Train travellers face up to five months of disruption on the West Coast Main Line, as the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union launches a series of Sunday strikes from 12 January to 25 May. The action follows the rejection of Avanti West Coast’s latest pay offer, with more than four-fifths of train managers voting […]
Retailers and hospitality firms are staring at an unprecedented rise in staff tax bills this year, triggered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s decision to increase employer National Insurance contributions alongside an above-inflation hike to the minimum wage. New figures compiled by the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) show that the annual cost of employing one full-time […]
House prices in some of London’s most exclusive postcodes are tipped to fall as Labour’s decision to apply VAT on private school fees forces more families to reconsider their housing choices. Property experts predict that homeowners grappling with steeper tuition bills will either downsize, relocate to more affordable areas, or choose state schools, weakening demand […]
David Lloyd Leisure is ramping up its focus on flexible lifestyles by introducing dedicated workspaces at its upmarket health clubs, allowing members to squeeze exercise, spa time, and remote work into one location. The move comes in response to changing work patterns, as more professionals break free from daily office commutes. Russell Barnes, chief executive […]
Debbie Crosbie, chief executive of the Nationwide Building Society, has cautioned that women who regularly work from home could miss out on promotion opportunities due to lower in-person visibility. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Crosbie said that more women than men had opted for flexible working in the post-pandemic era—often because of childcare […]
Businesses failing to support employees undergoing fertility treatment risk high staff turnover and rising sick leave, according to the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). One in seven couples now experience fertility challenges, NHS figures show, prompting calls for formal workplace policies that include flexible working hours, paid time off for treatment, and compassionate leave where necessary. […]
William Vereker, the chairman of Santander UK and a former business envoy under Theresa May, has attributed Britain’s soaring benefits bill and long-term worklessness to weak numeracy and a poor grasp of financial fundamentals. Speaking against the backdrop of a fast-rising sickness benefit budget, Vereker warned that many people overlook the long-term career gains of […]
The UK’s struggling high street has shed nearly 170,000 retail jobs this year—the biggest annual toll since pandemic lockdowns in 2020—as shops grapple with higher taxes, surging costs and weakening consumer spending. Figures from Altus Group and the Centre for Retail Research (CRR) reveal a 42 per cent jump in job losses compared with 2023, […]
Leading audit, tax and business advisory firm Blick Rothenberg has warned that eBay sellers and other online traders could face substantial tax demands if they fail to register for self-assessment by year-end. Under the new reporting rules, platforms such as eBay must provide HMRC with details of sellers who use their services in 2024—reports that […]
Labour ministers have thrown their support behind a £15m government scheme to rescue surplus food from UK farms—often thrown away or fed to animals—and distribute it to homeless shelters, food banks and charities, particularly over the festive period. The fund, originally promised by Michael Gove in 2018 and again by Rishi Sunak in 2024, never […]