Workplace Unplugged

Smart Buildings Week, in partnership with the IWFM

October 07, 2026 by Mark Tilley

Smart Buildings Week: Transforming the Future of the Built Environment

The Safety & Security Event Series has announced the launch of Smart Buildings Week, a new week-long programme of digital content that explores how technology, data and innovation are transforming...

Latest Workplace Insights

AI-generated illustration of two facilities professionals inspecting a British commercial office building undergoing retrofit works, with scaffolding and upgraded windows highlighting efforts to improve building energy efficiency and decarbonisation.

IWFM joins RIBA call for faster action on building decarbonisation

The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management has added its name to an open letter led by the Royal ...

Nov 13 2026

AI-generated illustration of a security officer monitoring the entrance of a modern British public venue, with access-control barriers, CCTV cameras and emergency exit signage highlighting public safety and security preparedness.

Martyn’s Law: SIA releases first planning tools ahead of spring 2027

The Security Industry Authority published the first practical planning tools for Martyn’s Law on 9 November, ...

Nov 12 2026

AI-generated illustration of a building services engineer wearing a hard hat and high-visibility vest, reviewing technical information on a laptop beside HVAC equipment in a commercial building plant room.

CIBSE says engineers remain accountable for AI-assisted building decisions

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers has published its first formal position on the use ...

Nov 11 2026

two colleagues having a one-to-one conversation in a modern office meeting room, highlighting workplace communication and support for neurodivergent employees.

Only 46% of employees believe managers can support neurodivergent colleagues

New research from Working To Wellbeing, a vocational rehabilitation provider, has found that just over half ...

Nov 10 2026

AI-generated illustration of a facilities maintenance worker servicing a ceiling inside a modern British public-sector office building, with a cleaning trolley, reception desk and security barriers visible.

Government pushes to bring FM in-house as major suppliers continue to win contracts

Two years into a government push to bring public-sector facilities services back in-house, the companies ...

Nov 10 2026

AI-generated illustration of a modern open-plan office featuring individual workstations, glass meeting rooms and employees collaborating around a shared table, highlighting the shift towards flexible workplace design.

Amazon, Microsoft and Citadel rethink office design as AI changes how teams work

At the Urban Land Institute’s Fall Meeting in Miami Beach last week, a handful of the world’s largest ...

Nov 5 2026

British public-sector building on a rainy autumn day, with wet roads, puddles and overcast skies highlighting climate-related risks to government buildings and infrastructure.

NAO warns of gaps in government climate risk reporting as prisons face flooding and overheating

Nearly nine in ten prisons in England and Wales have been disclosed as facing a high risk of flooding, and ...

Nov 4 2026

three colleagues of different ages collaborating in a modern office meeting room, featuring ergonomic seating, natural lighting and accessible workplace design.

Nearly one in three UK workers is over 50. Are offices designed for them?

Interaction, a UK office design and build firm, has published a free checklist aimed at a gap it says the ...

Nov 3 2026

Two young businesspeople walking together in office

The 5 Minute Productivity Hack We Can All Deliver

Recent research has delivered a remarkably simple message for employers. One of the most effective ways to ...

Nov 2 2026

Modern glass-fronted office building with a bright reception lobby and a calculator beside financial documents featuring pound sterling symbols on the reception desk.

What the autumn budget means for facilities management and workplace teams

Chancellor John Healey delivered his first budget on 28 October, and for commercial property the headline is ...

Oct 29 2026

Trade union workplace access rights: what facilities and estates teams need to do before 30 October

From tomorrow, 30 October 2026, any certified independent trade union can ask to come onto your premises, in ...