Human Times

UK Edition

11th November 2026

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THE HOT STORY

Two days in office could be flexible working 'sweet spot'

Umar Boodoo, a professor at Warwick Business School, says research indicates that two to three days in the office is seen by staff as the "sweet spot," and he suggests bosses "need to justify" why they are asking employees to come into the workplace for anything beyond two days. The Times says it has analysed several recent studies and reports, and employers across Britain and Europe are beginning to reach a consensus over in-person attendance. Boodoo said of a 2024 study in the journal Nature: "What [employers] found out was that people who stayed at home between two to three days had no decrease in productivity compared to people who were working in the office all the time . . . Furthermore, their 'quit intention' was much lower. They felt less burnt out and more valued by their company."

The Times

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

The Hidden Value in Existing Benefits Schemes

What do employee benefit choices tell us about today's workforce?

Every benefit selection tells a story. New analysis of more than 442,000 benefit selections across 8,386 UK organisations reveals how employees engage with workplace benefits and where employers may be overlooking opportunities.

Nine in ten selections for two of the most popular salary sacrifice schemes came through relaunched schemes, a reminder that existing benefits still hold untapped value.

Even the most valuable benefits go unnoticed if they're hard to find, understand or access. Everyday discounts and salary sacrifice schemes show where that value is felt most.

The Employee Benefits Impact Report explores the trends behind these choices and what they mean for benefits engagement.

Download the report

WORKFORCE

Benefits bill is much higher than job support

The government allocates significantly more funds to working-age benefits than to employment support, according to the Centre for Cities think tank. In the Liverpool City Region, spending on benefits is nearly 70 times higher than spending on job assistance. Employment rates in major UK cities lag national averages, partly due to a centralised welfare system that lacks local adaptation, according to researchers. Alan Milburn, the former Labour health secretary, is advocating for a localised approach to tackle youth unemployment. He warns that without adequate funding, local leaders may struggle to effectively support job seekers. "As a country, we aren't putting that much money into helping people out of work," said Anthony Breach, director at the Centre for Cities.

The Times

Women face £3,800 pension gap

Retired women receive £3,800 less annually from pensions than men, according to a study by Scottish Widows. Women's average pension income is £14,500, while men receive £18,300. The gap is the smallest recorded, indicating progress. Women's pension income rose by 8% this year, while men's decreased by 4%. The median private pension pot for women is projected at £151,000, compared to £246,000 for men. Scottish Widows noted that 33% of women are expected to fall below a minimum living standard in retirement, down from 39% in 2023.

Daily Mail

STRATEGY

Aldi cuts hundreds of UK jobs

Aldi is cutting hundreds of UK head office and logistics jobs as part of a global cost reduction programme. The supermarket is consulting on up to 150 technology redundancies, following 103 finance and administration cuts and nearly 20 buying director departures. Further payroll reductions are expected, while some functions are being outsourced overseas. Store employees are unaffected. The restructuring comes amid tougher competition, with UK sales rising just 0.4% in the latest 12-week period and market share slipping despite lower prices. Aldi has pledged support for affected staff.

The Guardian

WORKPLACE

Shocking bullying rates at Crown Estate Scotland

Nearly 30% of employees at Crown Estate Scotland reported experiencing bullying or harassment, according to a leaked 2025 staff survey. This figure is significantly higher than the public sector benchmark. Chief executive Ronan O'Hara acknowledged the need for "regular check-ins" and "accessible reporting routes" to enhance workplace safety.

Herald Scotland

TECHNOLOGY

AI threatens credibility of university degrees

England's higher education regulator has warned that prolific AI use in essays, dissertations and open-book exams threatens degree credibility, and is urging universities to revive in-person exams and oral presentations. The Office for Students and Advance HE interviewed more than 300 students and staff at 127 universities and colleges, hearing that some assessments were completed with AI in minutes and received similar grades to those completed without the technology. Academics reported near-identical submissions, and students said peers used ChatGPT undetected.

Financial Times

The Guardian

RISK

Emergency stockpiling campaign boosts supermarket sales

The government's 'Be Ready' campaign has triggered a surge in sales of essential supplies as households prepare for potential national emergencies. Following its October 22 launch, hand sanitiser sales jumped 83%, bottled water increased 67% and tinned meat rose 43% compared with last year. The initiative encourages households to maintain three days' emergency supplies against threats including natural disasters and cyberattacks.

Daily Mail

London Evening Standard

The Daily Telegraph

The Guardian

The Times

TAX

Footballers face £45m tax hike

Football players and clubs will incur an additional £45m in tax annually due to new image rights regulations. Chancellor John Healey announced that image rights payments will be taxed as employment income starting from 6 April 2028. This change may affect how players are taxed based on their club's involvement in sponsorship deals. Elliott Buss from UHY Hacker Young said: "These changes will have a significant impact on football clubs' wage bills." The new rules could challenge footballers' ability to earn income outside their club salaries.

City AM

INTERNATIONAL

Australia to introduce mandatory AI breach reporting

Australia will require artificial intelligence companies to report breaches, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said. The move comes after an OpenAI agent in September gained unauthorised access to the medical statistics portal of Medicare, Australia's universal health insurance programme, while conducting research on public medical spending. "[The recommendations of the review into the incident] include mandatory AI company reporting when it comes to misaligned behaviour or cyber incidents, and consideration of reforming criminal law in cases of serious misconduct," Albanese said. "The law needs to get ahead of, and in some cases, make sure that it catches up with what is a very fast-changing world."

Deutsche Welle

Reuters

The Guardian

PepsiCo to cut some jobs in North America

PepsiCo is cutting some ‌jobs in its North America food and beverage unit as part of a plan to simplify the company's structure. The Wall Street Journal has reported that PepsiCo is cutting around 1,000 jobs. In a letter to employees, PepsiCo North America CEO Ram Krishnan wrote: "The goal is to move faster, execute better, and invest behind the opportunities that will drive our growth." The company is seeking to reinvigorate local growth in the face of weaker demand for soda sales and higher-priced snacks, and higher input costs.

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

Astellas employee jailed in China 'to be released in December'

A Japanese employee of Astellas Pharma who was sentenced to three years and six months in prison for espionage in China is set to be released in mid-December. The individual was detained in March 2023 on suspicion of spying, indicted in August 2024, and sentenced in July 2025. The case has strained Japan-China relations. Japan's deputy chief cabinet secretary has said that the ruling was "extremely regrettable."

U.S. News

OTHER

Classroom technology raises concerns over disrupted learning

An Uber Eats advert interrupted a Holocaust lesson, and a pupil received midnight homework notifications, according to research highlighting concerns about classroom technology. The study, Growing Up In The Digital Classroom, involved 454 children aged six to 18 across 11 schools, alongside interviews with teachers and experts. Researchers warned that educational technology was reshaping learning with little scrutiny, citing disruptive advertising and gamification. Although pupils and teachers said they recognised potential benefits from technology and AI, significant concerns remained about their everyday experiences.

The Times

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