Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn (Orion, £7.99) This book has topped US and UK best-seller lists. It’s the fascinating story of a relationship, perfect for the daily commute. On the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne’s wife Amy disappears. The first half of the book concentrates on and is narrated by Nick, with […]

Rivers of London – Ben Aaronovitch (Gollancz, £7.99) Probationary PC Peter Grant has been left to guard a murder scene in Covent Garden when he meets a witness to the crime. Unfortunately for him, the witness is a ghost. Swiftly re-assigned to the Met unit that deals with ‘the uncanny’, Peter combines his procedural training […]

Pre-register now for any of these four half-day courses and get 10% off when you confirm your booking. The courses will take place on 1st May 2014 at the Emirates Stadium in London, with 50 places available on each course. {sfg:12}

Job-hunting can be a pain, but it’s a necessary evil if you’re keen to progress in your career yet are stuck in a dead-end job. Now you no longer need to trawl through countless, non-specialist sites, or visit lots of individual agencies, all vying for your attention. You can breathe a sigh of relief, as […]

If there is one thing that PAs would change about their job apart from the salary, it would be to highlight the important contribution that they collectively make to UK businesses every day. After pay issues are taken into account, long hours, their colleagues’ misconceptions and feeling undervalued top the list of PA bugbears, according […]

Stressed office workers are suffering in silence and employers aren’t doing enough to resolve the problem. This was the principal finding of a poll recently carried out by mental health charity Mind. Almost half of all workers surveyed (45%) said they were expected to cope without mentioning stress at work, while a third (31%) claimed […]

The search for Britain’s longest serving PA has culminated in the announcement that the winner is executive assistant Avril Dibbens. The longest serving, current, full-time Ministry of Defence civil servant can now proudly add this title to her long list of career achievements. August 1962 is when Ms Dibbens began working in the typing pool […]

All the best institutions have an amusing anecdote at their origin and The Palm is no exception. If a New York City clerk had paid more attention, the restaurant would actually have been named Parma, after the home town of the founders, John Ganzi and Pio Bossi, but the gormless pen-pusher had trouble understanding their […]

Royal China is a group of restaurants that has its London clientele queuing out of the doors at lunchtime. Bearing this in mind, we choose to venture further north-west to the spacious Harrow venue, writes Nicole Holgate. The locations are all decorated in a similar elegant style with red, black and gold, while being airy […]

The incredible space on the 24th floor of London’s Tower 42 was home to Gary Rhodes’s restaurant, Rhodes Twenty-Four, until his contract ended in September. Facing the possibility of an empty restaurant during the busy Christmas season, Restaurant Associates approached Michelin-starred chef Anthony Demetre (pictured) for a 12-week pop-up at AD12 at T42, prior to […]

What really matters most to your executives when they are on the road? It seems that safety, communication with loved ones and fitness top the list, according to a survey of 675 business travellers.   Safety and security concerns come out in first place, with 76% saying they feel it is important for their employers […]

Organising a party can be a bit of a headache at the best of times – who to invite, what to serve, what entertainment to provide and so on, but when it comes to organising an event for your company then the pressure is really on. Fear not, however, as Julia Dowling is on hand […]

Workers in the UK spend a staggering £67 billion a year on costs incurred because of their jobs. Work-related expenses such as such as childcare, commuting, work clothes and computer equipment cost the average full-time employee £2,681 each year, accounting for 12% of their disposable income. Although salaries have risen by around 1.4%, the average […]

Office printing is often a topic of heated discussion in the workplace. Giving employees the freedom to print anything, any time, can become costly and risky, as accidental data leaks are more likely to happen with increased printing. More offices are looking for ways to cut back on these factors while maintaining a high level […]

It’s important to be supportive of your boss, but it’s also equally as important to provide feedback from time to time, especially if you feel your input could benefit the company. As long as it’s done respectfully, managers appreciate employees who aren’t afraid to speak their minds. Knowing how and when to offer feedback or […]

The Charing Cross Hotel in central London has invested half a million pounds in its meetings and events spaces. The refurbishment project, which was completed at the end of August, saw eight of the hotel’s meeting and event rooms completely redesigned and refurbished, with new technology available, including HD presentation equipment, smart TVs and convenient […]

Recent graduates looking to break into a career as a PA, or those simply after a change in scenery, will notice that the job market for secretarial and support roles is full of possibilities. Vacancies in this sector are on the rise, according to a recent study by specialist recruiter Robert Walters. The research shows […]

With office technology evolving so rapidly and new legislation affecting the workplace coming into play, the need for administrative professionals to keep up to speed with all the latest developments is more pressing than ever. But which courses offer real value, what exactly should PAs be looking for when it comes to continuing education and […]