Every UK startup has heard about artificial intelligence (AI) a million times at this point, and most are now considering using it in their own business — if they haven’t already.

After all, AI can have some serious benefits for businesses. But if it isn’t implemented adequately, new research suggests it can lead to pretty disastrous results for customer retention if the technology is not used effectively or transparently.

As AI continues to evolve, businesses are under pressure to embrace this technology to remain competitive. However, the rush to adopt AI comes with some serious challenges.

With many AI projects failing in the last year, it seems that businesses are stuck between the need to adopt the technology and risking brand reputation among customers.

Small businesses feel pressured to adopt AI

The government has placed UK startups at the heart of its strategy to become a global leader in artificial intelligence. Called the “AI Opportunities Action Plan“, it was unveiled in January, alongside a raft of investment and policy directives to target this sector.

Traditionally, new businesses are associated with the development of cutting-edge technologies. But in the fast-growth sector of AI, even startups are struggling to keep up.

According to a survey by Startups, 82% of UK businesses feel under pressure to adopt emerging technologies, including AI. Technology businesses reported the highest pressure (23%), followed by 22% of hospitality firms.

As well as government pressure, another cause could be herd mentality. While the tech is more prevalent in larger firms, 15% of startups now say they use at least one kind of AI technology. Keeping ahead of the competition is a key concern for emerging businesses.

However, many businesses that tried to integrate AI have seen those projects fail. Research by OneAdvanced revealed that 52% of businesses have attempted to adopt AI into their everyday operations, but 36% of those efforts were unsuccessful.

The controversy of generative AI in marketing

One area where AI can be risky to rollout is marketing. AI marketing tools have become an increasingly popular way for businesses to create personalised marketing assets, improve targeting, and boost overall campaign performance. 

According to a study by LocaliQ, 53% of organisations are utilising AI in their marketing strategies, while 11% plan to do so in the future. Moreover, 63% of businesses are using AI for written content, while 32% use it for graphic design and 31% for image/video generation. 

While these avenues may be more cost-effective and quicker than hiring a copywriter or graphic designer, AI-generated content has seen significant controversy in recent times.

Take Coca-Cola’s Christmas ad last year, which was created with Real Magic AI. The 15-second video advert depicted scenes of the iconic red Coca-Cola trucks, much to the delight of virtual townspeople and polar bears. 

Fans were quick to express their distaste for the ad, describing it as “disastrous”, while others called it a “creepy dystopian nightmare”. Others also argued that it was a poor attempt to cut labour costs in the film and technology industry, in turn risking jobs.

The Queensland Symphony Orchestra came under fire last year for using an AI stock image, to advertise an upcoming concert. In the image, a couple with multiple fingers sat in the stalls while a group of identical violinists played behind them. 

And we all remember the disaster that was Willy’s Chocolate Experience in Glasgow, where the organiser used AI-generated images with notable spelling errors to promote an unlicensed event in Glasgow that was anything but magical for visitors.

Consumers don’t trust brands that don’t implement AI properly

These instances of AI marketing gone wrong may give us a chuckle. But they can also act as cautionary tales for businesses that rush into using AI tools.

It’s not that AI in advertising is inherently wrong. Another report by Click also found that 61% of customers also said their purchase decisions wouldn’t be influenced if a business used AI-generated content in their marketing.

But that doesn’t mean implementation isn’t important, as startups risk losing customer loyalty if they don’t use it effectively. In fact, 50% of Brits say they distrust brands that don’t handle AI properly, according to photo editing software Photoroom. 

What counts as “proper” AI marketing is of course, subjective. Establishing clear guidelines for quality assurance so that team members can check for errors is one answer, but this takes time and training. 

Businesses are on a tightrope, trying to find the balance between the need to adopt AI to stay competitive with the risk of losing customer trust if they don’t get it right.

AI can be beneficial, but don’t rush into adoption

AI has a lot to offer businesses, especially when it comes to marketing practices. But for startups, the key isn’t just adopting AI for the sake of it. It’s about using it wisely, testing things out and making sure it fits with what your customers expect. 

Firms are feeling the pressure to hop on the AI train. But jumping into AI without a solid plan can backfire, leading to mistakes that could hurt your brand and alienate customers.

It’s a distinctly 2025 problem.

Hopeful graduates, or those looking for more autonomy while at work, are lured in with attractive job descriptions promising lucrative salaries, fast career growth, and the chance to “be your own boss”.

However, the reality is far from the dream role for many, as the “amazing opportunity” that was promised turns out to be a door-to-door sales job with long hours, minimal pay and relentless pressure to hit unrealistic targets.

You might have heard of these jobs. They’re being offered by so-called “Devilcorps”, an online label used to describe companies that have sparked controversy over the years for alleged exploitation tactics, high staff turnover rates, and questionable company culture. 

In today’s growing gig economy, Devilcorps are active in the UK’s job market. But they’re tricky. They often use rebranding to adopt multiple names, and flashy job ads to attract unsuspecting workers looking to go freelance.

Here’s everything you need to know about Devilcorp jobs, what they entail and how to spot red flags to avoid getting caught in their web.

What is a Devilcorp?

“Devilcorp” is an informal nickname that originated within online communities. It’s used to describe a network of marketing firms facing allegations of deceptive recruitment practices.

These firms are said to attract job seekers with promises of promising career opportunities, only to subject them to high-pressure sales environments, often with low remuneration and job descriptions that do not accurately reflect the daily tasks.

The term itself seems to have originated from online forums and social media, such as Reddit’s r/devilcorp forum, where users share their experiences and warn others about companies that may be hiring through misleading recruitment tactics.

