Happy returns: Can employees refuse to go back to work? June 18, 2020 As London comes out of hibernation and employees begin to return to work, companies are being confronted with the true scale of the challenge of running a business in the middle of a pandemic. Employees, meanwhile, are feeling anxious that their workplace might remain unsafe. But is turning to the law the best way to [...]
China hawks risk accelerating the outcomes they are trying to avoid June 18, 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic is leading to a clear hardening of western attitudes towards China. The origins of the virus in Wuhan, coupled with suspicions that the Chinese government suppressed awareness of the initial outbreak, have emboldened sino-sceptics and heightened fears of growing Chinese influence. Yet blanket hostility risks accelerating the emergence of the aggressive and [...]
A new ‘superfund’ scheme for pensions June 18, 2020 Pensions minister Guy Opperman announces a significant step towards transforming retirement saving The consolidation of defined benefit pension schemes into “superfunds” has the potential to deliver more secure retirement incomes for workers, while allowing employers to concentrate on what they do best: running their businesses. That’s why I welcome the Pensions Regulator’s interim regime for [...]
There can be no route back to normality for ableist commuter culture June 17, 2020 “Do not expect to return to the transport network you were used to.” We’re all used to hearing that there will be no return to “normal” life any time soon. So it’s no surprise that Transport for London (TfL) has broadcast the same message about our commutes as some tentatively plan to return to the [...]
DEBATE: Was Boris Johnson right to merge DFID and the Foreign Office? June 17, 2020 Was Boris Johnson right to merge the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)? Lauren McEvatt, managing director of Morpeth Consulting and a former government adviser, says YES. The merger of DFID and the FCO is overdue. For too long the UK government has been operating too many strands of [...]
Welcome to the blended office June 17, 2020 Since the scribes of ancient kings worked together under a sunshade, we have had offices. Offices survived the Black Death, the Red Death, Spanish Flu, and Ricky Gervais. Offices aren’t about to disappear — but they may now be changing more than ever before. We should be ready for change, but do not be surprised [...]
History shows us that slavery is an economic catastrophe as well as a moral one June 17, 2020 Slavery has certainly been in the headlines in the past couple of weeks. Given this sudden interest in this area of history, it is worth considering the economic lessons it can teach us, as well as the moral ones. Slavery was abolished in England itself in the twelfth century. Then in 1772, Lord Mansfield gave [...]
DEBATE: Is carbon the new calorie when it comes to product labelling and transparency? June 17, 2020 Is carbon the new calorie when it comes to product labelling and transparency? Bracken Darrell, chief executive of Logitech, says YES. Nutritional information on food and drink packaging has been empowering consumers for decades. Now, carbon is the new calorie. Consumers deserve to understand the carbon impact of the products they buy — the impact [...]
Covid hits hospitality: London will change, but there is light at the end of the tunnel June 17, 2020 City A.M. knows the hospitality industry is in trouble – and that London without its bars, restaurants and late-night dens wouldn’t be half the city it is. Hospitality entrepreneur Chris Miller writes today to say that the capital will change – but there are opportunities too. As the saying goes those who are tired of [...]
Covid changes could electrify entrepreneurial Britain, so let’s give SMEs the support they deserve June 16, 2020 We have always been a nation of small businesses. The UK’s 5.9m SMEs account for 99 per cent of all our businesses. They give us jobs, they’re a familiar neighbourhood face — and in the age of coronavirus, new Barclaycard and Enterprise Nation research has found that some are not only surviving, but getting ready [...]