Business Info - Issue 140

businessinfomag.uk magazine 04 BULLETIN Workplace A CLUTCH OF CUCKOOZ Cuckooz Nest, Clerkenwell’s combined workspace and creche, is opening a second, larger site after raising more than £130,000 through crowdfunding site Seedrs. Cuckooz Nest provides workspaces where new parents can work and network, while their children are looked after in an on-site, Ofsted-registered creche. The Clerkenwell workspace, which opened one year ago, is used by more than 100 families with children under two-years of age and now has a waiting list. The new site will be able to care for children up to the age of five. Cuckooz Nest was set up in 2018 by Charlie Rosier and Fabienne O’Neill, co-founders of Cuckooz, a provider of serviced apartments offering a home- away-from-home experience for business and leisure travellers. http://www.cuckooznest.co.uk/ Wellness SOUND ADVICE The Sound Doctor, a supplier of bite-sized films and audio programmes for people with long-term mental and physical health problems, has launched a new service to help employers reduce stress and anxiety in the workplace and improve outcomes for staff with long-term conditions. Rosie Runciman, co-founder of the Gloucester-based online health educator and NHS supplier, said: “Our films, animations and audio podcasts easily communicate key health information to employees. Evaluations we have conducted show that our videos and audio programmes do change people’s behaviour; they need to visit their doctor less often, spend less time in hospital and are therefore able to spend more time at work.” The new service aims to reduce working days lost through minor illnesses, musculo-skeletal problems and mental health. https://thesounddoctor.org Internet of Things KEEPING THE ENGINES RUNNING Arrow Electronics and IBM are hoping to improve the customer experience in airports by using IoT sensors to gather operational data on escalators, walkways, baggage handling systems and water fountains. Their Smart Airport Asset Management Solution uses IoT sensors and gateways designed by Arrow to collect information on engine temperature, vibration and motor fluid levels; the IBMWatson IoT Platform to analyse the data; and IBM asset management software to allocate resources and schedule preventative maintenance. Adriana Robinson, vice president, IBM Watson IoT, said: “Harnessing data and analytics, this end-to-end IoT solution enables airports to improve the performance of key assets that directly impact customer experience.” FiveYearsOut.com • www.ibm.com/iot Ergomonics ERSATZ ERGONOMICS Indifference and a lack of concern on the part of employers are forcing office workers to spend their own money to counter a variety of work-related aches and pains, claims workplace solutions specialist Fellowes. In a recent survey of 1,000 UK office workers, 80% of respondents said they had had to dip into their own pockets to make their working conditions more comfortable, with one in five spending more than £75 on improvements. Common solutions include cushions for office chairs, objects to raise laptops and screens to the right height and the use of storage boxes as footrests. In addition to these makeshift remedies, 60% have spent money on specialist ergonomic equipment, including back supports, wrist rests and laptop risers. Three quarters of those surveyed experience pain at work, including backache (cited by 32%), headaches (23%), neck pain (20%), eyestrain (18%) and sore wrists (17%). Two thirds (67%) say their employer doesn’t care about their long-term health and wellbeing. ergo.fellowes.com BULLETIN Cyber Security GENTLE REMINDER The University of Bath and Goldsmiths, University of London are investigating whether a small device that plugs into a PC could encourage people to change their passwords or update privacy settings more often. Researchers plan to use programmable Adafruit Circuit Playgrounds to provide end users with subtle desktop reminders to improve security. For example, a device could detect when someone gets up to leave their desk and remind them, through sounds, lights or vibration, to lock their screen. To find out more, visit https://tinyurl.com/yxluc6lf. Rosie Runciman

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