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Small business technology adoption remains uneven across the UK. A government-backed digital roadshow with Google, eBay, Sage, and Xero is targeting practical support for SMEs in retail, hospitality, and leisure.
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SME AI adoption is being slowed by trust concerns. IONOS research finds UK small businesses remain wary of data theft, unauthorised access, and reliance on non-European vendors, raising procurement and sovereignty questions around AI rollout.
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Insurance innovation training is moving beyond the London market base. EDII will launch Digital Minds Embed North in Leeds this October with Markel as its partner.
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Workspace control is challenging the aesthetics-led office design debate again. Research suggests employees perform better when workplace design gives them agency, choice, and practical support.
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Employment reform is reaching rotas, payroll, and manager decisions. The UK’s Employment Rights Act 2025 will test workforce planning, absence management, manager capability, and productivity in organisations that have relied on informal flexibility.
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Employers face a heavier compliance timetable as reforms widen again. The Employment Rights Act implementation phase is moving into payroll, absence, contracts, rostering, and line-management practice.
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AI use is rising faster than workforce readiness levels. Skillsoft says 86% of employees use AI, but only 24% feel fully equipped.
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A four-day week could strengthen disability inclusion at work. New research says reduced hours without loss of pay may improve retention, wellbeing, and employment sustainability.
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New carers’ rights could reshape workforce planning for employers. Ministers are consulting on paid carer’s leave, return-to-work protections, and stronger support for parents of seriously ill children.
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Young founders are ambitious but financially underprepared, Xero research suggests. A new survey finds 72% of 16-to-21-year-old students are attracted to entrepreneurship, while funding, confidence, and financial skills remain substantial barriers.