Wages
This coverage examines wage trends and policies in the UK retail sector, focusing on pay levels, employer contributions, labour cost management, and compliance. Reporting highlights how changes in wages impact staffing budgets, recruitment, retention, and operational planning — offering insight for executives, HR leaders, and finance professionals managing workforce investments.
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Mar- 2020 -24 MarchCoronavirus
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – Advice for employers
Nigel Morris, tax director at MHA MacIntyre Hudson explains how employers can access the Job Retention Scheme (JRS) to continue paying 80% of the salary for employees that would otherwise have been laid off or made redundant, the practical next steps and potential complications of the scheme. Key points include:…
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20 MarchHigh Street
Covid-19: Government to pay 80% of salary to staff unable to work
Chancellor Sunak Rishi has said the government will pay 80% of wages to employees who aren’t able to work due to the coronavirus, up to £2,500 a month, according to the BBC. The “unprecedented measure” comes as the government has unveiled more plans to protect jobs and businesses amid the…
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19 MarchEconomy
New bank of England boss promises fresh measures to fight Covid-19
The new Bank of England boss, Andrew Bailey, has promised a fresh set of measures to help fight the economic “emergency” faced due to the coronavirus outbreak. Bailey, who has only been in the position for three days after taking over from former Bank Of England chief Mark Carney, told…
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6 MarchHigh Street
February retail sales hit by poor weather and Coronavirus concerns
Total in-store retail sales declined by 0.9% in February, according to BDO’s monthly High Street Sales Tracker. The accountancy firm said a mix of poor weather and “growing concerns” around the spread of coronavirus caused retailers to take a hit during the month. Despite this, online sales saw a slight…
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Feb- 2020 -28 FebruaryHigh Street
Consumer confidence rises in February
Consumer confidence has increased two points to –7 this month, according to the latest figures from the GfK. According to its Consumer Confidence Index, three measures increased, one measure decreased, and one measure remained the same during February. The Personal Finance Situation index, which measures changes in personal finances during…
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18 FebruaryEconomy
Consumer confidence reaches record-high in February
The IHS Markit Household Finance Index reached a record-high of 47.6 in February, up from 44.6 last month. IHS Markit, the global information provider which compiles the survey, said it is the highest index reading since the survey began 11 years ago. The firm added that while the figure is…
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10 FebruaryAnalysis
Ocado ditches Waitrose; Bill gates orders £500m beast-yacht; Boris to lower immigration wage threshold
A busy start to the week in the business pages. As the coronavirus story unfolds I am reluctant to spend every day providing updates on it, but it is worth noting quickly that there is likely to be some worldwide economic turbulence due to the latest developments. A slew of…
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Jan- 2020 -15 JanuaryAnalysis
Boohoo more valuable than M&S – a sea-change encapsulated
From a purely journalistic standpoint it is now a de facto cliché to refer to Marks and Spencer as the “high street bellwether”, yet that is the status it has held for so many decades. The once mighty monolith was the first British retailer to reach a market capitalisation of…
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Oct- 2019 -21 OctoberHigh Street
Bonmarché enters administration putting 2,900 jobs at risk
Womenswear retailer Bonmarché has entered administration, resulting in around 2,900 jobs being placed at risk including 200 at its head office. With 318 branches located around the UK, Bonmarché appointed FRP Advisory as administrators who said the brand had a “sustained period of challenging trading conditions.” Alastair Massey, Tony Wright…
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10 OctoberSupermarkets
UK grocers criticised over ‘harsh’ working conditions for tea and fruit farmers
Oxfam has alleged that “poor pay” and “harsh working conditions” are commonplace on farms and plantations in Brazil and India which supply tea or fruit to some of the UK’s biggest grocers, according to new research by the charity. The supermarkets named by Oxfam include Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Morrisons.…
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