The rise in insecure work is costing the Exchequer £4bn a year, warns the TUC February 14, 2017 The sharp rise in insecure work across the UK is costing the government – to the tune of nearly £4bn a year in lost tax income and benefit pay-outs. That's according to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), which says that total represents nearly a quarter of the social care budget spent in England. Its new [...]
The worrying tale of how my business made $515m more than Snapchat last year February 14, 2017 The marketing and media agency I co-founded likely made at least $1bn more profit than Uber last year. We also made $515m more than Snapchat and $450m more than Twitter. This isn’t because we did anything particularly remarkable. We just stuck to the basic business principle that it’s better to make money than lose it. [...]
Ford gears up for a major AI investment to boost its self-driving car offerings February 11, 2017 Ford is spending big to up its game in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector. The US carmaker said it will invest $1bn (£800m) over the next five years in Argo AI, an AI software and robotics technology startup, to support its autonomous vehicle development. Pittsburgh-based Argo AI, which was founded by former Google and Uber leaders, will work to develop a [...]
What the experts think the Pimlico Plumbers ruling means for the gig economy February 10, 2017 The Court of Appeals ruled against Pimlico Plumbers in a case concerning employment status today. The court ruled that Gary Smith, previously a plumber with the company, was a "worker", and as such should have been afforded basic workers' rights, such as sick pay. This is how legal experts reacted to the court's decision: Continuing the trend [...]
Pimlico Plumbers loses appeal in employment status case February 10, 2017 Pimlico Plumbers has lost its court appeal over the employment status of one of its workers. The case was brought after a ruling in favour of one of the company's "self-employed" plumbers, Gary Smith. Smith had worked as a "self-employed" plumber for the Charlie Mullins-owned company for six years and in 2010, after suffering a heart attack, [...]
The UK sharing economy’s set to grow by billions this year despite scrutiny February 9, 2017 The popularity of on-demand services such as Uber, Deliveroo and Airbnb is set to boom, with the value of the UK's sharing economy predicted to grow my more than 60 per cent this year. Despite scrutiny from government, the desire for services at the tap of a smartphone app will continue according to the research from PwC, which has also [...]
When fintechs and banks go speed dating February 8, 2017 While the seemingly age-old debate about whether fintech startups will kill banks still rages on, FinovateEurope demonstrates why that question is now largely redundant – things have moved on. The 80 startups on stage at the two day event in the heart of the City are pitching the banks, insurers and City institutions in attendance more [...]
The language of love sweet-talks the City February 7, 2017 Parisians are often stereotyped as being a little rude. While this may ring true with anyone who has ever tried to catch a waiter’s eye in one of the city’s restaurants, yesterday it was all charm and warmth as a delegation from the French capital set out their stall to City execs. Paris joins the [...]
Investing in automation: If robots are coming for your job, how can you make money out of it? February 7, 2017 "Robots are coming to take our jobs,” scream the headlines. The debate around automation has become alarmingly dichotomous – either your job requires skills which are resistant to computers and machines, or you’re destined for the scrap heap. The reality is probably more nuanced. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, it is unlikely that specific jobs [...]
A gig economy inquiry by MPs hears a tale of two Uber drivers February 6, 2017 Uber drivers have given evidence to MPs scrutinising the rise of the gig economy and its implications for workers, painting two very different pictures of their experience with the company. "There is no flexibility," said Uber driver David Dunn, giving evidence to the work and pensions committee chaired by Frank Field, who last year accused Uber of treating its drivers [...]