The workplace is still a man’s world, according to London professionals November 25, 2019 Over half of London-based professionals think that stereotypical masculine qualities are held in higher regard in the hiring and promotion process than female characteristics, according to a new study. The research, by Equality Group, also finds that 25 per cent of women in professional roles in London feel that they need to present themselves in a more masculine [...]
Why banning after-work emails is a bad idea November 25, 2019 From “Massage Mondays” to “Drinks Trolley Fridays”, many organisations have started putting wellbeing initiatives in place to combat burnout. Even airports are thinking about the wellbeing of their customers by bringing puppies and pigs into their lounges to calm passengers facing delayed flights. But how effective are these initiatives in actually reducing stress? Double-edged sword [...]
Food for thought: How Tastecard is helping the restaurant sector November 25, 2019 The restaurant sector is in a crisis. A combination of rising rents, food prices and wage costs, plus a decline in consumer spending, is causing more businesses to close. Research published in September exposed the scale of the problem. According to accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young, the number of restaurants closing in the year to [...]
How to immunise yourself against a toxic work culture November 22, 2019 What determines whether a business will be successful? Some would say that it’s all about the product or the idea. Others might think it’s down to strategy and execution. While these things are important, competitors can — and often will — catch up. Read more: We reviewed all the Christmas sandwiches, so read this before [...]
War, what is it good for? Absolutely not business November 21, 2019 Management terms such as “strategy”, “logistics” and “operations”, among others, have been borrowed directly from military science. Today, we’re taking it even further — every day in the office, it’s like we’re entering into a battle. New pricing strategy? That’ll be a “price war”. A big task? Let’s “divide and conquer”. Handling a crisis? Time [...]
Businesses need to keep up with rapidly changing career expectations November 20, 2019 Amid some of the General Election’s less gratifying headlines, it’s encouraging to see a serious discussion of the future of skills and learning unfolding. The Liberal Democrats have pledged to introduce a £10,000 “skills wallet” for every adult in the UK to put towards their future education and training, while Labour has promised free retraining [...]
Why take-up of shared parental leave is so dismally low — and the solution November 20, 2019 When the government introduced shared parental leave back in 2015, the idea was to encourage more fathers to stay home to care for their young children so that new mothers could go back to work if they want to. It was hoped that this in turn would go some way to closing the gender pay [...]
DEBATE: Will more government subsidies help solve the childcare crisis for working parents? November 20, 2019 Will more government subsidies help solve the childcare crisis for working parents? Harini Iyengar, GLA candidate for the Women’s Equality Party, says YES. I am answering “yes” to this question — but I would first reframe it as greater government investment, not a subsidy. While childcare is traditionally framed as a cost, raising the next [...]
Why passionate innovators make for better investors November 19, 2019 | City Talk What does it take to succeed in business and investing? Differentiation is among the key ingredients. You need to offer a product that differs from the competition in a way that clients recognise as added value. If you want to beat the market as an investor, the first thing you need to do is something [...]
The four types of business philosopher November 19, 2019 It takes all sorts to make a world. And nowhere is this more true than in the office, where we sit side by side with and report to people who we would cross the road to avoid at lunchtime. Unfortunately, modern management techniques, as well as the focus on economics and psychology, have created a [...]