British Airways owner IAG boosts liquidity with €800m convertible bond May 11, 2021 British Airways owner IAG is tapping investors for €800m to strengthen its balance sheet and take advantage of the easing of restrictions this summer. The FTSE-listed company has been hit hard by the pandemic with most of its fleet grounded due to travel restrictions. It has a weekly cash burn rate of €175m meaning its [...]
Half of British workers expect bosses to enforce mandatory jabs, survey shows May 11, 2021 Half of Britain’s workers expect their bosses to demand a vaccine passport before they can return to the workplace, according to a new study. The research, conducted by BrightHR, studied 5,000 British workers across various sectors. It found that just 17 per cent of employees have had a conversation about their companies’ policy on vaccines, [...]
90 per cent of businesses may replace staff who struggle to work from home May 10, 2021 As businesses are gradually planning for a ‘new normal’ post-Covid, this is likely to impact recruitment decisions over the next 12 months. The vast majority of companies – namely 90 percent – that was surveyed by expenses firm Expense On Demand indicated that they are likely to replace staff who were unable or struggled to [...]
Exclusive: Quarter of UK businesses to close or downsize offices as UK embraces hybrid working May 10, 2021 More than a quarter (26%) of UK businesses will either close, downsize or consolidate their offices in the coming months, as companies move to hybrid working models. More than half (53%) of businesses plan to offer more flexible or remote working policies, while 30 per cent are expecting employees in the office between one and [...]
Everything you need to know before catching the Paris Eurostar May 10, 2021 Remember when all you needed to leave the country was a ticket and your passport? Quite apart from the fact that holidays remain illegal, even if you do have a “reasonable excuse” to travel – say, for work – the paperwork required is extremely complicated and the Covid testing both inconvenient and costly (I needed [...]
The City skyline is changing and will earn its keep as a world-leader May 10, 2021 The Government will this week set out whether England can take the next step in its roadmap for easing lockdown restrictions as expected on 17 May. The data seems positive, so we hope to see more people returning to the Square Mile soon for work, hospitality, shopping and everything else on offer – other than, [...]
Lloyds in talks over £400m deal for retirement group Embark May 9, 2021 Lloyds Bank is in talks over a £400m deal to acquire retirement products provider Embark in what would be its biggest acquisition since it returned to private ownership four years ago. The lender is close to finalising a deal and an announcement could come as early as this month, Sky News reported. Embark, which was [...]
Square Mile’s largest employers embrace hybrid working, the details May 8, 2021 The majority of the largest employers in the City of London have vowed to continue with some sort of hybrid approach to working, after pandemic-led restrictions forced the biggest home working experiment in history. With Covid-19 cases falling and millions of people successfully vaccinated, staff are trickling back into London’s offices, and companies are turning [...]
Has Covid changed the shape of London forever? May 6, 2021 After a rollercoaster year and a half, our economy is preparing to burst back to life. Fuelled by the joint success of the vaccine rollout and our effort in the third lockdown, we are now fighting back against our invisible foe that has, and continues, to wreak havoc around the world. Yet, life as we know [...]
London-born Eastenders actor claims he is facing deportation to Jamaica May 6, 2021 A London-born actor has claimed he is facing deportation to Jamaica, just days after the Home Office opened visa pathways for winners of awards. After battles with the Home Office, Ace Ruele Aristotles’ Limited Leave to Remain was downgraded to temporary and must be renewed every 30 months, costing £2,389 each time. “Why should I [...]