Seventeen UK businesses, including Crate Brewery in Hackney and the British Society for Immunology, are launching a six-month trial of the four-day working week with over 1,000 employees participating. Organised by the 4 Day Week Campaign, this trial lets workers maintain full pay while working only four days each week. This follows a successful trial in 2022, where 56 out ...

Protectionist trade policies, such as those proposed by Donald Trump, may inadvertently harm U.S. manufacturing firms by increasing input costs, leading to reduced investment, according to a study from the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. With tariffs central to Trump’s economic vision, manufacturers may face higher costs on imported goods if he is re-elected, a move that researchers suggest ...

The UK Government has launched GOV.UK Forms, a new digital tool designed to make it faster and easier for the public to access essential government services online. Following a successful pilot phase, the platform is now set for rollout across all government departments, allowing citizens to complete applications and forms online without the need for paper-based processes. GOV.UK Forms has ...

The Treasury’s bank referral scheme, intended to increase finance access for small businesses, has come under heavy scrutiny after a recent review revealed it has secured loans for only one in twenty companies referred. Under the scheme, nine major banks are required to refer small businesses they decline for loans to independent platforms that connect them with alternative finance sources. ...

In its first Autumn Budget, the Labour government has committed £500 million to improve broadband speed and mobile coverage across the UK, with a particular focus on rural areas. Chancellor Rachel Reeves highlighted that the funding will bolster ongoing projects like the £5 billion Project Gigabit, targeting 99% gigabit broadband by 2030, and the £1 billion Shared Rural Network (SRN) ...

Now we have got a new chancellor and government, with the incoming budget there’s a crucial chance to re-set what is an increasingly dire situation in hospitality. Many of us voted for change to bring this new government in. However, the expectation of increased National Insurance contributions for employers only and talk of changing tax thresholds and living wage increases ...

In the ever-evolving financial sector, operational efficiency is paramount. With increasing pressures to process transactions swiftly, accurately, and at reduced costs, financial institutions are turning to advanced technologies to stay competitive. One of the most promising solutions in this domain is Zunō.Lens, is an AI-powered document processing platform that automates complex workflows like cheque and payment processing. By leveraging artificial ...