More than 1 million jobs have been cut this year across several industries, with many companies downsizing their teams, resulting in redundancies. Redundancies can be incredibly challenging, and Ben Wright, Global Head of Partnerships at Instant Offices, has outlined the early indicators that one may be on the way and how employees can prepare in advance. Budgets start disappearing Suddenly, there’s no budget for training, software, travel, or development. When a company begins cutting these areas, it’s often a sign that they’ve entered cost-saving mode. Hiring freezes If a company stops replacing colleagues who leave who either on their own accord or are getting let go, it’s a strong indication that something is brewing. Hiring freezes are often…
Author: sme-admin
The majority of Brits are not prepared for the lifestyle changes that occur when they retire, with 53% of people admitting they have planned financially but have not considered any other implications of retirement. Almost half (45%) worry they will lose their sense of purpose, while 39% of people due to retire in the next 10 years are worried about the impact it will have on their mental health, according to new research from more than 1,000 UK employed adults, published by organisation development consultancy, h2h. The research ‘From Onboarding to Retirement: Rethinking Career Growth and Retention in Organisations in 2026…
Between corporate layoffs, office closures, promotions, rebrands and internal transformation, we experience endings every day. Despite this, very little attention is paid to processing these endings. In their new book Good Bye, top leadership coaches Alison Lucas and Lizzie Bentley Bowers argue that, by not giving space to the messy and uncomfortable feelings that come with an ending, we are unable to properly let go – often leaving both leaders and employees with scars that negatively impact our workplaces and careers. Good Bye reveals how leaders can manage endings with care, respect and emotional agility. This is key to creating better beginnings…
A new whitepaper from Crown Information Management reveals that Redundant, Obsolete, and Trivial (ROT) information is silently draining corporate budgets, with up to 50% of enterprise data sitting unused. This hidden burden drives up storage, backup, and compliance costs – yet most businesses remain unaware of its financial impact. The report, titled From ROT to ROI: How Sustainable Information Management Saves Money, outlines how eliminating ROT can deliver immediate ROI, with savings often appearing within the first year. In one case study, a regional construction firm reduced its cloud footprint by 110TB and destroyed 6,700 boxes of paper records, cutting costs and improving…
Recently, the UK government formally withdrew its plan to grant employees protection from unfair dismissal from their first day of employment under the Employment Rights Bill (ERB). Instead, ministers confirmed a new qualifying period — workers will only gain the right to challenge unfair dismissal after six months of service. Under current law, an employee generally must have worked for at least two years before being eligible to claim “ordinary” unfair dismissal at a tribunal, though exceptions apply (for automatically unfair dismissals such as those involving discrimination, whistle‑blowing or other protected reasons). The decision to adopt a six‑month qualifying period follows parliamentary…
New research from Shepherds Friendly suggests the UK’s workforce is at much greater risk of suffering a loss of income due to illness or injury than most employees realise. A survey of 2,000 people carried out for the friendly society in October found that just 14% of UK adults who are working full time have IP. Those aged 25-34 are most likely to have cover at 20%, closely followed by 35-44-year-olds at 18%. Some 14% of 18-24-year-olds have IP, but this falls to 10% in the 45-54 age group. Just 7% of those aged 55-64 have a policy in place.…
Following the Budget last Wednesday, Rob Morgan, Chief Investment Analyst at Charles Stanley, looks at how it will be impacting business owners and the self-employed. This was a defining Budget for Chancellor Rachel Reeves. After months of briefings and speculation, Ms Reeves arrived at the dispatch box under the glare of intense scrutiny – from political opponents, “working people”, high-net-worth individuals, and bond investors. But the group she arguably needed to tread most carefully around was business owners. On the campaign trail in 2023, Rachel Reeves said Labour would be the most business-friendly government ever. And that if she were chancellor,…
Manmohan Singh Bhachu, Partner at Oury Clark Chartered Accountants talks through the risks that businesses face when unqualified staff are responsible for their financial records, such as financial errors, missed tax-saving opportunities, and poor cashflow oversight. Put simply, a bookkeeper’s job is to manage the day-to-day financial records of a business. Yet in practice, a bookkeeper is a business’ ticket to increased productivity and profits. Small businesses are often dissuaded from hiring a bookkeeper, wrongly believing that their PA or admin assistant is the better person for the job. This article will explain, however, that whilst this decision may save…
What Are the Minimum Wage Rates from 1 April 2026? Aoife McGrath, a solicitor in leading law firm Blandy & Blandy’s Employment Law team, explains… Increases to the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) from 1 April 2026 were announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the Autumn Budget on 26 November 2025. The figures are based on recommendations from the Low Pay Commission (LPC), an independent body that advises the government about the National Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage. Baroness Philippa Stroud, Chair of the LPC, said: “The recommendations published today are a product of diligent study of…
Ahead of Christmas, Nicholas Lane, Director at Merchandise Branding, is sharing timely insight on how businesses can approach staff gifting in a meaningful yet budget-friendly way this festive season. As companies reflect on a year of loyalty, performance and resilience, the festive period offers a natural opportunity for leaders to show appreciation—yet ongoing economic uncertainty means corporate gifting in 2025 looks very different from the luxury hampers and high-value perks of the past. Still, thoughtful gifting shouldn’t be dismissed. Even a small, well-considered gesture can have a genuine impact on morale, motivation and retention. Below, Nicolas outlines key considerations for…