Attendees of next week’s PA Life Training Day will recognise Deborah Ogden as one of the world-renowned speakers conducting a session. She’ll be teaching PAs how to make a good first impression and influence others. Deputy Editor Molly Dyson recently asked Deborah some in-depth questions to give attendees an idea of what to expect next week. Molly Dyson: Tell me…
read moreWelcome to our new weekly spotlight on helpful apps. We’ll focus on a variety of products that are useful for work, personal use, or both, providing our own thoughts on the apps and what you can do with them. This week’s spotlight: Streaks. An intro to Streaks Available on iPhone and Apple Watch, Streaks is a to-do list app that…
read moreDriving is a method of self-reliant transport we take for granted every day. However well we think we drive, we still get distracted and that causes us to make mistakes. If you’ve got to drive for work, it’s even more important to not make errors, as you’re representing your employer on the road. Aviva’s recent survey on safe driving revealed…
read moreNot every business is lucky enough to have a surplus of meeting room space. A more common scenario – particularly amongst small and medium-sized businesses – is the availability of just one meeting room that quickly gets booked up and is not always the most inspiring location for productive discussion. Even if the room is available on a certain day,…
read moreMany businesses made the move to an open-plan office in recent years because they thought it would boost collaboration and help productivity. However, some employees find the arrangement frustrating, especially if they work better in silence while their colleagues prefer to have the radio on in the background. Writing for Entrepreneur, business etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore outlined these nine rules…
read moreA famous line from Game of Thrones goes “Winter is coming”, but some office workers are more worried about the onset of summer. Hot weather outside means arctic temperatures inside thanks to the UK’s dependency on office air conditioning once the mercury passes 18 degrees. With rumours circulating that this could be the hottest summer in a decade, here are…
read moreIdeas are being blocked and strategies are not being properly implemented because of the increase in stress and consequent decrease of enjoyment in the workplace, according to Cognitive Psychologist and Business Neuroscientist Dr Lynda Shaw. Did you know that the average preschooler laughs or smiles 400 times a day, but this number drops to only 15 times a day by…
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 moreOur friends at Top Banana present their top tips for organising a Christmas party to remember. A PA once told us that her new boss, the incoming CEO of the company, said to her: “I’m going to ask you to do a job that no-one will appreciate and no-one will thank you for. I need you to organise the Christmas…
read moreThere is no official or reliable data existing to show how many disabled people are on boards, despite drives for diversity in recent years. Commissioned by NonExecutiveDirectors.com, the research has shown that while the issue of women’s representation on boards has gained real traction in policy and practice over the last decade or so, there does not seem to be…
read moreSometimes the key to productivity isn’t necessarily working longer hours; it’s about working smarter. Business growth expert Meridith Elliott-Powell says there are five simple things you can do to work less and produce more. 1 Understand how your company makes money By making money, Meridith doesn’t just mean following budgets. You should understand how your company keeps the money coming…
read moreA new study from the Surrey Sleep Research Centre at the University of Surrey has found that shifted sleep-wake cycles affect men and women’s brain function differently. Researchers placed male and female participants on 28-hour days in a controlled environment without natural light-dark cycles. This disrupted their normal sleep-wake cycles to simulate jet lag or shift work. Every three ours,…
read moreEG Chauffeurs is a well-established, highly professional chauffeur company based in London with an exceptionally qualified and reliable team. They have a large fleet of more than 100 new, top-of-the range impressive vehicles from executive saloon, luxury saloon and luxury MPVs to Prestige vehicles. Their clients demand perfection and believe nothing less is acceptable. As a result, they have a very…
read moreYesterday marked the one-year anniversary of the launch of Shared Parental Leave (SPL). The revolutionary policy that allows couples to share leave surrounding the arrival of a new addition to their family helps women get back into the workplace quicker and gives men the opportunity to care full-time for their new baby or adopted child in the crucial first year.…
read moreTechnology is a blessing and a curse these days. But new apps are constantly being developed to help people achieve the most in the least amount of time and many of them feature integration across multiple platforms. We recommend trying out these 10 productivity apps to see which ones work for you. 1 Wunderlist – Paper to-do lists can get…
read moreBritish businesses are not doing enough to boost employees’ digital competence, according to new research commissioned by Barclays. While almost half (47%) of all businesses believe better digital skills would lead to a more productive workforce, investment in digital upskilling remains low at only £109 per employee among medium and large businesses. The survey of UK employees and employers found…
read moreI meet Judith at her house in Cambridge four days before Christmas, writes Amelia Walker. The colourful and eclectic interiors reflect Judith to a tee – her life decorating the walls through unique art, photographs and tie-dye throws and cushions from her far-flung travels. We settle ourselves in, cups of tea and Christmas cake to hand and begin. “It was…
read moreA third of people aged over 50 who are employed in the private sector are now planning to retire later than they previously hoped, Aviva’s latest Working Lives report reveals. The 2016 report – which comprises research among UK private sector employers and employees – has a particular focus on workers aged over 50, following the end of compulsory retirement…
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