DEBATE: Is it time to get back to the office? July 3, 2020 Is it time to get back to the office? Rod Flavell, chief executive of FDM Group, says YES. The lockdown measures were a necessary step in tackling the virus, but it’s time to get our economy moving again. Millions of workers have now been at home for several months, and while web conferencing has served [...]
Pride in a pandemic: Putting intersectionality top of the agenda July 3, 2020 The most vulnerable and marginalised members of society have faced the worst consequences of this global health crisis. Coronavirus has highlighted the many ways in which issues related to gender and sexual identity, race, and socioeconomic circumstances all intersect. Equality is becoming one of the defining narratives of this pandemic. People are waking up to [...]
Equality is a business imperative, so let’s close the ethnicity pay gap July 3, 2020 I am often asked how business leaders decide who is the best candidate for a team or an organisation. Of course, there’s no one reason or answer. It’s about understanding the relevance of skills you need and the context of the role you are hiring for. You might be looking to create energy and pace [...]
EU court rules against Blackrock in VAT exemption case July 2, 2020 Blackrock’s UK arm is not exempt from paying value added tax (VAT) on part of a service from an outside supplier to help manage its funds, an EU court ruled today. The world’s biggest asset manager had argued that between 2010 and 2013 it should not have to pay VAT on all the services given, [...]
The taxing question of unsustainable corporate debt July 2, 2020 Although we are by no means out of the danger zone, eyes are starting to turn away from how the UK’s businesses can survive the Covid-19 crisis and towards how to rebuild the economy in the longer term. However, there is a very real issue facing the UK economy as a whole: are our levels [...]
How to be a great boss in the era of Covid-19 July 2, 2020 In the 1980s, corporate leadership was all about command and control. It was the era of presenteeism, of leaving your jacket on the back of your chair for your boss to see. Just like baggy jeans and grunge music, it went out with the millennium. Then came its polar opposite: formal, intimidating bosses were replaced [...]
Move over, US: time for a new stock market leader? July 1, 2020 | City Talk The US has dominated stock market returns globally ever since the Global Financial Crisis. But nothing lasts forever… Dominance in almost any walk of life goes in cycles. Just ask Manchester United fans or MySpace users… Well, the same can be said of markets. They also go through periods when certain regions (or companies) seem [...]
Let’s not miss this opportunity to upskill our dormant workforce July 1, 2020 Today, we mark 100 days since lockdown began — and for many of us, that has meant three months of unforeseen “me-time”. As our economy begins to reopen and recover, some may be regretting not yet having taken the chance to finally learn to juggle, play the trumpet, or simply get out and jog more [...]
FCA extends credit card payment freeze until October July 1, 2020 A credit card payments freeze could be extended for another three months for customers still suffering from the economic impact of coronavirus, the financial watchdog said today. After imposing a three-month pause on repayments for those struggling amid the fallout of the pandemic on the economy, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has said firms must [...]
FCA puts UK banks on notice on overdrafts but will not open formal inquiry July 1, 2020 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will not open a formal inquiry into overdraft charges by UK banks, but said there would be a full evaluation of lenders’ pricing next year. In January, the financial watchdog gave banks just two weeks to explain changes to their overdraft rates which would leave around eight million consumers worse [...]
