Don’t take a backseat over staff posture April 11, 2019 You might be surprised by the impact that back issues could be having on your business. One in every five office absences are caused by back pain and related illnesses – it’s the second-highest reason staff give for needing time off work, beaten only by minor illnesses like colds or stomach bugs. This all adds up. [...]
With the AI genie firmly out of the bottle, what impact could this have on accountants? April 10, 2019 This month, the British Film Institute celebrates the late Stanley Kubrick with a retrospective of his work. One of Kubrick’s most celebrated films, 2001: A Space Odyssey, was ground-breaking in its depiction of space – and it’s extraordinary to think that all the special effects created for it were achieved entirely without CGI, over 50 [...]
Just ticking the wellbeing box isn’t enough April 10, 2019 According to the NHS, one in four people in the UK are likely to suffer from mental health issues over the course of their life. In London, where half a million people are employed, loneliness is becoming an increasingly damaging problem, with GPs calling it an epidemic “affecting all ages”. More than a social issue, [...]
The UK’s drug policy is falling behind the rest of the world April 9, 2019 Every year, thousands of people die as a result of drug misuse in the UK. And for over two decades, heroin has been the main culprit. Communities are blighted, families are ripped apart, and vulnerable people are failed by an outdated approach. The situation in Scotland is particularly dire, with a fifth of the UK’s [...]
Brexit hoped to heal the UK, but instead it leaves wounds that will not easily be closed April 9, 2019 The other day, my three-year-old son gave me a geography lesson. Him: “This is Battersea Park.” Me: “That’s right.” Him: “And Battersea Park is in London?” Me: “Yes, and we’re also in England and in Britain.” At which point he shook his head. “No,” he insisted. “Just London.” Political analysis obviously runs in the family. [...]
Government should choose outsourcing contracts based on the quality, not cost April 9, 2019 If and when the Brexit debate ever ends, politicians will return to the challenge of improving domestic politics. And one of the main questions will be the role of private companies in delivering public services. Overall, the government spends almost £300bn per year – or around a third of its total budget – on partnerships [...]
If Brexit has taught us anything, it’s that we need to be bold when it comes to world trade April 8, 2019 A little over two years ago, the first direct rail freight service from China to the UK rolled into Barking’s 165-year old station to much fanfare. Of course, the completion of this mammoth 18-day, 7,500-mile trip from the Chinese city of Yiwu marked the moment that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) reached the UK. [...]
Let’s not let rage become the prevailing story of our nation April 8, 2019 Public morality, but private depravity – a time when keeping up appearances on the outside was very much the order of the day. You have to wonder if Brexit has turned this Victorian attitude decisively on its head. No one watching the daily media scrum on College Green could argue that today’s national conversation is [...]
Sadiq Khan’s ill-conceived pollution plan only threatens London’s push to go green April 8, 2019 From today, all private hire drivers in London will have to pay the daily £11.50 congestion charge when driving in central London. This is an enormous financial burden for some of the city’s lower paid workers – costing nearly £3,000 a year for a driver earning around £25,000. It's also hugely unfair for operators, many [...]
It’s time for the pensions industry to stop taking customers for granted April 5, 2019 With workplace pension contributions increasing from tomorrow, I’m reminded of a recent industry event that I attended. During the keynote, the speaker cut to a video where members of the public were stopped on the street and asked “who is your pension provider?” Most of those questioned looked confused, unable to recall where their pensions [...]
