Can office workers save the day for local businesses ravaged by Covid-19? September 2, 2020 The sudden shift to remote working put in place by the majority of UK businesses may herald the end of the office, at least as we know it. Five months and multiple government campaigns later, and the shift to the kitchen table continues, seemingly unabated. According to a survey from US bank Morgan Stanley, just [...]
The City View: Linda Plant, The Apprentice interrogator, on why working from home must come to an end September 2, 2020 In this episode Christian talks to entrepreneur and business coach Linda Plant about why she thinks working from home is overrated and unsustainable. Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS Linda says that in addition to the economic consequences of ghost-town city centres, the lack of human contact and creative sparks is bad for business. She knows not everyone [...]
Labour peer David Blunkett calls for workers to return to office September 1, 2020 Lord David Blunkett has thrown his weight behind calls for workers to return to the office, urging Brits to “be confident” about getting back to normal life. The Labour peer today warned the government’s stay at home messaging was still resonating with many people. “Getting parents to be confident about their children going to school, [...]
Central London dry cleaning firms struggle as workers stay at home September 1, 2020 London’s dry cleaning firms could be the next casualty of the coronavirus crisis as workers continue to stay away from city centres, the industry has warned. A sustained drop in the number of office workers and tourists visiting central London could put many dry cleaning businesses at risk of closure. The government has launched a [...]
Coronavirus: Government begins to wind down furlough scheme September 1, 2020 Companies using the coronavirus furlough scheme will now have to contribute to workers’ wages as the government begins to wind down its emergency support. The job retention scheme, introduced in March, has paid 80 per cent of salaries for workers on temporary leave, capped at £2,500 per month. From today this will be reduced to [...]
How to ease back to the gym: What to avoid and how to set new habits August 29, 2020 August is usually a dead month for the City, with so many people travelling away for the month. But this year it’s a real ghost town. Thankfully, every week I write these articles, it gets a little busier. And now that office life is starting up again, it’s time to get back in the gym. [...]
Back to business: Top Cuvée’s Brodie Meah on how corona has made people value local restaurants August 29, 2020 We talk to London’s top chefs about how they are dealing with the strange ‘new normal’. This week Top Cuvée’s Brodie Meah talks about missing the buzz of service and taking solace in a spot of wine-tasting. Who are you and what do you do? I’m Brodie Meah and, along with Max Venning, I operate Stoke [...]
Where to eat in London: Old favourites reopening and new places to check out August 29, 2020 Coronavirus may have shuttered the food industry for months, but the business is bouncing back, with more of our favourite places to eat and drink reopening every day, and some new ones joining them too. In this regular column, we’ll bring you the latest news from the front-line of the food business, complete with the [...]
Business groups cautiously welcome government’s back to work campaign August 28, 2020 UK business groups have welcomed the government’s back to work campaign with some caution, calling for more guidance and government incentives. The government will launch a major media campaign next week to promote the advantages of returning to work and reassure employees about safety measures. It comes after a swathe of major City firms announced [...]
Employers must reassure staff that offices are not only safe, but the same buzzy environment they left six months ago August 28, 2020 Yesterday, Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, the boss of the CBI, issued a rallying cry to the Prime Minister to do something about Britain’s “ghost towns”. The message was simple — give people confidence to return to the workplace, or the once thriving businesses in the commercial centres of our cities will be doomed. She is absolutely [...]