The Covid-19 pandemic is an unprecedented event in living memory. It has had, and continues to have, far-reaching impacts on individuals, our society, the economy and our industry. Many of those impacts have of course been negative; and the challenges implied by that, as well as by the long list of other changes we have been experiencing, will be with us for some time to come. On the more positive side, this does bring some opportunities, too, in terms of highlighting the possibilities of working in different ways, deploying new and appropriate technologies and finding ways to better use resources, for example. And, yes, there may also be some new business opportunities.

A key part of our role is to help provide the FM community with the news, information and insights needed to understand and manage the pandemic impacts, challenges and opportunities. You can access all of the relevant content on i-FM from this page. News, features and comments are shown in the boxes below and to the right. In addition, you can use our Search functions to explore the site for related issues. You can search the news by date or topic, for example ‘Covid-19’. Or you can search our full content on any keyword via our Search page.

This site hub aims to provide easy access to a range of resources for FMs. All suggestions for additional content are welcome – contact us anytime.

Next 24 Articles

Employers expect more flexible work requests

A new survey from Acas has found that half of employers in Great Britain expect an increase in demand for flexible forms of working post-pandemic.

Workplace expectations: trouble ahead?

Staff may be officially returning to the office, but if employers don’t offer the right working experience 60% will leave or become less motivated, according to new research.

RICS Global Conference 2021: review

Some 16 months after the Covid-19 pandemic began, it feels like we’ve reached the final stages of grief.

BESA offers air quality guide

The removal of most Covid restrictions has increased calls for practical guidance and the setting of specific indoor air quality targets to support the health and wellbeing of building occupants.

ABM extends testing support partnership

Cignpost ExpressTest has selected the firm to fulfil resourcing needs at Covid-19 testing sites at Heathrow, Gatwick and Edinburgh airports, and retail sites across the UK.

Trade bodies call for caution

Two engineering services bodies have stepped up their health & safety advice with the arrival of ‘freedom day’.

Commercial buildings lag behind on clean air tech

In preparation for reopening their buildings, four-fifths of UK businesses have already implemented clean air technology or plan to in the next twelve months.

Call for urgent action on ventilation

Good ventilation in public buildings and on transport systems is essential to reducing the risk of Covid-19 and other infections, according to a new report from the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Employees know what they want post-Covid

We’ve said it before and it remains true: one side-effect of the pandemic has been a steady stream of workplace-related research.

A snapshot of FM opinion

At Tuesday’s Workplace Futures conference we ran a series of polls to test views on some of the questions currently being considered and debated across the industry. The results are interesting, and occasionally intriguing.

Workplace Futures: return to the workplace

Yesterday’s conference could not have been more timely and on-target, addressing the needs of not just the FM sector but all those in support service roles.

Corporate occupiers grapple with Covid response

Global office occupancy rates decreased in June compared to May as organisations introduced strategies to tackle the resurgence in coronavirus cases.

TUC worried about back-to-the workplace plans

The TUC has written to ministers to raise urgent concerns about the government’s ‘back-to-work’ safety plans.

Workplace Futures hits a nerve

And ‘nerve’ seems to be the right word, as the build-up to Tuesday’s conference is uncovering a lot of nervousness in the workplace community as the focus turns to dropping Covid restrictions.

Redefining ‘Freedom Day’

Freedom Day shouldn’t signal a mass return to workplaces, but it could signal the start of greater freedom and flexibility in how, when and where people work.

How can offices thrive in the next chapter of work?

After more than a year of uncertainty and lockdowns across the UK, there is renewed confidence in returning to a more normal life as we approach the final stages of the government’s roadmap to lift restrictions.

Sodexo test centre contract extended

The services provider has been selected to operate a further 121 fixed and mobile Covid-19 testing centres.

Mitie extends test centre role

The group has won a new one-year contract to manage 175 regional and local coronavirus test sites and 105 mobile testing units across England, Scotland and Wales.

Serco wins testing centres contract rebid

Serco has been awarded a contract by the Department of Health and Social Care to continue providing support services to Covid-19 regional, local and mobile test centres in England and Northern Ireland.

Ventilation revolution needs funding

Public funding is urgently needed to ensure buildings benefit from improved awareness around mechanical ventilation systems and airborne disease risk.

Return to the workplace: it’s up to us

I’m sure that most of us had already starting planning to meet up with friends, colleagues and clients and were looking forward to the 21st when the last of the restrictions would be lifted….

Finding the right technology in a digital world

The pandemic has spurred workplace change. A survey from McKinsey found that the year following the initial UK lockdown accelerated the adoption of workplace technology by several years.

Employers to reduce office space by up to 9m sq ft

The latest addition to the ongoing debate about the future of offices in the UK comes from PwC’s latest Occupier Survey.

Suppliers ready but need a plan

As Covid restrictions are eased, more organisations are thinking about the reopening of offices. Can they depend on their suppliers?