New standards for equal opportunities could pave way for a better working future April 20, 2021 Firms across the world have been attempting to codify their efforts on equal opportunities, and a new set of global standards may do just that. Christiane Bisanzio writes why her firm has signed up. Last week, the World Economic Forum released its eagerly awaited report into the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on gender pay. [...]
Homeworkers less likely to be promoted or get bonus than office counterparts April 19, 2021 People who mainly worked from home prior to the pandemic were far less likely to have received a promotion or a bonus compared with their office-based counterparts. A new study by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows that true gulf of the divide in professional opportunities for those who work from home as opposed to [...]
We need tougher consumer protection to end the hours of hold music when things go wrong April 19, 2021 It might have been for your cancelled two-week summer holiday. Or it could have been that parcel you ordered that never arrived. First comes the disappointment and frustration, then the dread. You are now staring down the barrel of what could be a lengthy, painful battle with a customer service team to get your money [...]
German-British businesses plot increased investment in UK despite Brexit April 19, 2021 More than a third of German-British businesses now plan to increase their investment in the UK over the medium term, a complete turnaround from six months ago. A new survey from the German-British Chamber of Commerce shows that 35 per cent of such firms now think they will raise investment, up from just 5.0 per [...]
UK tech optimism hits seven-year high on recovery hopes April 19, 2021 UK tech companies are now more optimistic about their short-term growth prospects than at any time over the last seven years, according to new figures published today. Firms in the burgeoning British tech sector reported strong confidence that business activity will bounce back strongly after the latest national lockdown and as Brexit-related uncertainty among clients [...]
Bitcoin slumps as cryptocurrency sheds record gains April 18, 2021 Bitcoin fell as much as 14 per cent today, shedding most of the volatile cryptocurrency’s gains over the last year. The digital asset has surged so far this year as it begins to gain mainstream acceptance as an investment and as a form of payment. But it dropped as much as 15 per cent to [...]
Sunday Sitdown: Investors look past political changes as Brexit offers a chance to alter investment regulation, says City veteran April 18, 2021 More than 440 firms in banking and financial services have relocated part of their business, moved employees or set up new entities in the EU following Brexit. Dublin and Paris are the go-to destinations, as banks have moved or plan to move more than £900bn in assets to the EU, equivalent to 10 per cent [...]
FTSE 100 pushes above 7,000 for first time since Covid crash as Wall Street hits new records April 16, 2021 London’s FTSE 100 rose above the 7,000-mark today for the first time since Covid pummelled financial markets last year. Across the Atlantic, Wall Street again hit new record highs on the back of a bumper set of earnigns from America’s banking giants. Speedy vaccine rollouts and government policy support has lifted investor confidence about a [...]
UK population growth hit record low, ONS data suggests April 16, 2021 The UK population grew by just 0.5 per cent from 2019 to June last year, in what would be one of the smallest increases on record. Preliminary analysis by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) suggested that the population grew by 316,000 people, to 67.1m in total. “There is significant interest in what impact the [...]
Europe car sales pick up speed in March to erase early-year declines April 16, 2021 Europe’s monthly car sales leaped 63 per cent in March as markets overcame Covid restrictions to recover from a pandemic crash, according to new data. Registrations in the EU, EFTA and UK markets rose to 1.39 million year-on-year, data from industry association ACEA showed on Friday. The resurgence erased an early-year decline to shoot sales [...]