The disability employment crisis must end – it’s time for businesses to step up May 8, 2019 It may be 2019, but for a million disabled people across the UK, it feels like 2009. A generation of educated, motivated and ambitious individuals have been sidelined because of mistaken, outdated attitudes about what disabled people can achieve. The harsh reality for disabled people is that time has stood still – it’s as difficult [...]
Harry, Meghan and the case for shared parental leave May 8, 2019 While the parents of the new royal baby might be exempt from a traditional nine to five job, it’s no surprise that their first-born child will still have a massive impact on their ability to fulfil royal duties. A member of the royal family is in a better position than others to spend time with [...]
Black Sheep on stirring up the coffee industry, volcanic plantations, and helping the homeless May 7, 2019 We might be a nation best known for drinking tea, but Brits are increasingly obsessed with coffee. According to market analyst Allegra, we spent a tea-spitting £10.1bn in coffee shops last year. You can’t walk 100 yards in most town centres without stumbling on a Starbucks, Costa, or Cafe Nero – though, with many coffee [...]
The British aversion to foreign languages isn’t charming – it’s a diplomatic travesty May 7, 2019 Avez-VOUS bien fermé votre porte à clé ce matin? How many Londoners would immediately understand this sentence on their morning commutes? I would wager not many. Certainly, if the English equivalent were written in Der Spiegel, la Repubblica, or Aftonbladet, the majority of German, Italian, or Swedish readers would have no problem telling you what [...]
DEBATE: Could Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook omnipotence be coming to an end? May 7, 2019 Could Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook omnipotence be coming to an end? Greg Consiglio, chief operating officer at Connectt, says YES. Facebook was originally set up to connect friends who share interests, primarily through a news feed that users controlled. Now, algorithms dictate the user experience, and with feeds more crammed than ever, what once was fun and informative [...]
Is your boss a narcissistic sociopath? Here’s the five different types of office culture from conflict to collaboration May 3, 2019 Is your workplace chronically chaotic, ferocious, and riven with conflict? Is it a command-and-control environment that you and your colleagues find threatening due to coercion and Machiavellian-esque collusion? Are you in a defeated culture, where everyone is looking at compromise – a sad race to the bottom? Or is it a workplace powered by collaboration [...]
The Lloyd’s of London drinking ban isn’t the answer to alcohol-fuelled work culture May 3, 2019 Lloyd's of London has banned alcohol during work hours, and anyone found to be under the influence is now barred from the premises. Read more: Kirkland & Ellis could get stuck with 'frat' label after boozy grad event It’s an extreme measure – but one that Lloyd’s clearly feels is necessary to curb excessive drinking [...]
An honest guide to meeting props: here’s what your clicky pen, leather notebook and water bottle are really trying to say May 3, 2019 In the theatre of the commedia dell’arte, the character of Arlecchino can be recognised by two props – his mask and his slapstick. The commedia was built on archetypes, quickly establishing who a character was and how they would behave – and with that recognised, everyone could get on with the story. If someone had [...]
When the boss jumps ship, it’s up to employees not to rock the boat May 2, 2019 When Royal Bank of Scotland announced that chief executive Ross McEwan was stepping down, it didn’t take long for the news to turn to talk of remuneration packages and successors. This response is to be expected, but it does leave an important question unanswered: how will employees at the front line of the firm be [...]
DEBATE: Should we be concerned about our freedoms as the UK is placed fourth in the Nanny State Index? May 1, 2019 Should we be concerned about our freedoms as the UK is placed fourth in the Nanny State Index? Alex Deane, a Conservative commentator, says YES. The Institute of Economic Affairs is right to criticise the UK by ranking it as one of the least free countries in terms of excessive regulation of alcohol, food, and tobacco. [...]