Plan B blows UK economic recovery off course January 6, 2022 The imposition of Plan B in a bid to flush out a wave of Omicron cases whacked the British economy last month, reveals a closely watched survey released today. Brits were encouraged to work from home and limit socialising in December, igniting a mass exodus from city centres and high streets, dealing a heavy blow [...]
Sadiq Khan hits out at rail union over planned six-month Tube strike January 6, 2022 Sadiq Khan has hit out at the UK’s largest rail union for its planned Tube strike tomorrow, saying that the long-term industrial action will “cause further devastation” for London’s economy. London Underground staff from the The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) will walk off the job on Friday and Saturday evenings [...]
Octopus Energy: We don’t know how much the consumer price cap will rise in April January 6, 2022 It is impossible to predict how much household bills will rise after the next review of the consumer price cap, warned Octopus' chief executive.
HSBC, Bank of America and UBS urge new work routines for Hong Kong staff January 6, 2022 Large financiers have urged new work routines for their Hong Kong offices, as the city-state imposes a two-week Covid-19 circuit breaker. Tightened restrictions from January 8 to January 21 will see flights grounded from the UK, as well as the US, Canada, Australia, France, India, Pakistan and the Philippines. HSBC, which employs some 30,000 [...]
Back British: Tech boss calls on UK pension funds to invest at home January 6, 2022 The boss of a national start-up group has called on pension funds to back British tech businesses and “take more of an interest in the next generation of UK companies”. Gerard Grech, CEO of TechNation, which works with smaller tech firms to boost growth, said that the UK was a global leader in technology but [...]
Baroness Lane Fox on digitalisation, accessibility and equality January 6, 2022 This article first appeared in ICAS’ CA magazine. Digitalisation is supercharging business practice, but it must not happen at the expense of accessibility and equality, Baroness Lane Fox tells Laurence Eastham Baroness Martha Lane Fox is one of the UK’s leading voices in technology and digital transformation. It’s a reputation that has been well earned, not [...]
Pub bosses implore January teetotallers to not avoid local after dry Christmas January 5, 2022 Hospitality leaders have called on customers to keep visiting the pub this month, after venues lost out on sales this Christmas. Pubs, particularly in city hotspots, faced waves of cancellations this Christmas while office workers were also instructed to work from home under Plan B Covid measures. Now, bosses have urged customers to keep supporting [...]
Investment in London office space returns to pre-pandemic levels January 5, 2022 Investment into London offices has returned to pre-pandemic levels, new research has revealed, after the pandemic nearly killed off the traditional workplace. Investors pumped £11.3bn into office transactions last year, preliminary data from property agent CBRE found, matching 2019’s figure. The cash injection was nearly 50 per cent higher than the £7.6bn recorded in 2020, [...]
Exclusive: Long-term rise in mental-health related fit notes at work due to pandemic isolation January 5, 2022 A long-term increase of around 5 per cent in the proportion of fit notes issued for mental health reasons is a direct result of increased anxiety around working during the pandemic and three harsh lockdowns in the UK, according to new data shared exclusively with City A.M. A fit note is an official document written [...]
The three potential metaversal consequences of QEndless January 5, 2022 Dr Chris Kacher examines how the world is on a knife edge, but could a metaversal snowflake create an avalanche to tip the scales?