The government has signalled that it would use its Workers’ Rights Bill to expand current duties on flexible working. What can we expect for AI, flexible work and productivity in 2025? Three commentators spoke to HR Magazine sharing their predictions for the coming year… This year has brought a great deal of change in the […]

The news are out and we are pleased to share that requesting flexible working is now a legal right for all workers from the day they enter a new job. Shai Aharony, CEO of digital PR agency Reboot Online shares his experience with implementing generous flexible working policies such as a four-day working week on […]

When a business begins the year in recovery mode – having been challenged financially or in other ways – there may be a drop in employee morale and motivation. The need to perk up employees and maintain productivity becomes a priority. As PAs and managers with experience of crisis management, risk assessment or dousing flames […]

Public transportation accounts for the second most common mode of commute in the UK, according to a survey by Statista. Commutes throughout the country have been hugely impacted by the ongoing strikes, with statistics from the UK government finding that due to rail strikes alone, 70% of commuters report it having a work-related impact. Daily […]

How do you write a ‘day in the life’ when no two days are the same? And a Virtual Assistant is just a Personal Assistant, right…? Alchemy VA’s very own Eloise Robb shares a typical day in her Virtual Assistant business and sets the record straight on those limiting beliefs… A typical day when you […]

For 57% of office workers can claim the new holiday mantra sun, sea and …spreadsheets as they plan to work from holiday destinations with Spain, Italy and France being the most popular choices. 88% of workers plan to ‘work from anywhere’ in the coming year, with 57% adding on time to their holiday this year […]

A qualified HR professional, Natalia Kalacova, is celebrating the launch of her new business Alchemy VA – an all-encompassing virtual assistant service that’s promising to increase productivity for SME owners and legal firms. Her business is part of the UK’s only family-run virtual assistant franchise. After becoming a mum and spending most of her career […]

“You couldn’t pay me enough to go back to five days!”  Moving to a four-day working week has transformed the life of Web App Developer at search engine marketing agency, Marketing Signals, and young dad Jack Darracott.   After the business transitioned to a four-day-week last month, Darracott has explained that he’s much happier now […]

Matt Ephgrave, MD at Just Eat for Business, discussed the results of his company’s recent survey about stress at work. Work-related stress has skyrocketed in recent years and data suggest that a huge 17.9 million working days were lost to stress, anxiety or depression in 2019/20. This not only highlights workplace stress’ sheer scale, but […]

After nearly two years of adjusting to working from home, we’re starting to see a drive for employees to return to offices. In fact, occupancy levels recently hit a high of 27.5%, the highest since COVID first began spreading in March 2020. Although businesses may continue to encourage their workers to return to offices, many of them […]

Analysis of Google Search data by online salary calculator Income Tax UK has revealed a monumental shift in jobseekers’ preference in terms of their new job. Having the leverage of a near-record-low unemployment rate, professionals are looking at combining lifestyle, family, and career, enabled by the growing popularity of full remote jobs, and four-days work-week schemes. Remote jobs interest […]

Some 93 per cent of UK employers think employees’ expectations around their work experiences are changing, according to new research by professional services firm Aon plc. The largest shifts focus on employer purpose as well as employee mental health, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). According to Aon’s UK Benefits […]

The annual salary survey 2021-22 from London-based, Executive Support Recruiter, Bain and Gray www.bainandgray.com shows a candidate-tight market where companies need to go the extra mile to attract quality new recruits, particularly in junior positions.  The salary survey was conducted among new hires recruited into positions throughout 2021, from a client base including boutique financial services, new […]

39% of HR leaders believe labour shortages are here to stay for up to two to three years. In addition, 59% of workers say that the pandemic has made them more likely to quit their jobs. “We’re entering a period of existential reckoning when it comes to the balance between work and our lives. The […]

Forgetting the classic 9-5 and putting on computer restrictions could be the secret to being more productive when working from home, according to career experts. With millions of Brits now regularly working from home, office furniture  retailer, Furniture At Work, has gathered together advice from several experts on maintaining productivity in the home office. Rather than […]

With Covid upturning entire sectors over the past year, more and more people are working from home every day. With the new work from home orders being issued by the government, it doesn’t look like that will be ending anytime soon. Whilst some people have been more than happy to work from home, others have […]

Work management software Scoro has released a new study focusing on productivity in the UK. Based on a survey of over 2,000 respondents, it offers fascinating insights on the most productive cities and sectors, as well as where people feel most overworked, their attitude towards hybrid working and the key distractions for office and remote […]

A combination of companies becoming flexible with remote working and almost two years of working from home has meant that more of us are looking to escape our daily routines – and even become a digital nomad. As many companies are now allowing their employees to work from anywhere, as long as it’s within a […]