The road towards a greener, cleaner Square Mile July 20, 2020 As the UK starts to rebuild its economy in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, it is crucial that the plan is developed with tackling climate change at its heart. We need to shape a greener, fairer and more resilient City. And we want the whole Square Mile to play its part. That’s why last [...]
Airlines call on Rishi Sunak to waive passenger tax for 12 months July 20, 2020 The UK’s airlines have renewed calls for a 12-month waiver from paying Air Passenger Duty (APD) in a bid to protect the industry from damage from the coronavirus crisis. A new survey from industry body Airlines UK has found that without such a waiver, 600 air routes will be lost in the short-term, as well [...]
Deloitte: Big UK businesses fear late 2021 recovery July 20, 2020 Nearly half of Britain’s biggest companies think it will take until the second half of 2021 to post a recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey that cast doubt on hopes for a speedier rebound. Accountants Deloitte said 49 per cent of chief financial officers from large and mostly listed companies forecast a [...]
Finance chiefs expect slow business recovery from coronavirus pandemic July 20, 2020 Finance bosses do not expect business to bounce back quickly after the coronavirus pandemic, with many forecasting that demand will not recover until the second half of next year. Research by Deloitte found that 49 per cent of chief financial officers do not believe that demand for their business will return to pre-pandemic levels until [...]
Dividend recovery ‘could take six years’ after record-breaking fall July 20, 2020 Shareholder payouts could take up to six years to recover to pre-coronavirus pandemic levels, the latest research has shown, after companies were forced to slash dividends during the crisis. Dividends were down £22bn to £16.1bn in the second quarter of the year, a record fall of 57.2 per cent year on year. Underlying dividends, excluding [...]
Contact tracing is a legal minefield for businesses July 17, 2020 In the age of Big Data, where the always-on digital assistant and ever more intrusive geo-tracking technology reign, it is perhaps inevitable that our efforts to control Covid-19 seem to depend on developing technology to monitor individuals’ movements. Every wave of innovation that has birthed these technologies has brought with it fresh regulatory concern. The [...]
Experience you can count on: Older workers are an untapped pool of business talent July 17, 2020 Businesses of all sizes across the UK are grappling with how to emerge from the Covid lockdown, re-engage with their customers and suppliers, and — for many in more adversely impacted sectors — sadly how to make parts of their workforce redundant. Job cuts have obviously been a major concern, as evidenced by the chancellor’s [...]
Your career break is an asset, not a hindrance, to your job application July 16, 2020 Returning to the corporate world after a long break can be challenging at the best of times. You might have spent the last couple of years flexing your creative muscles, running a startup, or travelling the world. Whatever your reason for leaving – and whatever your reason for coming back – it can feel like you [...]
Apple’s victory throws EU’s digital tax into doubt July 16, 2020 Apple’s successful appeal against a €13.1bn fine from the European Commission could leave the EU’s digital tax strategy at risk of unravelling, experts have warned. A top European court yesterday annulled a decision passed by the Commission in 2016 ordering Apple to pay Ireland more than €13bn in back taxes. It said the executive body [...]
Retail restraint: John Lewis and Primark decline government help to play the long game July 16, 2020 For retail, the story of Covid-19 has been one of survival. Inevitably, the sector has looked to the government for assistance. Even the most hardened devotee of the free market has seen the Treasury’s coffers as a life belt to help companies get through the worst of the pandemic. Change and adaptation can come later. [...]