Business groups cautiously welcome government’s back to work campaign August 28, 2020 UK business groups have welcomed the government’s back to work campaign with some caution, calling for more guidance and government incentives. The government will launch a major media campaign next week to promote the advantages of returning to work and reassure employees about safety measures. It comes after a swathe of major City firms announced [...]
Exclusive: Majority of companies will allow staff to work from home August 28, 2020 The vast majority of UK companies will continue to give employees the choice to work from home, as the pandemic triggers a structural shift in working patterns, according to an exclusive survey for City A.M. The outbreak of coronavirus forced an overnight move to remote working, with the majority of firms closing their doors [...]
Pret a Manger to axe 2,800 jobs as sales fall to lowest level in a decade August 27, 2020 High street stalwart Pret a Manger said today that it would cut 2,800 jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen sales drop to levels last seen a decade ago. The announcement comes after Pret earlier this year revealed that it would not reopen 30 of its restaurants after the lockdown ended. [...]
UK firms cut more than 106,000 jobs amid coronavirus pandemic August 19, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has battered the UK economy since it arrived in early 2020 – and no sector has remained unscathed, with more than 100,000 job cuts planned during the pandemic. The government’s furlough scheme has allowed millions of people to keep getting a paycheck, but fears are growing that when this is phased out [...]
London calling: Why it’s time to bring life back to our city’s streets August 10, 2020 Despite a tentative easing of the national lockdown, the lingering economic and social consequences of this policy are frighteningly obvious to anyone venturing into central London. While social life and economic activity has, to a large extent, returned to the outer zones and suburbs, the offices and shops of London’s professional districts remain eerily and [...]
Pret A Manger to cut staff hours in coronavirus restructuring August 9, 2020 Pret A Manger has asked thousands of its staff to work fewer hours, as the lunch chain restructures its business after the coronavirus pandemic. Staff will work 20 per cent fewer hours on average, as footfall remains low. It follows an announcement by Pret last month that it would be closing 30 outlets and cutting [...]
UK workers slowest in Europe to return to the office August 6, 2020 British office workers have been much slower to return to their desks than counterparts in France, Germany, Italy and Spain as they continue to work from home, according to new research. Just over one-third of UK white-collar employees have returned to work since the lockdown, compared to almost three-quarters of staff in Europe, according to [...]
Barclays urges staff back to the office as HSBC eyes September return July 29, 2020 Barclays boss Jes Staley has indicated he wants employees to return to the office, as HSBC reportedly tells its staff they can work in Canary Wharf from September. Speaking to Bloomberg TV today, Staley said: “It is important to get people back together in physical concentrations.” He has previously said big city offices “may be [...]
McDonald’s, KFC and Wetherspoon among chains to slash prices after government VAT cut July 15, 2020 High street cafe and restaurant chains including McDonald’s, KFC and Wetherspoon have slashed prices in response to the government’s decision to cut VAT for the sector. Chancellor Rishi Sunak last week announced that VAT would be reduced from 20 per cent to five per cent for hospitality and tourism businesses. Fast food favourites and casual [...]
Shakespeare: Enforced working from home takes away key customers for commuter reliant brands July 8, 2020 In my previous column I discussed how Pret A Manger’s COVID-19 response earned them admiration from the British public by carefully planning store openings, abiding with social distancing measures and offering free NHS worker perks. Unfortunately it appears that this hasn’t been enough to ensure the brand survives coronavirus completely intact. This week Pret A [...]