Search Results for: financial

Cautious welcome for government’s disability plan which aims to make UK ‘most accessible nation’

Cautious welcome for government’s disability plan which aims to make UK ‘most accessible nation’

by • News, Wellbeing

he UK government has announced details of its new Disability Action Plan which includes 32 steps it claims will make the UK the most accessible place in the world for disabled people to 'live, work and thriveThe UK government has announced details of its new Disability Action Plan which includes 32 steps it claims will make the UK the most accessible place in the world for disabled people to ‘live, work and thrive’. The publication of the Disability Action Plan is part of the government’s stated intention to improve the lives of millions of disabled people. This has included seeing 1.3 million more disabled people in work now than in 2017, which the government claims is delivering a commitment five years early. More →

Half of UK businesses expect 2024 to be easier than 2023

Half of UK businesses expect 2024 to be easier than 2023

by • Business, News

UK businesses are hopeful for 2024 according to new research from Pleo. The CFO’s Playbook for 2024, which polled over +500 UK financial decision makers, found that almost 50 percent of UK businesses believe 2024 will be “easier” than 2023 (vs. 35 percent believing it will be harder and 15 percent anticipating that it will be the same as last year). As such, with a waning concern around inflation – a 20 percent decrease since 2023 –  businesses are targeting more ambitious goals. Nearly three quarters are prioritising cash growth, and while this was also the primary objective of businesses last year, findings show a 163 percent increase in British businesses focussed on this ambition. More →

Narcissistic leaders are bad for share value but do have their uses

Narcissistic leaders are bad for share value but do have their uses

by • Business, News

arcissistic leaders are bad for share value, unless they are seen to stimulate innovation and growth at companies suffering from corporate inertiaNarcissistic leaders are bad for share value, unless they are seen to stimulate innovation and growth at companies suffering from corporate inertia, according to research which analysed how CEO narcissism affects stock recommendations from securities analysts. The study by Nottingham Business School (UK), Middle Tennessee State University (US), and the University of Leeds (UK) is the first to explore the relationship between CEOs who are linked to excessive risk taking and their value to a company. The paper “Chief executive officer narcissism, corporate inertia, and securities analysts’ stock recommendations” has been published in the journal Strategic Organisation. More →

Cost of living pressures hurting productivity and wellbeing

Cost of living pressures hurting productivity and wellbeing

by • News, Workplace

three quarters (74 percent) of HR leaders fear the cost of living crisis is affecting employee performanceNew research investigating how cost of living pressures are impacting the workforce has found that three quarters (74 percent) of HR leaders fear the cost of living crisis is affecting employee performance. In the survey of 500 UK HR Directors, carried out by Nous.co, a third (34 percent) of HR leaders said they’d noticed a drop in productivity due to employees having other things on their minds. Three quarters (74 percent) said financial pressures were directly affecting employee performance. More →

Return to office mandates linked to higher business travel costs

Return to office mandates linked to higher business travel costs

by • Flexible working, News, Technology

a key finding in new research by Uber for Business  which claims to reveal a resurgent demand for business travelThe majority of UK travel managers (89 percent) say travel is a growing business priority in 2024, anticipating increased budgets driven by return-to-office policies, inflation and ESG requirements. This is a key finding in new research by Uber for Business  which claims to reveal a resurgent demand for business travel. The research, drawing insights from over 250 corporate travel managers across the UK, sets out to explore the top business travel trends and challenges to watch in 2024. In this landscape of shifting dynamics, where emphasis on ESG requirements is intensifying, there is an increasing need for innovative travel management solutions, the firm says. More →

Lab rats – how the UK life sciences sector is struggling to find space to work

Lab rats – how the UK life sciences sector is struggling to find space to work

by • Features, Premium Content, Property

The UK wants to build on its already successful position as a globally important player in the life sciences and pharma sectors. Yet it is struggling to create enough space for growth in the right places and having to rethink wher research and innovation takes place In November 2023, plans to turn part of a golf course next to a motorway into a £340 million science park were refused by South Oxfordshire District Council. Although now classified as greenbelt, the location was the site of a landfill as recently as the 1990s and is just a stone’s throw from both the A40 trunk road and M40 motorway. The developers are expected to appeal. Whatever the details of this story, it is an example of how challenging it can be to meet demand for lab and life sciences space in the so-called Golden Triangle of London, Oxford and Cambridge in the South of England. This lack of supply is acting as a brake on the UK Government’s dream of making the country a “science superpower”. More →

