Covid: £2.5bn business rates debt looms over local councils, new analysis says June 28, 2021 UK firms now owe local councils nearly £2.5bn in unpaid business rates, according to new analysis, as the national debt crisis swells. Countless firms have seen their debt climb higher over the pandemic period, with many businesses stifled by restrictions and forced to shut their doors for several months. As relief, the government has offered [...]
Weekend Read: Fostering a company culture in a hybrid world June 26, 2021 After three lockdowns, more than a year of home working and an unprecedented vaccine rollout, firms of all sizes are slowly, cautiously, reopening and welcoming staff back to the office. But this mass return to the traditional workplace will be tough for managers and leaders on a number of levels. Motivation levels may be low, [...]
Covid: ‘No substantial outbreaks’ following mass events trial June 25, 2021 No substantial outbreaks of Covid-19 were recorded following the first part of a government trial to test mass events, a new report has found. Over 58,000 people attended nine pilot events in April and May, including a club night in Liverpool, the FA Cup final at Wembley and the Brit Awards at the O2. Just [...]
Former BT executive Leslie Winnister locked up for life for killing wife of 40 years June 25, 2021 A wealthy former BT executive who killed his wife of nearly 40 years after becoming paranoid she was having an affair with the handyman has been locked up indefinitely. Leslie Winnister, 69, had “lost touch with reality” when he attacked 66-year-old Suzanne Winnister at their home in Bexley, Kent, on 8 September last year, the [...]
Pandemic pushes pay raise and promotion anxiety among workers June 25, 2021 The pandemic has stood in the way of employees seeking pay raises and promotions, studies suggest, as lockdowns have knocked personal confidence and rocked company budgets. A survey shared with City A.M. by Love Energy Savings, which polled 1312 UK employees, found that one in three people are less comfortable asking for a pay increase post-pandemic, compared to [...]
Google delays cookie ban after UK watchdog pressure June 25, 2021 Google has delayed plans to remove third-party cookies from its Chrome browser by almost two years following pressure from rivals and competition regulators. The search engine giant had planned to ban companies from gathering users’ browsing data from January next year, but has now pushed back the move to the end of 2023. Google said [...]
Exclusive: Business chiefs call for long-term TfL funding to support return to work June 25, 2021 The government must agree a sustainable long-term funding deal for Transport for London (TfL) to help support the capital’s post-pandemic recovery, business chiefs have urged. In a new report seen by City A.M., lobby group London First said maintaining public transport services in the capital was “vital” in rebuilding confidence and supporting the shift to [...]
Ground breaking scheme rating COVID-19 safety expanded to all City businesses June 24, 2021 A pioneering scheme assessing business’ COVID-19 safety measures has been expanded to cover all City companies. The accreditation scheme, which was set up in September last year as a pilot, was the first of its kind launched by a UK governing body. Following its initial success, it was relaunched in April, to promote public confidence in [...]
City Moves: Who’s switching jobs in the Square Mile this week? June 23, 2021 City A.M.‘s Millie Turner provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every Wednesday afternoon. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. Barclays Corporate Banking appoints new head of real estate Barclays has appointed a new head of real estate for corporate banking this week, following the retirement of the former-lead. Jason Constable, [...]
More than eight in 10 UK firms plan on hybrid workforce after the pandemic June 23, 2021 Some 84 per cent of UK businesses plan on having a hybrid, flexible or remote workforce after the pandemic, according to new research. The State of Hybrid Work study, carried out by tech firm Owl Labs and covering 500 business leaders, found that only 16 per cent of companies expect workers to return to the [...]