City firms send workers home as heatwave melts London Economics City firms have told their workers to stay away from the office this week as London is hit with a record June heatwave. Several multinational companies headquartered in the Square Mile have advised their employees to consider remote work in a bid to dodge the sweltering heat. Banking giant JP Morgan Chase is the biggest [...]
Labour warned not to kill off hybrid jobs millions rely on Politics Labour has been warned not to “regulate flexible jobs out of existence” after new polling found two-thirds of part-time workers chose their role specifically because it offered flexibility around childcare or studying. The intervention from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) comes as ministers press ahead with plans to overhaul zero-hours contracts and force employers to [...]
Hybrid working overtakes pay in race for UK tech talent Tech 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 [...]
Nigel Farage’s war on working from home is vibes-based politics February 16, 2026 Nigel Farage's attack on working from home is designed to increase headlines, not productivity, writes Eliot Wilson.
Branson-backed Virgin Active slashes losses amid WFH battle October 7, 2025 Virgin Active, the gym chain founded by Sir Richard Branson, has significantly slashed its losses as its battle with the work-from-home trend continues. The business, which runs 224 international locations, has reported a pre-ax loss of £78.1m for 2024, down significantly from the £146.7m it lost in 2023. New accounts filed with Companies House also [...]
Asda-owned Leon cuts hundreds of jobs as work from home trend bites September 17, 2025 Leon has axed hundreds of jobs as it bemoaned a “challenging” year in which it wrestled with high cost inflation and depressed customer spending. The Asda-owned fast-food chain cut its headcount by 17 per cent, or 224, to 1,120 over the course of 2024, its latest accounts show, as it sought to bear down on [...]
UK’s largest chamber of commerce on brink of collapse August 7, 2025 The largest accredited chamber of commerce in the UK is on the brink of collapse after filing a notice of intent to appoint administrators. Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, which has around 4,000 members, has cited the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath for creating “sustained financial pressures” as one of the reasons behind its current [...]
FCA staff threaten industrial action over three-days-a-week office policy July 16, 2025 Union representatives for the UK’s financial watchdog the FCA have threatened industrial action if staff are made to come into the office more than two days a week. In an open letter to the board of the FCA, Unite the Union said more than 90 per cent of its members would take action if the [...]
HSBC’s return-to-office plans risk boss’ cost-cutting ambitions June 23, 2025 HSBC’s cost-cutting agenda is set to face a major disruption as the lender faces a shortfall of desks in its office move. The banking juggernaut has been reported to be mulling a return-to-office mandate that would force employees back into the office for at least three days a week. This comes as the bank is [...]
HSBC: FTSE 100 giant mulls return to office mandate June 18, 2025 Banking juggernaut HSBC is exploring a global mandate that would force employees back into the office for at least three days a week. The lender’s considerations come straight from the top, with chief executive Georges Elhedery meeting with executives across the business to discuss a group-wide return. Discussions are still said to be going, as [...]