Tories pledge to scrap mandatory time off for union reps April 27, 2026 The Conservative Party has pledged to scrap the legal requirement for employers to offer paid time off for union representatives. Tory shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith will announce the policy on Monday, which he says will free up taxpayer cash to be spent on cutting NHS waiting lists and filling potholes. Union reps are currently [...]
Guaranteed hours rules would threaten jobs, government warned April 27, 2026 Four leading trade bodies have warned the government that new rules around guaranteed hours would increase unemployment and prevent young people from entering the jobs market. The industry bodies have raised concerns over Labour’s guaranteed hours policy, a part of the Employment Rights Act which became law in December. The British Retail Consortium, Food and [...]
Hybrid working overtakes pay in race for UK tech talent April 14, 2026 Hybrid working has overtaken salary as the main way UK firms are competing for tech talent, according to new research seen by City AM, as skills shortages intensify across the sector. Data from International Workplace Group found 37 per cent of businesses now cite hybrid working as their primary strategy to attract talent, ahead of [...]
Businesses brace for costs as new workers’ rights kick in April 7, 2026 Businesses across Britain are bracing for a sharp hike in costs and hiring struggles as the government’s new workers’ rights laws begin to take effect this week. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), a leading trade body, said the Employment Rights Act risks adding to an onslaught of rising cost pressures facing firms, including wage hikes [...]
China overtakes UK in AI talent race March 30, 2026 China is overtaking the UK in the global race for AI talent, as a growing share of the world’s leading researchers are trained and retained domestically rather than moving to Britain or Europe. Data cited by The Economist shows that at the 2025 conference on Neural Information Processing Systems, half of all presenting researchers began [...]
Being an MP is a miserable job – but why must they inflict it on the rest of us? March 26, 2026 With all the stress that comes with their own job, you'd think MPs would have more empathy for the rest of us, writes Emma Revell.
Natwest sells HR advisory arm in latest structure overhaul March 25, 2026 Natwest has sold its human resources advisory arm to a private-equity backed rival in the latest deal by the banking giant on the road to streamlining its operations. The FTSE 100 titan has offloaded Mentor – its small business HR support service – to Empowering People Group, a specialist HR service backed by Limerston Capital. [...]
Ex-Battersea Power Station boss takes owners to court over dismissal March 19, 2026 The former boss of Battersea Power Station has launched legal action against the owners of the iconic London landmark after being dismissed from his role in May. A £9bn project has transformed Battersea Power Station from a disused, decommissioned site to a 42-acre estate with 2,000 homes and 60 companies in under a decade. Don O’Sullivan, formerly [...]
John Lewis boss: Labour must keep pledge to reform business rates March 12, 2026 Labour must honour its manifesto promise to fundamentally reform the business rates system, John Lewis boss Jason Tarry has said. The retail chairman said the changes at last year’s Budget were positive for retail but offered a “short-term” fix to a system which unfairly disadvantages physical retailers as opposed to online shops. Chancellor Rachel Reeves [...]
Labour’s branding of ambition as ‘masculine’ is a disturbing revelation March 11, 2026 New Labour guidelines telling businesses to rid their job ads of 'masculine' terms like 'ambitious' is sending completely the wrong message.