Editorial: Slashing staff pay for remote work is a slap-dash response to the shifts of the pandemic August 11, 2021 To say the cost of living in London is more expensive than the cost of living in rural Sussex is so obvious, it hardly bears repeating. By every price index, rent, transport, coffee, pints or food, London tops the charts. Companies have always forked out more money for employees who live in expensive metropolitan cities. [...]
DEBATE: Are too many people going to university? August 11, 2021 Another A-level results day has come and gone. After even more disruption during the school year, a record number of school leavers achieved an A or A*, prompting fears there would be too many students who make their grades and not enough places at university. Many have argued the traditional focus on university is outdated. [...]
Why you should break out the tweed for the Glorious Twelfth August 10, 2021 In Britain, 12 August – AKA the Glorious Twelfth – is the first day of the season for red grouse. This is not just tradition but law: read the Game Act 1831 for further details. It is a day of great excitement and activity on our vast grouse moors, so big they account for nearly [...]
Future of work: ‘Freedom Day’ fails to trigger mass return to the office August 9, 2021 “Freedom Day” has failed to trigger a mass return to the office, according to new data published today. Research from Remit Consulting shows the proportion of staff in the office in the UK hit 11.7 per cent in July, a meager increase from 11.1 per cent before the Work From Home guidance was dropped by [...]
Depop to move London HQ as pandemic sales boost Gen-Z app August 9, 2021 Online fashion marketplace Depop has signed the lease on a new headquarters in Farringdon, East London. The second hand clothing app saw over 100 per cent growth in gross merchandise sales (GMS) and revenues during 2020. Now, the brand will move from its current Shoreditch base to a site of some 30,000 sq ft of [...]
Hipgnosis buys up iconic Fleetwood Mac songs August 9, 2021 Hipgnosis, a Guernsey-based fund which invests in music and its IP rights, has purchased songs from one of the main writers for Fleetwood Mac. Christine McVie sang on five albums for the band between 1971 and 1974 and wrote tracks for many of its most iconic releases including Rumours, Tusk, Tango in the Night and [...]
Cabinet ministers plan big push to get civil servants back to Whitehall August 9, 2021 Cabinet ministers are planning a big drive to get civil servants back to the office after concerns grow regarding the lack of staff at desks. Senior cabinet ministers have expressed their concern at the number of those still working from home, with one telling The Times that career prospects should be mentioned in the drive [...]
House prices rise but annual growth slows to 7.6 per cent as ‘steadier period’ predicted August 6, 2021 Houses prices rose again in July but slower annual growth suggests the market may be ‘cooling’, according to Halifax House Price Index data published today. The average cost of a property in the UK is now £261,221, up 0.4 per cent from June, adding £1,122 to the price of an average house. Annual growth fell [...]
The Office: Clean air becoming a key part of the return August 6, 2021 If London is to get back on its economic feet after the COVID-19 pandemic, it needs workers to come back to the office. Many people are saying that the future of work will be different, with employees requesting more of a balance between office and home working. Maybe so, but some employers will insist on [...]
Government enlists nightclubs to help boost vaccine take-up in young adults August 6, 2021 A series of nightclubs and leading figures in the nightlife industry have signed up to help the government increase the vaccine roll-out among young adults. Nightclubs like Ministry of Sound will display messaging encouraging people to get the Covid vaccine during events. Soho venue Heaven, which famously hosts the club night G-A-Y, will also act [...]