PwC buys mindfulness app for all staff amid coronavirus crisis November 6, 2020 Audit giant PwC has bought a 12 month subscription to a mindfulness app for all 22,000 staff across the UK business. City AM understands the chosen app is ‘Headspace’, a mobile app that aims to help users feel less stressed through a combination of meditation, mindfulness and better sleep. In a note to all partners [...]
TfL to start ferry service at Hammersmith Bridge November 5, 2020 The Department for Transport has announced a ferry service will begin at Hammersmith Bridge just days after it hammered out a new bailout with TfL. In a statement this evening the transport department said that, as part of the London bailout, TfL has been “required to procure a ferry service for passengers across the Thames [...]
Building business resilience for a better future November 5, 2020 | City Talk The standout figure from EY’s latest profit warning analysis is the 34% of companies that have issued a profit warning in the first nine months of 2020. That’s over a third of companies that have materially downgraded their earnings forecasts at least once, compared with 23% in the whole of 2001 and 18% in 2008. [...]
Luxury hotel group Mandarin Oriental warns of ‘significant’ full-year loss November 5, 2020 Luxury hotel group Mandarin Oriental today warned that it will report a “significant” loss for the full year after demand for city centre accommodation crashed during the coronavirus pandemic. The firm, which counts a five-star Knightsbridge hotel among its portfolio, said business levels remain low in most locations due to Covid-19 restrictions. Manderin Oriental this [...]
Bombardier faces SFO probe over Indonesia contracts November 5, 2020 The Serious Fraud Office has confirmed it is investigating aircraft manufacturer Bombardier over suspected bribery and corruption relating to contracts and orders from Garuda Indonesia. It comes after an Indonesian court sentenced Garuda Indonesia’s former chief executive, Emirsyah Satar, to prison in May for bribery and money laundering offences linked to the procurement of planes [...]
Superdry pins hopes on Black Friday sales during lockdown November 5, 2020 Superdry is cutting prices and targeting strong online Black Friday sales while its stores are closed during the coronavirus lockdown in England. The fashion retailer, which today reported that total revenue declined 23.3 per cent in the first half of the year, said it is focused on boosting ecommerce sales on Black Friday. It has [...]
Germany and Sweden removed from UK’s quarantine-free travel corridor list November 5, 2020 Germany and Sweden removed from UK's quarantine-free travel corridor list
Drinkers and shoppers flock to high streets to toast last night before lockdown November 5, 2020 Drinkers and shoppers flocked to pubs and high streets yesterday ahead of the introduction of a new nationwide coronavirus lockdown in England. The latest footfall data showed that high street visitor numbers surged 23.5 per cent on Wednesday compared to the previous week as consumers squeezed in a final pint or shopping trip before restrictions [...]
British Airways suspends all flights from Gatwick due to second lockdown November 5, 2020 British Airways has reportedly scaled back its operations for November, including the suspension of all flights from Gatwick airport, due to the new lockdown in England. Already struggling with a hit to demand from the pandemic, the airline has also taken the decision to furlough more staff as it braces for a difficult winter. In [...]
Zurich spends £1m on employee upskilling drive November 5, 2020 Insurance giant Zurich has spent £1million upskilling existing employees to combat an upcoming skills shortage. Zurich has identified 270 robotics, data science and cyber security jobs that, if employees are not reskilled, could go unfilled by 2024. The business is on a mission to retrain 3,000 UK employees – two-thirds of its workforce – over [...]