Third of UK adults experience a high level of stress each year

Third of UK adults experience a high level of stress each year

by • News, Wellbeing

Over a third of adults experienced high or extreme levels of pressure and stress always or often in the past year (35 percent),Over a third of adults experienced high or extreme levels of pressure and stress always or often in the past year (35 percent), according to the new annual report from Mental Health UK. The report warns that the UK is at risk of becoming a ‘burnt-out nation’. Against a backdrop of rising levels of people out of work due to long-term sickness, the polling of over 2,000 UK adults by YouGov for the Mental Health UK reveals that one in five workers (20 percent) needed to take time off due to poor mental health caused by pressure or stress in the past year. More →

Regional divides, falling incomes, booming jobs markets; and lower productivity. The current state of the UK

Regional divides, falling incomes, booming jobs markets; and lower productivity. The current state of the UK

by • Business, Cities, News

No part of the UK has escaped the impact of a flatlining economy and falling productivity since 2010, according to new analysisNo part of the UK has escaped the impact of the flatlining of the UK economy since 2010, according to new analysis published by the Centre for Cities in its Cities Outlook 2024 report. At the national level, people have been left with £10,200 less to spend or save on average since 2010 than if the economy had grown at pre-2010 trends. The report also suggests that a marked rise in employment has happened in parallel with overall falling productivity. More →

CEOs remain optimistic about short term growth, quarter are planning to replace people with AI

CEOs remain optimistic about short term growth, quarter are planning to replace people with AI

by • Business, News, Technology

A quarter of CEOs intend to cut their headcounts by at least five percent "due to generative AIThe proportion of CEOs who believe global economic growth will improve over the next 12-months has more than doubled. At the same time, the proportion of CEOs concerned about their long-term business viability has risen to 45 percent as tech and climate pressures accelerate, according to PwC’s 27th Annual Global CEO Survey. However the survey, published to coincide with the annual World Economic Forum jamboree in Davos, also reports that artificial intelligence will result in dramatic job losses in 2024 and beyond. A quarter intend to cut their headcounts by at least five percent “due to generative AI. More →

Third of employees resent return to office mandates

Third of employees resent return to office mandates

by • Flexible working, News

A new poll from Scalable Software of 2,000 UK knowledge workers claims more than a third (35 percent) resent being told they have to go into the office for a set number of days. Half (50 percent) of respondents say their employer has “productivity paranoia” over employees working away from the office, with 62 percent reporting their organisation has implemented a return to office policy within the last two years. More →

Overwhelming majority of businesses say waste management is important to minimise climate change

Overwhelming majority of businesses say waste management is important to minimise climate change

by • Environment, Facilities management, News

over four-fifths (85 percent) of UK businesses believe that recycling and waste management are essential in minimising the effects of climate changeA new poll from waste management company Biffa suggests that over four-fifths (85 percent) of UK businesses believe that recycling and waste management are essential in minimising the effects of climate change. Moreover, almost 9 in 10 (88 percent) see waste management as central to being a sustainable business. The survey of over 1000 UK business decision-makers, conducted by YouGov, explored attitudes towards sustainability and the circular economy. The results showcase the clear importance placed on waste management in the battle to combat climate change. More →

For all its flaws, COP28 still gives us a route to a greener future

For all its flaws, COP28 still gives us a route to a greener future

by • Company news, Environment

As COP28 drew to a close, it gave those attending or observing from around the world the chance to reflect on the global commitments towards building a greener future.As COP28 drew to a close, it gave those attending or observing from around the world the chance to reflect on the global commitments towards building a greener future. The UAE played host to two weeks of debate over climate change as COP28 recently rolled into town. While some questioned this region’s suitability – it being a centre of the fossil fuel industry – perhaps there is an argument to be made that this is exactly where you should hold it – to bring the issues into sharp relief. More →

«< 5 6 7 8 9 >»