Christmas is over, the decorations have come down, the New Year’s celebrations are a distant memory – welcome to January. It’s a long, dark month, so it’s hard to find some feel-good factor to cling to – particularly with employees coming back to work after a relaxing Christmas break. As tempting as it is to start the year as you…
read moreDiscover the ingredients that make Abu Dhabi the ideal MICE destination for business travellers. Amelia Walker reports When Abu Dhabi climbed into the International Congress and Convention Association’s (ICCA) top 100 busiest meeting destinations in 2012, CEO Martin Sirk advised the destination not to solely focus on specific rankings, but instead aim for business that suits a realistic, long-term economic…
read moreThe gender pay gap in the UK’s high tech sector (25%) is significantly higher than the national average (18%), according to the latest data from Mercer. The consultancy also found that small companies have the largest pay gap, with a 30% difference in (median) pay between all male and female employees, and a 26% gap when considering mean base salaries.…
read morePA Life Editor Amelia Walker will host an informative panel discussion on “Travel safety and security management” at the Venues & Destinations Summit. We caught up with two of the panellists – Saul Shanagher from beTravelwise and Andy Neal from Protaris – to find out a bit more about their thoughts on the business travel industry. PA Life: Tell us…
read moreSo you’ve been tasked with planning your organisation’s next big meeting, conference, or convention and your boss has asked you to ‘shake things up a little’ and consider unfamiliar destinations and hotels. Basically, you need to start the planning process from scratch if you’re going to succeed in delivering something that is fresh and unique. Here are some top tips…
read moreWorkers who have their own office, designated car parking space and earn at least £56,000 have achieved ‘ultimate career success’, a study has found. According to researchers, those people at the pinnacle of their careers will also be owners of a top-of-the-range company car, and their own property. Other indicators of success in the workplace are never having to work…
read moreOn average, women in paid work receive about 18% less per hour than men. However, new research shows the gender wage gap grows year on year after childbirth, as mothers in low-hours jobs see no wage progression. Research published today by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, shows that the wage gap is smaller when…
read moreThe UK’s decision to leave the European Union has resulted in a softening in employers’ hiring intentions, according to the latest CIPD/Adecco Group UK & Ireland Labour Market Outlook. This unique data is based on UK employer sentiment in the two weeks before and two weeks after the EU Referendum and shows that employers surveyed ahead of the vote were…
read moreHas FaceTime® replaced genuine ‘face time’? Is business travel so last century? Not according to the business travellers surveyed in the third edition of the Egencia® Business Travel and Technology Study. Globally, 86% of travellers surveyed said a meeting conducted in person is more effective and productive, a view consistent across every age group. Business travellers in Australia, Canada, China,…
read moreLondon’s QEII Centre is continuing its £12 million refurbishment and rebranding project this summer by transforming its sixth floor into an open-plan banqueting space with breath-taking views of Westminster and the city skyline. Work will commence later this month and will be complete by September, when the renovated space will be revealed at a dazzling dinner to celebrate QEII’s 30th…
read moreThe trend of working too many hours and not using allotted annual leave isn’t specific to the UK. New research by Project: Time Off shows our counterparts across the pond left 658 million days of holiday unused in 2015, 222 million of which were lost in the ether. Project: Time Off has put that number into perspective; 658 million days…
read moreEarlier this month we reported on a survey that reveals the most valued traits in a colleague, and many of them focused on how easy it is to get along with them as a person. A recent article by Forbes outlines four soft skills every office worker needs and why. So if you’ve got all the experience but none of…
read moreNew analysis by Collinson Group reveals that UK business travellers spent £1.05 billion on trips to the US in 2015, the first time it has risen above the billion-pound mark and up 35% from 2014. Such is the value of the US market that the amount spent in 2015 was more than the combined value of the next two markets:…
read moreWith people living longer and fewer young people entering the labour market, Britain’s employers are increasingly reliant on the skills and talents of older workers to boost productivity. However, the ageing population also means there will be an estimated nine million carers in the UK by 2037, many of whom will be trying to juggle both care and employment. This…
read moreMany employees are unlikely to see much of a boost to the real value of their pay until at least the end of this decade, according to the latest Labour Market Outlook published today by the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development. The survey of more than 1,000 employers identifies a number of factors that are combining…
read moreStephanie Harper, Senior HR Projects Manager at Law At Work (LAW) recently attended LAW’s HR Directors strategic event. One of the key topics was the importance of happiness at work. She gives her take on how and why to inspire happiness at work, what the business benefits are and where the responsibility lies in an organisation. A lot of people…
read moreDiversified Communications UK, organiser of office* – the UK’s leading annual two-day exhibition and conference for PAs, EAs, VAs, Secretaries, Office Managers and Executive Support Professionals – has released a summary of the results of this year’s National PA Survey. The latest findings of the survey (which is now in its sixth year) are being unveiled to mark National PA…
read moreThe new Belfast Waterfront received rave reviews at both the Lord Mayor’s opening and its first business event – the NI Chamber Champions Dinner 2016. Last week, the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Arder Carson, unveiled the city’s new 7,000m2 purpose-built conference facility to local dignitaries and those who played a key role in the venue’s expansion programme, as well…
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