CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT
The landscape industry seems to be operating at capacity, but can it be maintained?
R
eacting to current market conditions, members are urging clients to expedite their projects by starting construction ahead of a forecasted prolonged period of cost inflation running at 5%. Infrastructure in particular is susceptible to pressures around material availability and a shortage of specialist skills, with price increases of 3% and 5% being forecast for 2021 and 2022 respectively. For the buildings sector, growth in the regions will be higher than in London. Delays in getting projects moving are likely to translate into an even steeper pace of inflationary growth from 2022 onwards, reaching 5% by 2025 as the market recovers*. At the moment, there is still some spare capacity available, but the shortages of construction materials create inflationary conditions that have already begun to outweigh any deflationary factors. Any delays increase the potential exposure to much higher construction costs than initially planned for, as higher inflation may become the new normal. Arcadis tender price rise forecast* 2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Five-year total
6
Regional building
1%
3%
4%
5%
5%
18%
LANDSCAPE NEWS SUMMER 2021
Employee burnout!
37% of employers feel their teams are teetering on the brink of burnout due to heavy pandemic-related workloads. Failing to spot the warning signs can lead to demotivated, demoralised and under-productive employees, right at a time when you need them most.
What is employee ‘burnout’? Burnout occurs when an employee has been under intense stress for a prolonged period of time. The NHS lists burnout symptoms as physical and emotional exhaustion, a sense of powerlessness, and hopelessness. Luckily, this can be avoided by simply learning to spot employee burnout signs.
Employee burnout signs
It’s unlikely your employees will come forward and admit that they’re burning out. According to mental health charity, Mind, 30% of staff said they wouldn’t feel able to talk openly about stress with their line manager. If you don’t start the dialogue, there’s a good chance it’ll go unchecked.
London building
0%
3%
4%
5%
5%
17%
Infrastructure
3%
5%
5%
5%
5%
23%
Material availability, including responsibly sourced timber, is delaying projects from weeks to months
Although the signs of burnout manifest differently for everyone, these four red flags are a good place to start:
• A negative attitude: This can relate to your employee’s overall outlook on life, the way they interact with fellow team members or their approach to tasks
• Decline in performance: Performance reviews and weekly catch-up sessions are a great way to spot this particular sign of burnout • Missed deadlines: The fatigue and low motivation associated with burnout could cause even the simplest tasks to take far longer • Frequent illness or fatigue: This may manifest as an employee regularly calling in sick, frequently complaining about poor health, or simply looking tired
Remember, burnout is a slow-burning issue that develops over time. In order to catch it, you’ll need to remain vigilant long term. Remote working has changed the nature of burnout. Don’t be tempted to assume employee burnout has lessened because they may have been working from home. If anything, current circumstances have created a perfect storm for stress, anxiety, and overwhelm.
Since last March, UK households have been subjected to national lockdown in varying degrees. This puts employees under prolonged pressure as they juggle work, childcare, and home schooling under ever-changing
