THIS MONTH...

NEWS & ANALYSIS

FMJ NEWS

06 This month’s summary of everything that has hit the headlines in the FM sector.

ASSOCIATION NEWS

08 The latest news and views from RICS and IWFM.

EVENT REPORT

10 Orgatec, the celebration of o ice design returned for 2022, with the halls of the Cologne Messe bustling with plenty of fresh ideas in workplace design.

Advice And Opinion

16

Comment

Features

Cleaning

24

CASE STUDY

24

FMs need to curate a positive and desirable workplace – if they are to keep their people happy, healthy, motivated and connected to the company’s values and mission, says Sarah Syson, Design Manager at Claremont.

Vending

28

David Llewellyn, the Chief Executive of the Automatic Vending Association (AVA) on how the vending and automated retail sector has emerged stronger from the pandemic.

Fm Careers

12

Jo Sutherland, MD, Magenta Associates talks to 10 experts for their advice on how FMs can build resilience in times of crisis.

Compliance

14

Ways cleaning suppliers are using their ESG goals to help meet targets and show stakeholders they are committed to making a positive impact.

Fast Facts

52

People

16

The ‘smart’ revolution has brought the Internet of Things (IoT) into essential equipment and building operations, says Tom Harmswoth.

BLOG & SOCIAL MEDIA

18 Gemma Archibald, Alcumus Chief Executive O icer – Supply Chain division on ways to navigate global supply chain disruptions.

Fm Clinic

51 Find out who’s moving where in the facilities management profession.

Recruitment

52

Employer branding could be the most important tool in a recruiter’s arsenal today says Sam Smith with some advice on how to get your branding right.

Training

20

Record levels of inflation are hitting contract catering businesses coupled with the challenge of servicing hybrid workplaces. How can suppliers adapt to deliver a ordable, sustainable and nutritional sustenance to clients and consumers?

53 Digital coaching industry experts are predicting a greater need for tailored training in 2023 in response to economic challenges. Sara Bean reports.

CAREERS NEWS

54

A brief roundup of the latest careers news in the facilities management sector.

32

We hear from some key stakeholders on the recommendations in the report ‘Embedding E ective Hygiene for a Resilient UK’, from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Cleaning and Hygiene Industry.

Interview

36 Sue Asprey Price the CEO of JLL’s EMEA Work Dynamics business talks to FMJ about the importance of sustainability and diversity within the property sector

HEALTH AND SAFETY

40 Jonathan Gilbert explains the reasons behind the increase in demand for defibrillators and the importance of maintaining these life-saving devices.

Mailroom

42 Neil Phillips of Restore Digital discusses how the pandemic propelled changes in mailrooms, which continue to evolve to become more automated and e icient.

Mifm

45

New product and service launches and company news from the FM industry.

Next Edition

In March, we look at the practical benefits of retrofitting existing buildings using BIM so ware, which can result in a marked improvement in the sustainability of buildings; and a look at the main technological innovations predicted for FM so ware – from security to connectivity. The Government’s Facilities Management Strategy is designed to establish standards to address the quality of service which should be aspired to in the procurement of FM contracts. We ask, what impact could this initiative have on the procurement of FM services and is enough attention being paid to the use of procurement to deliver sustainable FM outcomes? Also in March; the impact of a revised industry Code of Practice covering access control systems; how the use of drones could streamline building fabric maintenance and some vital tips on utilising sit/ stand desking. To sara.bean@kpmmedia.co.uk

Legal View

POTENTIAL CHANGES TO FLEXIBLE WORKING LEGISLATION Alec Colson, Partner And Head Of Employment Law, Taylor Walton

At the beginning of December 2022 the Department for Business, Education and Industrial Strategy published its response to its 2021 consultation on flexible working. The media headlines gave the impression that employees will have the right to work from home from day one of their employment however, this is not the case.

The initial consultation paper detailed a number of proposals to amend the existing right of employees with 26 weeks’ service to request a change to their employment contract in relation to:

• A change to the hours they work

• A change to the times when they are required to work

• A change to the place of work (as between their home and any of the employer’s workplaces).

The government has now proposed to give employees the right to request flexible working as a day one right. Under the government’s new proposal, an employee will be able to make this request on their first day of work.

However, it is a right to request flexible working and not a right to work flexibly from day one. Therefore, a newly appointed employee cannot demand that they work from home from day one.

The government will retain the current list of business reasons for refusing a flexible working request, which are:

• The burden of additional costs

• Detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand

• Inability to reorganise work among existing staff

• Inability to recruit additional staff

• Detrimental impact on quality of work

• Detrimental impact on performance

• Insufficiency of work during the periods the employee proposes to work

• Planned structural changes in the workforce.

Employers will be required to consult with their employees and to consider alternative options before rejecting their flexible working request. This is in accordance with the current ACAS Code of Practice on flexible working.

Employees will be able to make two flexible working requests within any 12-month period as opposed to the current single request and employers will be required to respond to a flexible working request within two months, rather than the current three months.

The requirement for employees to set out the effects of their flexible working request on the employer will be removed.

The government believes that rather than placing the sole responsibility on the employee to set out the effect of their request on the employer, employers should seek to engage with employees jointly to understand the impact of the flexible working request on the business.

This is consistent with making the right to request flexible working a day one right as a new employee would not be in a position to assess the impact of their request at the beginning of their employment.

When will the proposed changes be implemented?

The government has not announced an implementation date for the above changes and it may be some time before the legislation is introduced. In reality, the proposed changes are a modification of the existing rights to request flexible working and not a right to work from home.

Having said that, employers may find that the proposed changes and the publicity that surrounds them will encourage employees to request working from home for at least some of their working hours, either before or shortly after they have commenced their employment.

Where it is possible to work from home, anecdotal evidence suggests that many employees are already enquiring about home working at the interview stage and many working from home arrangements of one form or other will be agreed prior to the employment commencing.

As with all such employment matters, it makes sense for employers to seek advice and review their procedures before responding to these changes, as and when they come into effect.