Just ticking the wellbeing box isn’t enough April 10, 2019 According to the NHS, one in four people in the UK are likely to suffer from mental health issues over the course of their life. In London, where half a million people are employed, loneliness is becoming an increasingly damaging problem, with GPs calling it an epidemic “affecting all ages”. More than a social issue, [...]
Technology, leadership, and change – business leaders must prepare for their next act April 9, 2019 "Everything flows, nothing stands still” (Heraclitus, 501 BC). Quite a lot has changed in 2,500 years, but that quote still rings true. We are surrounded by a flow of constant and accelerated change. And in such times of change, the art of decision-making is more significant than ever. While this added weight of responsibility might [...]
After Brexit, will Britain remain a land of opportunity? Apprentice star Mark Wright shares his views on startups and the economy April 9, 2019 Winning a reality TV show isn’t normally considered a recipe for success. The stars of such programmes usually end up plastered across the tabloids, followed by performing in a Christmas pantomime somewhere in rural England. But the BBC’s The Apprentice is an altogether different beast. With the backing of business mogul Lord Alan Sugar, the [...]
Office banter? Bosses left fuming by buzzwords that have literally no substance April 8, 2019 People who use buzzwords such as “literally,” “yolo” and “banter” in the workplace are liable to leave their employers foaming at the mouth, according to research. Britain’s bosses are fed up with hearing their co-workers and candidates spouting “annoying buzzwords,” because they make communication difficult, isolate those who don’t know what they mean and lack [...]
Chilango, burrito bonds, and London – the boss of the Mexican food chain talks about the virtues of crowdfunding April 8, 2019 After interviewing Eric Partaker, the co-founder of burrito chain Chilango, he says I should try the food at his elaborately decorated restaurant on Cannon Street. I ask what he recommends, and instead of picking from the regular menu, he suggests I sample the “Noah’s Ark” – a lunch box containing all the meat options. A [...]
Baby Spice’s baby startup Kit & Kin breaks record for fastest angel investment April 8, 2019 An eco-friendly baby product business founded by former Spice Girls singer Emma Bunton has broken a record for the fastest fundraising round from angel investors. Kit & Kin achieved its target of £420,000 in just one week through online site Angel Investment Network (AIN), the fastest raise in the platform’s history. Read more: Software retains [...]
The City ‘must change everything’ to improve gender diversity, says L&G personal investing boss Helena Morrissey April 7, 2019 The Square Mile must overhaul its entire structure in order to achieve gender diversity, according to City heavyweight Helena Morrissey. Morrissey, head of personal investing at Legal & General (L&G), said that change is happening too slowly, and called for all processes from recruitment to performance measurement to be challenged to boost diversity. Read more: [...]
Stop unfairly demonising firms that have large gender pay gaps April 5, 2019 Bad data cannot produce good policy. This gets us to the heart of the problem with the mandated gender pay gap reporting legislation, which is now into its second year. It’s all good and well finding a hook to speak about cultural issues. And no doubt, women are still operating in an unequal world, even [...]
Apprenticeship levy unlikely to meet target of 3m starts by 2020, admits minister April 5, 2019 A controversial tax designed to shake up the apprenticeship system will likely fail to meet its original targets, according to the government minister in charge of it. The apprenticeship levy, a tax on business designed to fund 3m apprenticeships by 2020, has caused the number of apprenticeship starts to plummet since its introduction two years [...]
Some things are better left unread – here’s why you need to ditch the office email April 5, 2019 Email can feel like a quick, modern form of communication, but in reality it could not be more outdated. In the world of business, we’ve been using this same format for decades. And now the wear marks are starting to show. Sure, email is easy enough to use. It has its advantages. But the conversations [...]