Top stories of the week

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How does the budget affect you, the PA?
On Monday afternoon we saw the delivery of the most recent budget report from Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer. After his 72-minute speech, we have sorted through the facts and figures to make sure that you the assistants of the UK understand what this means for you.

Do you over exaggerate your weekends at work?
Millions of workers admit to spinning stories about their weekends – to make their lives sound more exciting to their colleagues, a study has found.

Opinion: When are ‘out of office’ requests out of order?
As an assistant of any kind can be asked to work hours around the clock for your boss. If that means booking a last-minute flight at 2am or arranging a last-minute meeting at the end of the day, then that’s what you do. But, are out of office requests reasonable? And if so, where is the line. PA Life staff writer Vincenzo Ferrara finds out more…

London’s most haunted venues to visit
October 31 marks Halloween – an evening where ghosts and ghouls come out to play, but what venues across London play host to these mysterious figures? We take a look at some of the most haunted attractions for you to visit or treat your team to for a spooky evening.

How to stop distractions at work
The standard working office is a haven for procrastinators and those that like to take the long-winded approach to work. On a Monday morning or a Friday afternoon, we understand that you will most likely try and waste as much time as possible doing the smallest of tasks.

2018 North West PA of the Year Awards highlights outstanding industry members
Assistants from the North-West region of the UK were all recognised for their efforts in the industry last week, as PAs, EAs and VAs gathered together at a black-tie awards dinner gala.

Flexible working proves hardest subject to broach for employees, says study
The research of 1,500 UK employees, which was conducted by Badenoch & Clark, found 18 per cent of employees felt uncomfortable when asking about flexible hours, despite flexible working (33 per cent) topping the chart in terms of which factors are most important to workplace happiness.