Features
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How supportive workplace cultures are really built
Businesses are moving beyond tick-box wellbeing policies. For World Mental Health Day, Business Quarter speaks with leaders embedding psychological safety, inclusion, and empathy into the fabric of daily work — from wellbeing hubs and mentoring schemes to inclusive language and sensory-friendly design.
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UK M&A deals of the week: 3 October 2025
This week’s UK M&A activity spanned food delivery, wealth management, energy, retail, and oilfield services. From DoorDash’s $3.9 billion takeover of Deliveroo to Lloyds reshaping its wealth strategy, the deals underscore how consolidation continues across UK consumer, financial, and industrial sectors.
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UK M&A deals of the week: 26 September 2025
This week’s UK M&A activity touched mortgage servicing, logistics, leisure assets, mining technology, and family entertainment. From rail freight to marina networks, the deals reflect international capital targeting UK companies and assets while British acquirers expand overseas.
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What might a mandatory Brit card mean for SMEs?
The Labour government plans to introduce mandatory digital ID cards. The proposal would require all UK workers to hold a digital ID, verified by employers at the point of hire. Ministers argue it will curb illegal work, while SMEs face both opportunities and challenges in compliance and implementation.
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UK M&A deals of the week: 19 September 2025
This week’s UK M&A activity spanned private equity, healthcare, banking, technology, and retail. From Apax Global’s £794 million delisting to Sainsbury’s collapsed Argos sale, the developments show how global capital is reshaping the UK’s investment landscape and pressing established players to adapt their strategies.
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How secure is U.S. control of TikTok?
TikTok’s U.S. ownership deal raises more questions than answers. A framework struck between Washington and Beijing promises to put American investors in charge of the app’s U.S. operations, but control of its algorithm and data remains unresolved.
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The productivity paradox of presenteeism costs UK billions
Presenteeism is costing UK businesses far more than absenteeism. A growing body of research shows that while sickness absence is tightly monitored and managed, the hidden cost of employees working while unwell is vastly greater. Experts warn that companies may be measuring the wrong thing.
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UK M&A deals of the week: 12 September 2025
This week’s UK M&A activity spanned mining, housing, marketing, legal services, and reinsurance. From a $50 billion copper mega-merger to digital-first disruption of property law, the deals illustrate the UK’s role as a stage for global capital and strategic sector reshaping.
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AI not cutting jobs yet, but leaders urged to act
AI is not yet reshaping jobs, but leaders must prepare. The New York Fed reports rising adoption of artificial intelligence without widespread layoffs, with most firms retraining staff. History suggests disruption lags adoption, leaving leaders a crucial window to redesign roles, embed trust, and invest in future skills.
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Hybrid work as a health lever
Hybrid working is proving to be more than a perk. CIPD and ONS data show flexible models cut absence, aid retention, and support productivity — but also risk digital presenteeism and deepening workforce divides if not well managed.
