Business News Round Up (05/10/2020)
Covid-19 has changed working patterns for good, UK survey finds
The pandemic has changed working patterns for good, a survey from the British Council for Offices (BCO) has found. In future white-collar workers will adopt a mixed approach, combining remote working with several days a week in the office. Employees at all levels, from executives to trainees, intend or hope to divide their time in future between their homes and their workplaces, according to a survey of 2,000 office workers conducted in September. 62% of senior executives and 58% of entry-level workers want to alternate, according to the BCO, which has around 3,500 members including large office occupiers, architects, engineers, and big property firms including Land Securities and British Land.
£40m fund to aid leisure and hospitality firms
An emergency fund of up to £40 million has been agreed in a bid to rescue Liverpool City Region’s hospitality and leisure sector from economic collapse. In a joint announcement, Steve Rotheram and the mayor and leaders of the area’s six local authorities said that the boost will act as a stop-gap until financial support from central government is secured. The sector supports more than 50,000 jobs across 4,000 businesses and contributes £5 billion a year to the local economy. More than 200 companies have already been lost in the face of Covid-19 and, without assistance over recent months, more would have followed.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/north-west/40m-fund-to-aid-leisure-and-hospitality-firms
Covid: Vast majority of Scots say it’ ‘vital’ to support local business
MORE than half of Scots always support shops on their local high street, according to a poll of more than 1000 adults commissioned by Scotland’s Towns Partnership for the Scotland Loves Local campaign. It found that 56% of people will always shop on their local high street rather than going further afield, whenever they can do so. A total of 93% of those surveyed believe there is a strong chance that many high street businesses will go bust if people don’t support them. Almost 90% said it is vital that people support these businesses. The results have been welcomed as a signal of the strong support for Scotland’s high streets – highlighting the importance of people thinking local first and using businesses in their community, while following Scottish Government public health guidance.
Energy unicorn to create 1,000 jobs, North West tech hub
Energy tech firm Octopus Energy has said it plans to make the UK the ‘Silicon Valley of energy’, announcing 1,000 new jobs across England at multiple sites. The London headquartered business will create jobs in the capital, Brighton, Warwick, and Leicester. The new recruits will primarily be science and engineering graduates. A new technology, data science and artificial intelligence centre is also to be created in Manchester. Octopus Energy’s retail business now provides gas and electricity to 1.7 million homes in the UK.
https://www.businesscloud.co.uk/news/energy-unicorn-to-create-1000-jobs-north-west-tech-hub/