
EV salary sacrifice delivers measurable benefits for both employees and employers. Thom Groot, CEO of The Electric Car Scheme, argues that the upcoming autumn Budget must preserve this crucial incentive — one that is helping middle-income families access affordable electric transport and driving real progress towards net zero.

Searches for Christmas temp jobs hit record levels in September. New research from The Accountancy Partnership shows a 23% year-on-year rise in festive job searches, suggesting that Britons are seeking seasonal work earlier than ever amid continuing financial strain.

Government borrowing exceeds forecasts by £9.9 billion this fiscal year. Public sector borrowing reached £17.4 billion in October, marking the third-highest October on record. The cumulative borrowing since April is £116.8 billion, intensifying economic pressures as the Budget approaches.

Budget talk is already weighing on Britain’s Christmas shoppers. New BRC and GfK data shows consumer sentiment sliding again in November, just as inflation eases and retail sales stumble. With Rachel Reeves facing a sizeable fiscal gap, retailers are braced for a Budget that could define demand well into 2026.

Two in five invoices reach finance teams with errors. New data from Basware shows automation could reclaim hundreds of hours and bring oversight to $549bn in unmanaged spend.

A third of UK employees feel uninspired at work. O.C. Tanner’s latest Global Culture Report finds a significant “inspiration gap” between employees’ ambitions and workplace reality, linking it to falling engagement, slower innovation, and weaker productivity across British organisations.

Upgrading connected tech could add nine days of productivity. A BT Business report suggests better connectivity could offset the average sick leave lost per UK worker and ease workplace stress by 2030, as companies invest in AI and cloud-enabled tools to improve efficiency, retention, and wellbeing.

Energy jargon is emerging as a new cost pressure for UK SMEs. Research from Valda Energy shows that more than half of small businesses struggle to understand key terms — a knowledge gap now linked to higher billing confusion and increased payment risks.

UK Finance CEO warns against bank tax hikes in Budget. David Postings cautions that increasing taxes on banks could harm London’s competitiveness and economic growth. He emphasises the financial sector’s role in job creation and tax contributions.