Statistics from last month’s crop of releases sent out through the ResponseSource Press Release Wire cover workplace return anxiety, why it’s better to be competent than warm and the upcoming baby boom.  

If you’re tackling any of these topics as part of your reporting patch, or you just want to work out that competence vs warmth thing, read on for the numbers…  

Worst things about the office  

According to Cartridge People’s May study of 1,500 office workers across the UK, more than one in ten of us (12%) are dreading catch-up chats with colleagues upon returning to the office. Much worse, however, is the commute back, according to 40% of those polled, increasing to 50% among London respondents weary of long train/bus/bike/car/boat journeys into work. Also pretty bad for 17% of office-based staff – having to dress appropriately, and for 28%, having to wake up earlier. Read more here.  

Are we heading for a mass employee exodus?  

COVID-19’s impact on working life extends past new preferences for wearing PJs during work-hours and spending more time in bed of a morning – over a third (39%) of British office workers have regressed in their roles since the start of the pandemic, according to a survey from Talent Operating System Beamery. 43% of those polled believe that the lack of one-on-one time with their manager has hindered their prospects for promotion, with 53% saying that working from home has had a negative impact on their personal development. Almost half (48%) are leaving or planning to leave their current job this year as a result. Read more here.  

Post-pandemic baby boom on the horizon 

A legion of lockdown babies could be on the way, warns UK-based supplement brand Cytoplan. Research commissioned by Starling Bank suggests 1.9 million babies could be born in 2021 and 2022 in the UK and Wales, and the 39% uplift in sales of pregnancy and pre-conception formula Pregna-Plan could back this up. This is a reverse from the drop in birthrates reported by ONS between 2018 and 2019, meaning lockdown was productive for many. Friends and family: it might be time to prepare for babysitting duties… or to get a list of excuses ready. Read more here.   

Social media is big business  

Fake news and social media don’t just impact high-profile celebrities and politicians, as research reputation management consultancy Igniyte has found that 48% of UK businesses have felt an impact on their company’s reputation and sales over the last year due to negative online content regarding their brand, 39% are being affected by fake online reviews and 71% believe negative social media posts are most damaging to their reputation. Yet, 47% of businesses don’t actively engage with their online reviews at all…  Read more here.  

Competence versus warmth  

It doesn’t always pay to be nice – at least if you happen to be artificial intelligence. New research from emlyon business school has found that people are more likely to keep using IPAs (that’s ‘intelligent personal assistants’) if they’re effective, with ‘human’ aspects like warmth mattering much less. Or, as the study puts it ‘users consider the Amazon Alexa as a personal assistant rather than a fun toy’. Those in need of some warmth in their interactions with IPAs needn’t worry, though – ‘the competence of IPAs imparts the same feeling of warmth experienced in natural interactions,’ says Professor Gong. This gives us the warm and fuzzies – read more here.  

We provide these as a jumping-off point for your own research and you should perform your own checks on any of these stories – a few tips in this post. If you’d like to source experts, further information or case studies for any of these topics or something else you’re working on, head to the (free) Journalist Enquiry Service to save hours of research and expand your network of sources.