The dreaded ?pocket call? ? we?ve all done it. Unknowingly dialling a number and then treating the person at the other end to banal conversation or dreadful singing during the drive to work. No harm done, aside from slight embarrassment. But in a recent case in the United States, an executive assistant was privy to […]

Britain is becoming an increasingly generous nation; according to new research which shows consumers are anticipating a 7% increase in gifting spend. In 2014, the average Briton spent ?370.67 on gifting occasions – but, according to the One4all Gift Card Gifting Index, the average UK adult is now predicting a spend ?397.37 typically on presents […]

Getting your executive to a meeting on time takes planning and forward thinking. Having a taxi company that can meet your needs is key, says Chris Boud Don?t you just hate it when people are late? You got up early, downed your morning cup of coffee in one go, ran for your bus and almost […]

New research has revealed that petty cash confusion is costing each UK business, on average, ?355 a year. This may seem insignificant but with 5.2million businesses operating in the UK and the average UK salary reported at ?25,500, the combined total of mishandled petty cash could be used to boost the UK workforce by an […]

At PA Life we?re devoted to bringing you the very latest news, tips, advice and recommendations on a whole smorgasbord of topics that we hope are of interest to you in your professional lives. Since our most popular stories seem to be those that provide suggestions on how to engender a better working relationship with […]

Recent research reports that staying up all night ? or suffering a bad night?s sleep can alter your cellular clock and lead to a myriad of health problems. The new study from Uppsala University in Sweden has found that missing a single night?s sleep can have more serious implications than previously thought. The research also […]

It?s a sobering fact that, on average, we spend more time every week with those we work with than with our families. And even more so that (unfortunately, for some of us) we cannot choose who falls into either category. In an office, where there are people from a variety of walks of life, there […]

Kenneth Cole, boss of the eponymous clothing brand, tweeted this blooper during the Egyptian revolution: “Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now online…”. Ryanair boss Michael O?Leary once infamously replied to a female questioner with: “Nice pic. Phwoaaarr! MOL” whilst Richard Branson, who has over six […]

The infamous Hollywood rumour mill has been in overdrive in the last week over suggestions Tom Cruise, married three times previously, was about to propose to his personal assistant, Emily Thomas. As usual, it seems the gossip merchants were quite a way off the mark after the 53-year-old A-lister categorically quelled the marriage rumours. However, […]

Zelda La Grange, former PA to revolutionary politician Nelson Mandela, has been confirmed to host a headline Keynote at this year?s office* show, which returns to London?s Olympia on 13-14 October. La Grange served President Mandela for 19 years in different capacities until his death in December 2013. She will be sharing exclusive insights from […]

The summer slowdown is still alive and well in the UK. Yet while the summer break is advantageous and can bring heightened motivation and morale for employees, the majority (87%) of finance leaders say it has a negative impact on their business, finds new research from leading recruitment specialist Robert half UK. Thirteen per cent […]

Booking a holiday is no longer exciting. There, I?ve said it. Those of us over a certain age will remember (with a heavy dose of nostalgia) the excitement we felt when choosing and booking a holiday meant actually going to a travel agency, longingly poring over page after page of brochures and dealing face-to-face with […]

Half of British workers, the equivalent to 15 million people (51%), sometimes feel pressurised or exhausted by work, according to the new Britain at Work Study; with Brits regularly working over their contracted hours, sacrificing social and family arrangements and sometimes coming home from work exhausted. The study, which paints a mixed picture of a […]

The Western Cape High Court in Cape Town, South Africa is set to hear an application to review a case involving a PA who embezzled almost 1 million Rand (about ?51,600) from auctioneer Julius Buchinsky. IOL News reports that Buchinsky?s former personal assistant, Najwa Taliep, was to have been sentenced last year after pleading guilty […]

In many offices, there?s always that one team member who can deal with Herculean levels of stress and workload without ever breaking a sweat, a personification of ?resilience?. But new research suggests that managers deem resilience the least important trait in their employees. That?s according to a study by Conference Genie, a conference calling provider, […]

Listening to all the doom and gloom merchants ? or even watching the daily news ? it might appear as though the current economic climate is still wreaking havoc on employment prospects here in the UK. But dig deeper, as leadership development firm Morgan Redwood have done, and you will find a very different picture; […]

Travel from the UK in 2016 is forecast to cost 0.8% more according to a report compiled by the Global Business Travel Association and Carlson Wagonlit Travel. While this is a slowdown from this year?s forecast of 1%, it still means businesses will have to factor the figures into their travel budget for the year. […]

Speak to most successful, accomplished senior managers and they?ll tell you that if it wasn?t for a personal assistant dealing with direct communications, diary and event planning as well as the constant stream of emails they receive ? they wouldn?t be in the position they have found themselves in. Nowadays, PAs are the heart of […]