UK managers now working an extra day a week in overtime – but they’re not getting paid July 9, 2014 Nearly half of UK managers report to working an extra day in unpaid overtime each week, as pressure from employers fuels Britain's long hours culture. According to a survey from the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), 47 per cent of bosses say that they work at least an additional day – 7.5 hours or [...]
In photos: Country house prices are still below their 2007 peak. Which will you choose? July 9, 2014 As we reported yesterday, Knight Frank, a real estate consultancy company, has collected data showing that country house prices are on the rise across the country. What the report also shows is that prime country house prices are yet to reach their 2007 peak, unlike the average property price across England and Wales. Here's a graph [...]
Germany’s thrashing of Brazil smashes Twitter records July 9, 2014 Germany's ruthless 7-1 semi-final demolition of tournament hosts Brazil had records tumbling – both on and off the pitch. The thrashing was Brazil's heaviest ever defeat, eclipsing a 6-0 loss at the hands of Uruguay in 1920 as well as being the side's first defeat at home in a competitive fixture in 39 years. Perhaps unsurprisingly, [...]
UBS: A No vote on Scottish independence will still shake financial markets July 9, 2014 International investors aren't taking the Scottish referendum seriously enough. That's the verdict from Swiss bank UBS. In all their discussions with investors, "the topic of Scotland's independence referendum (if it is mentioned at all) is generally not treated seriously". Globally, the media has treated the referendum as a light entertainment story, and Google data suggests [...]
Where will London’s newest Thames bridge be? Nine Elms bridge to be built July 9, 2014 Wandsworth Council is set to launch a global competition to find a design for a new £40m bridge in west London. The planned bridge will span the water at one of five possible locations, all linking Nine Elms to Pimlico. The pedestrianised crossing will also provide a quiet route for cyclists, and is likely to [...]
AbbVie retracts statements suggesting Shire shareholder support for latest bid July 9, 2014 US drugmarker AbbVie has retracted statements made by its chief executive claiming support for the company's bid for UK rival Shire. Just a day after AbbVie made its much anticipated fourth takeover bid for the UK-listed drug company, lifting its previous offer for the group by 11 per cent to bid £30.1bn, the US firm has been [...]
UK house prices see rare fall this June: But the trend still sees values soar July 9, 2014 House prices have surprised analysts with a slight fall this June. Prices are 0.6 per cent lower, according to the latest Halifax house price index data. It's only the fourth time that Halifax has recorded a monthly house price in the last year. And while home sales are some three per cent lower in May, [...]
Housebuilder Galliford Try reports record group profit July 9, 2014 Housebuilding and construction group Galliford Try is expecting to report group profits for the financial year, according to its latest trading statement. Profit before tax is expected to be at the upper end of the analysts' current range of £92.8m – £95.2m, and in excess of pre 2008 figures. Following average sales price-increases for both [...]
JD Wetherspoon reports “slightly weaker” sales as World Cup fans drink at home July 9, 2014 Pub group JD Wetherspoon has revealed that sales have been slightly weaker during the World Cup, reflecting suggestions fans have been drinking at home during matches instead of going to bars. The results were released as part of a pre-close statement covering the financial year, which ends on 27 July. The statement also showed that like-for-like [...]
City MP Mark Field slams new tax grab July 8, 2014 George Osborne’s plan to grab millions of pounds of tax back from a host of high-profile City names was criticised yesterday as concerns grew over the impact of tough new tax rules. Mark Field, Conservative MP for the City of London, said: “To take a retroactive approach to schemes that have already been approved seems [...]