Is Hybrid working the future of the Workforce?
The coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has completely shifted the way we live and work. Businesses have had to quickly adopt and adapt to new initiatives and technologies to ensure employee safety while maintaining productivity. Hybrid working has become the normality for many of us and, adapting to these new ways of working is essential for businesses around the world today. Employees who have consistently been working remotely since COVID wish to split their time between the physical workplace and home working in the future.
Hybrid working has always existed, but its prevalence is turbocharged by the pandemic and resulted in many remote working experiments. Hybrid working is flexible and is when employees split their time between; the workplace and remote working such as home. Working from home is the most common way of working remotely. An employee might work from home all the time; or as part of a hybrid working arrangement. At its best, hybrid working is about matching the task to the location and doing the right work in the right place.
Hybrid work has advantages; it offers a perfect combination of convenience and productivity. Staying flexible allows employees to create a balance while maintaining the autonomy. Hybrid pattern makes employees feel happier, healthier, more productive, less stressed, and more in control of their lives; furthermore they are more likely to deliver on tasks.
However, while the benefits are clear, hybrid working is still not risk-free. One argument used is that it weakens your loyalty as you spend less time in the office and, your attachment to the organization may diminish over time. It may also affect your collaboration with your office colleagues and there is the problem that for many the ideal home environment for office working can not be met.
These issues clearly show us this isn’t something you can quickly change. Instead, one must work to develop a hybrid culture. In the case of remote work, trust and transparency are vital. Interaction with your coworkers is necessary. Hybrid working is perhaps the future and therefore many believe that it is worth investing more in.
Hybrid work is a crucial part of our lives. It offers a perfect combination of convenience and productivity. At its best, work from home benefits everyone: employees, employers, and their families. People remain connected and positive, and you can be productive while maintaining a fulfilling home life – all without the stress and financial burden of a daily commute.
Sources: TheWeek, Economic Times.
Two Green Free-Ports to be established in Scotland
A partnership agreement to establish two Green Free-Ports in Scotland has been reached between the Scottish and UK Ministers. The Green Free-Ports are designated areas where businesses can operate out, with the normal tax and tariff rules. They allow goods to be imported, manufactured, and re-exported without being subject to checks, paperwork, or import taxes, known as tariffs. This means raw materials can be imported, then engineered into whole products for export.
Both governments have agreed to establish a joint applicant prospectus, with Ministers and officials from both the Scottish and UK governments having an equal say throughout the assessment and selection process. According to the Scottish government, applicants in Scotland will be required to contribute towards “a just transition to net-zero emissions by 2045, delivering net-zero benefits and creating new green jobs”. On the other hand, The UK government is expected to provide up to £52m in seed funding to help establish the green free-ports in Scotland which is in line with funding offered to free-ports across England.
The Scottish government’s economy secretary, Kate Forbes said: “I am pleased we have been able to reach an agreement on a joint approach that recognises the distinct needs of Scotland’s economy and enshrines the Scottish government’s commitment to achieving net-zero and embedding fair work practices through public investment.”
Furthermore, “The establishment of green free-ports will help us create new green jobs, deliver a just transition and support our economic transformation.”
However, The UK Government secretary of state, Michael Gove, said: “This is a truly exciting moment for Scotland, and I am delighted we will be working together with the Scottish Government to set up two new Green Free-Ports.”
“Green Free-Ports help inject billions into the local economy, while levelling up by creating jobs for local people, and opportunities for people all over the UK to flourish.”
“By collaborating using opportunities like Green Free-Ports we can work to level-up the whole of the UK and bring benefits and opportunities to communities that need it most.”
Free-Ports are one of Boris Johnson’s big ideas to “level up” the country and bring new investment and jobs to areas that are currently lagging.
Sources: BBC, The Guardian.
UK weather: Storm Dudley & Storm Eunice to hit UK
The weather of the UK is very inconsistent because it is affected by several different air masses. The UK is set to be hit by two storms in three days this week. Forecasters warned of up to 90mph winds, two low-pressure systems that will bring spells of strong winds and potentially snow between Wednesday and Friday. They have been named: Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice. Amber and Yellow wind warnings are in place through parts of the UK, these are explained further on in the article.
Storm Dudley is expected to affect the northern half of the UK on Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Strong winds will cross western Scotland and Northern Ireland on Wednesday evening. These will then push eastward to northern England overnight and through to Thursday morning. Gusts of 80 to 90 mph are possible on exposed coasts and hills of Scotland, with wind reaching 60 to 70 mph possibly further inland. However, on Friday Storm Eunice is forecast to bring more strong winds, with 60 to 70 mph gusts possible inland for England, Wales, parts of Northern Ireland, and Scotland. Heavy rain and snow are also predicted.
An amber warning means there could be disruption to roads, rail, air, and ferries as well as bridges being closed and power cuts. Yellow warnings are issued when it is likely that the weather will cause “some low-level impacts including disruption to travel in a few places”.
According to the Met Office, areas of high and low pressure are caused by ascending and descending air. As air warms rises, it leads to low pressure underneath. As the air cools it descends, leading to high pressure at the surface.
In general, low pressure usually makes for unsettled weather conditions and high pressure leads to settled weather conditions.
Sources: The Guardian, Sky News.
UK government's plan to Exit the Pandemic
It has been nearly two years since the Coronavirus first hit the UK and the United Kingdom has seen some of the highest number of deaths from Covid-19, resulting in multiple lockdowns over the recent years. Most recently, the Omicron coronavirus variant has spread through the UK and is the current cause of concern for many.
People in many countries became unemployed as a result of “nonessential” businesses closing to restrict the spread of the Covid-19. Restaurants, gyms, religious buildings, parks, and offices were closed in many places. The pandemic also increases the pressure on the healthcare systems by raising the demand for certain treatments. People with severe COVID-19 symptoms use more ventilators and beds in intensive care. As a result, resources may be in short supply for others who need this equipment.
The Government might announce the end of free Covid-19 testing for millions of people as part of its “Living Safely with Covid” strategy, due to be published next week. Officials want to cut the ongoing costs of the pandemic as cases and deaths continue to fall. The changes will come into force next month. The Prime Minister said this week that by the end of February, England will be the first major country in the world to have lifted all restrictions, including those on travel, vaccine passports, and isolation. According to one of the government’s scientific experts “By the end of 2022, Britain might have a ‘flu-like’ relationship with Covid.”
The upbeat remarks came as a World Health Organisation expert claimed today that there was “light at the end of the tunnel” for the United Kingdom, citing falling case numbers and steady hospital rates. Work-from-home instructions and vaccine passports will soon phase out, and travel testing for the vaccinated could be outlawed, giving the tourism industry a tremendous much needed boost. However, face masks will most likely remain in use on public transportation and stores until later this year. Covid self-isolation regulations are finally reduced to five days, after the UK economy was affected by worker shortages. Infected people can now skip the quarantine period if they test negative on days five and six.
Sources: Sky News, The Guardian