TOP STORIES / FRONT DESK
NEWSMAKERS
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SUPPLY PROBLEMS HIT HOSPITALITY
Food supply markets saw distribution problems and a spike in demand in June following the return of the hospitality sector, states the CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index. It cites a shortage of HGV drivers and “insufficient manufactured stocks and Brexitrelated challenges”. tinyurl.com/Fac0910-supply
UK LABO UR MARKET B O UNCE S BACK
The CIPD’s quarterly Labour Market Outlook survey has found that two in three firms plan to take on new staff and many plan to upskill staff to tackle labour shortages. The study, canvassing more than 2,000 employers and covering all industries, shows that employers are indicating “strong employment intentions for Q3”. tinyurl.com/ Fac0910-cipd
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O F F I C E S W I L L R E P O P U L AT E , S AYS C B R E
The government has launched its hydrogen strategy, which it says could provide a third of the nation’s energy for commercial and residential buildings, driving on “the PM’s 10 Point Plan for a green industrial revolution”. tinyurl. com/Fac0910-hydrogen
Offices will repopulate over the rest of this year, according to the EMEA Occupier Survey of 130 companies by CRA advisers CBRE. It says repopulations will be led by small firms because they are further advanced in the return to the office. Over 80 per cent of small companies report that all locations are open. tinyurl.com/Fac0910-cbre
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U N I T E U RG E S G OV E R N M E N T N OT TO A X E F URLOUG H S CH EME
WORK P L ACE GA S EX P LOS ION S ON RIS E
Gas explosions in the workplace have caused more injuries during 2019 to 2020 than any other time in the past five years, indicate Health & Safety Executive figures. A study of the data by health and safety firm CE Safety reveals that the injuries and fatalities caused by gas safety failings such as carbon monoxide leaks and gas explosions were the worst during this period, with 41 gas explosions injuring 35 people. This was a 58 per cent rise and out of 11 fatalities over the past five years, eight were in 2019/20. tinyurl.com/Fac0910-gas
Sectors such as hospitality could benefit if the government adapts its furlough scheme to meet skills shortfalls, says trade union Unite. The government’s Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme ends on 30 September. At its peak, it provided wage support for more than 11 million UK workers. Unite, which played a central role in negotiating the scheme, says that in July two million workers were still on the scheme. tinyurl.com/Fac0910-unite
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FIRE SA FETY AC T PROMPTS RISK REVIEW
H UMA N S CA N A L L EV IAT E CL I MAT E CRI S IS
Landlords are being urged to prepare for the Fire Safety Act 2021 by certification firm Bureau Veritas because it poses “significant” challenges for all duty holders, who will be held to account if they fail to comply. tinyurl.com/ Fac0910risk
Human actions could still determine the climate’s future course, says August’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. It warns that change is “widespread, rapid, and intensifying”. Scientists are “observing changes in the Earth’s climate in every region and across the whole climate system”, many of them “unprecedented in thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years”. tinyurl.com/Fac0910-human
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G E ND E R INEQUALITY DOGS SUPPLY CHAIN
PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTCOK / ISTOCK
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UK H Y D ROG EN P L A N H EAT S UP
Ethical trade membership group Sedex says women make up half of the global workforce, but hold only 27 per cent of managerial posts and a third of supervisor roles. About 38 per cent of promotions in the past year went to women and 62 per cent to men. The data was gathered from 42,000 business sites in 143 nations and 12.5 million workers. tinyurl. com/Fac0910gender
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£7M MORE FOR F L EX IBL E A P P REN T ICES H IP S
Sectors including agriculture, construction and creative industries can now bid for a share of a £7 million fund to support new flexible apprenticeships. In his Budget, the chancellor said cash incentives for firms to hire apprentices will be doubled to £3,000, and there will be £126 million to help firms offer trainee shifts. tinyurl.com/ Fac0910-apprentice
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CON N EC T I V I T Y IS K EY
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Digital connectivity trumps location and even rental price for firms looking for new offices in the wake of Covid-19, shows research by digital firm Backbone Connect. Its study,, Connecting the Dots: What Office Tenants Want, found that 82 per cent of tenants ranked connectivity, the infrastructure which enables internet and digital activity, as “very important” when looking for a new space. tinyurl.com/Fac0910-connect
N EW P L A N N I N G RUL ES O N F I R E S A F E T Y
Developers of high-rise residential buildings must prove that they have been designed with fire safety in mind before planning consent is granted, according to rules announced in August. This involves clear site layout and good access provided for fire engines. tinyurl. com/Fac0910-fire
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FACI L I TAT EM AG A ZI N E .CO M
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03/09/2021 13:44
