers, or any other potential risks that may harm employees or the surrounding environment. As a business, you should have a storing place on your premises for hazardous waste. This means if any incident does occur, the emergency services can deal with it effectively and safely. Keeping track A consignment note is required when getting rid of hazardous waste to ensure that everything has been noted. You should make sure this note is complete before the waste is taken away. You will need to fill out a consignment note for the following: Collections from businesses that are registered waste carriers. Movements from one premises to another within the same organisation. When another business has produced waste, movements from customer premises. You will not need to fill out a consignment note for: The movement of domestic hazardous waste – other than asbestos. Waste has been imported and exported under international waste shipment controls that require a different movement note. What hazardous waste? You need to inform the waste disposers what waste you want to be removed and you can do this on your consignment note. What waste? You need to keep a full description of every type of hazardous and regular waste you want to be disposed. How heavy? You need to know how much waste there is, so weighing in Kilos is essential – if your waste is a liquid, this should be converted to the appropriate measurements. Chemical components Make sure that you can identify what chemical and biological composition are in your waste – whether this is hazardous or not. Physical form You need to have a physical form of what you’re disposing, this can range from liquids to powders and waste can even be mixed. When your consignment note is complete, you need to pay for it. In England and Wales, the charge is £10 for a single collection. If this collection is a milk round (multiple collections), then this is reduced to £5 per note. Depending on applicability, the fee is set at £15 in Northern Ireland and Scotland.