Face masks to be mandatory in French workplaces August 18, 2020 It will be compulsory to wear face masks in most French workplaces from 1 September, a government official has confirmed. The new rules will likely be implemented in shared indoor workspaces, such as offices and factories, as the country’s coronavirus rate continues to increase. The number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals in France remains low, [...]
Amazon to create 3,500 new jobs as it plots return to office August 18, 2020 Amazon today unveiled plans to create 3,500 new jobs as it gears up to return to office life with an expanded physical presence across the US. The new corporate jobs will be based in the ecommerce giant’s tech hubs in Dallas, Detroit, Denver, New York, Phoenix and San Diego. Amazon said it plans to invest [...]
How PwC is welcoming staff back into the office safely August 18, 2020 The office still has an important role to play in society, the chairman of Big Four auditor PwC believes, as his staff seek to return to their desks after months spent at their kitchen tables. Kevin Ellis, chairman of PwC tells City A.M. that while the firm has adjusted to remote working the office still [...]
UK needs 10m tests a week, says Premier League’s coronavirus adviser August 17, 2020 The company behind the Premier League’s coronavirus testing efforts has backed calls for the government to introduce a UK-wide testing scheme by the end of the year. Avi Lasarow, chief executive of testing firm Prenetics, has called on the government to swap its half-price restaurant scheme for a universal testing service across the UK. He [...]
London advocacy groups call for Waterloo and City Tube line to reopen August 17, 2020 London lobby groups have called for the reopening of the Waterloo and City Tube line to help increase the number of people going back to their offices. The shuttle service – which travels between Bank and Waterloo stations – is the only Tube line still not operating, after Transport for London (TfL) restricted public transport [...]
Schroders becomes first major City firm to make home working permanent August 16, 2020 Fund manager Schroders will allow thousands of its employees to continue working from home even after the pandemic, marking a huge shift in the way the City works. The FTSE-100 listed firm is the first major City institution to tell staff they will not be required to return to the office five days a week. [...]
Sadiq Khan admits empty offices are a ‘big problem for central London’ August 13, 2020 Sadiq Khan has warned for the first time that empty offices in central London are causing a “big problem” for the economy. The mayor of London admitted that small businesses were struggling with the dramatically reduced footfall as huge numbers of people continue to work from home. He urged big firms to reconsider decisions to [...]
Sadiq Khan pleads with PM to save struggling West End August 13, 2020 Sadiq Khan has called on Boris Johnson to rescue London’s West End as central London businesses struggle to rebound from the coronavirus crisis. Khan wrote to the Prime Minister today, after lobby group The New West End Company predicted that there would be a £5bn drop in retail sales for the district this year. The West [...]
Brits optimistic about returning to work despite safety concerns August 13, 2020 British workers are largely optimistic about returning to the office, though concerns remain over whether employers will put the right safety measures in place. Just under half of UK employees said they felt positive about going back to work, while less than one in five said they felt negative, according to a new survey. The [...]
PwC boss Kevin Ellis: returning to work like ‘crossing the Rubicon for some people…you have got to make them feel safe’ August 12, 2020 The chair and senior partner of PwC UK Kevin Ellis said the Big Four firm had found it needed to overcome fear among some of its workers to help them return to the office. Speaking on City A.M.’s The City View podcast, Ellis said: “It is about crossing the Rubicon for some people…you have got [...]