Workspace: London office provider struggles with customer churn January 23, 2025 Workspace’s problem with customer churn has continued to hit the London-focused firm, with occupancy in its rented offices reducing by 1.3 per cent during last quarter to 86.1 per cent. The flexible office provider completed 273 new lettings over the last quarter, for a total rental value of £6m, it said in a trading update [...]
Stuart Rose is wrong: the world has moved on from the shop floor January 21, 2025 Stuart Rose has claimed that remote working is “not proper work”. That may make sense for retail but it’s wide of the mark when it comes to legal and financial services, says John Hayes Stuart Rose, the former head of supermarkets, Asda, Ocado and M&S and one of the most influential retailers of the past [...]
Can your employer force you back to the office? January 15, 2025 Headlines have been blowing up this week with several big businesses forcing its workforce back into the office. A topic that often results in a heated debate
WPP staff made to work from the office four days a week January 7, 2025 Staff at FTSE 100 ad giant WPP will be made to come into the office four days a week under a new policy announced to staff just weeks before it is set to lose its crown as the world’s largest advertising firm to Publicis. Boss Mark Read confirmed the policy change at the London-listed media [...]
Arm the unemployed with digital skills to get Britain back to work October 28, 2024 Any plan to boost growth and prosperity has to start with turning round sick-note Britain and getting people back to work, says Matt Ashley On the 13 June, three weeks after Rishi Sunak made his surprise call for a July General Election, Labour unveiled a manifesto for wealth creation and economic growth. Sir Keir promised [...]
Making work pay is good for growth October 17, 2024 Don’t listen to populist outcry over the Employment Rights Bill, all the evidence shows protecting workers from exploitation is good for the economy, says Sam Fowles Labour workers’ rights reforms have prompted predictable howls of outrage. The Employment Rights Bill, apparently, “injects fear” into business and will “damage British competitiveness”. Ironically, the most hysterical wails [...]
Workspace: Lettings strong but occupancy declines with clients vacating October 15, 2024 Leading provider of flexible office spaces Workspace reported strong lettings in the latest quarter, but saw some of its bigger clients quit as occupancy declined. The firm said it completed 296 lettings in the second quarter of 2024, generating £7.4m in annual rental income. The London-based firm’s like-for-like occupancy rate however dipped by 0.7 per [...]
Let’s be honest… the government is gaslighting us on working from home September 19, 2024 Given the public sector’s appalling productivity record , the government should get its own house in order before giving out working from home advice to private businesses, says Matthew Lesh There is an irony in government ministers telling private enterprises how to be more productive. This week, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds claimed that creating a [...]
‘Strike right balance’ on flexible working, business groups urge Labour September 17, 2024 Ministers must allow firms to “strike the right balance” on flexible working, business lobby groups have urged. It comes after business secretary Jonathan Reynolds told The Times alternative work schedules “contribute to productivity” and could be “significant” in tackling regional inequality issues, amid debate over the government’s proposed plans for workers’ rights reforms. He said, [...]
Sir Martin Sorrell: Labour’s working week reforms won’t help firms September 17, 2024 British businessman Sir Martin Sorrell has said that altering the working week will not boost productivity in the UK, pushing back on Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s pledges to transform Britain’s work culture.