More than 1,000 Deloitte consultants working on Test and Trace programme October 8, 2020 More than a thousand Deloitte consultants are reportedly working on the NHS Test and Trace programme, further highlighting the government’s reliance on the private sector through the pandemic. Department of Health documents released under a Freedom of Information request by Sky News reveal there are currently 1,114 consultants working on the scheme, equivalent to the [...]
London firms fear losing top talent over coronavirus salary cuts October 8, 2020 The vast majority of London firms are concerned about retaining their top talent as the pandemic forces many employees to take salary cuts. As the pandemic continues to weigh on business activity, over four in five London-based businesses are concerned about losing their top employees, according to new research by recruiter Robert Half. Of the [...]
UK businesses plan to cut jobs and investment, survey shows October 8, 2020 UK businesses expect to cut staff levels and investment over the next year, according to a new survey, with the outlook “stuck in the doldrums”. The Institute of Directors’ (IoD) survey showed that bosses’ optimism about the economy plateaued in September, having risen since the coronavirus-induced lockdowns of the spring. The UK economy shrunk by [...]
City workers committed to the commute despite PM’s working from home u-turn, TfL data shows October 7, 2020 City workers committed to the commute despite Boris Johnson's working from home u-turn, according to new Transport for London
Action on climate speaks louder than words, but communicating that action is also key September 24, 2020 Rather than being overshadowed by the pandemic, if anything Climate Week in New York — which began on Monday — has been amplified by the focus on building back greener and fairer. This is mirrored by more and more businesses making Net Zero commitments — PwC being among the organisations to announce one in recent [...]
UK watchdog to accuse KPMG of breaches in Carillion audit September 21, 2020 The UK’s accountancy watchdog has said it has delivered an initial report of KPMG’s audit of collapsed outsourcer Carillion, indicating it found a number of breaches made by the firm. After a preliminary investigation, the Financial Reporting Council would either close the enforcement case or, if breaches have been found, deliver an initial investigation report. [...]
Aspinal of London prepares to close stores due to low city centre footfall September 17, 2020 Luxury brand Aspinal of London is the latest retailer to launch a restructuring process as it seeks to close stores due to a sharp drop in city centre footfall during the coronavirus pandemic. The firm, which has 10 stores as well as concessions in Harrods and Selfridges, has unveiled a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) proposal [...]
Virtual Events With WIBF This Autumn September 16, 2020 We’re delighted to be able to offer all of our current events online via Zoom. Open to members and guests WIBF look forward to welcoming you! How Do You Use Language to Build Trust? Wednesday 16th September 2020 8:30am to 9:30amMember : FREE Guest : £6 WIBF and HSBC are delighted to welcome Anya Zhuravkina [...]
UK unemployment: Experts say job losses to jump as furlough ends September 15, 2020 UK unemployment has finally started rising. Months of economic hardship and the winding down of the furlough scheme meant 695,000 people lost their jobs between March and August, according to payroll data. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the unemployment rate rose to 4.1 per cent in the three months to July. That was [...]
M&A sprees are addictive… and they cause me to sell, sell, sell September 15, 2020 Aswath Damodaran has a blunt message for companies considering an acquisition: “Don’t do it.” “I firmly believe that acquisitions are an addiction, that once companies start to grow through acquisitions, they cannot stop,” Aswath Damodaran, Professor of Finance at New York University Stern School of Business, told the audience at the CFA Institute Equity Research [...]