Labour practices in Devilcorps

Devilcorp companies are notorious for their questionable work practices. There are claims that some firms encourage individuals to sign ‘self-employment’ contracts, meaning that they aren’t eligible for basic workers’ rights and protections.

But despite being supposedly hired as freelancers, contracted Devilcorp workers report they are still expected to put in long hours, meaning little to no work-life balance, while only receiving pay on a commission basis.

For those looking to become sole traders or entrepreneurs, genuine freelance work typically offers flexibility and control over workload, while Devilcorp positions often demand strict schedules, unpaid trading and constant pressure to meet sales targets, leaving workers with all the risks of self-employment but none of the benefits.

David Gammill, founder of Gammill Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, says Devilcorps have “found a loophole” in UK employment law that holds them accountable to very few. 

“Calling the labourers independent contractors means that they don’t need to comply with labour laws, minimum wages or benefits”, he explains.

The UK government’s Employment Rights Bill pledges to scrap “exploitative” zero-hour contracts. While Devilcorp jobs aren’t classified as zero-hour, their reported exploitation tactics and questionable working practices haven’t been mentioned in the bill. 

Even with major publications like The BBC and Wales Online uncovering some shocking cases of exploitation — and Labour MP Darren Jones expressing his concerns — there still doesn’t seem to be a law in place to fully protect workers.

Work like the Devil-corp

With both workers and lawmakers clearly aware of the issue, it may seem surprising that Devilcorps are operating in the UK. 

But Tom Haylock, CEO of Sharecat Data Services says that Devilcorp companies “run on volume”, with a recruitment process that is “designed to keep people from asking questions.”

“[Devilcorps] don’t care if someone stays a week or a month because there’s always another person ready to take their place,” Haylock adds. “If 50 people start on Monday and five stick around, that’s still free labour for a week and a handful of sellers they didn’t have to train.”

Devilcorps don’t just leave people feeling ripped off. The constant pressure to meet targets takes a heavy mental toll, causing exhaustion and isolation. This system is designed to make workers blame themselves for failing, instead of realising they’re being exploited.

Mohbeen Qureshi, VP of Growth at Oppizi says that while people “work all day chasing sales, dealing with rejection non-stop and making barely enough to get by” at Devilcorps, there’s “pressure to always be positive, to act like things are great even when they aren’t.

“These places push a toxic mindset where if you fail, it’s your fault for not working hard enough,” he adds. “It can break your confidence and make you doubt yourself. A lot of people leave feeling exhausted, broke and demoralised.”

Red flags to look out for in a Devilcorp

With the increasing number of workplace redundancies in the UK this year, many laid-off employees are back on the job market. Others are leaving it in droves, seeking out ways to leave the workforce and become self-employed.

Here are some red flags you should look out for to avoid falling into the trap of Devilcorps.

1. Unclear job descriptions

Kristian Salijević, founder of GameBoost, comments: “[Devilcorps] make everything sound professional – ‘marketing’, ‘brand ambassador’, ‘business development’. If a job listing doesn’t clearly explain what you’ll be doing every day, assume they’re hiding something. The same goes for companies that promise you’ll make thousands with no experience.”

2. Certain phrases in the job description

It’s important to look out for specific phrases in the job advertisement, such as “immediate start”, “no experience” or “career fast track”, as these can often be red flags indicating a firm may be focused on quickly filling positions rather than offering genuine career opportunities.

“A job seeker should always be sceptical of roles that promise high earnings with no experience,” Hayward advises. “If a company won’t give clear answers about pay structures or work hours, assume the worst. Any legitimate employer will provide a contract outlining wages, expectations, and employment status.”

3. The interview process

“The interview process is another red flag,” Salijević comments. “If they rush you into making a decision, avoid talking about salary in concrete terms, or only emphasise company culture, walk away. Real jobs don’t need to pressure you into saying yes.”

Haylock also warns that Devilcorp interviews “focus on ambition rather than qualifications. If someone asks about pay, they’re given non-answers about ‘earning potential’.”

The Devilcorp is in the details

In 2025, an increase in online job searching, alongside the desire for remote and freelance work, has made it easier for Devilcorp companies to operate.

If you’re unsure whether you’ve applied for a Devilcorp job, make sure to research the company in question. Look up reviews on job review sites like Glassdoor or Indeed, and check for any warnings or red flags in forums, such as high-pressure sales or commission-only pay.

And remember the old saying: if a contract looks too good to be true, it probably is.

In 2023, the UK’s Online Safety Act came into force. Introduced by the UK’s communications regulator Ofcom, the Act contains a set of rules around online content that many tech startups and small businesses need to comply with.

Firms have already had to carry out a risk assessment, to understand how likely it is that users could encounter illegal content on their service. 

From Monday, online platforms offering user-to-user services, such as messaging sites and gaming apps, are now also legally required to start implementing measures to take down illegal content. The changes could have big repercussions for technology startups.

If companies fail to comply with these new rules, they will be liable to penalties of up to £18 million, or 10% of their global revenue. Here’s what startups need to know.

What are the new rules for startups?

As part of the new regulations, platforms will have to start implementing appropriate measures to remove illegal material quickly when they become aware of it and to reduce the risk of ‘priority’ criminal content from appearing in the first place. 

What this looks like in practice will differ depending on the business. Some measures are recommended only for ‘large services’ with more than seven million monthly active UK users.

Ali Hall is the Online Safety Supervision Principal at Ofcom. Speaking exclusively to Startups, Hall acknowledges this disparity. “The definition of ‘appropriate measures’ for removing illegal content will really depend on the online service in question – what’s right for a social media platform with millions of users, won’t be the same for a small community forum”.

That said, certain measures apply across the board. Hall says the first step for eligible businesses is to assign someone to be responsible for online safety in the business. 

From there, he adds that terms and conditions should clearly outline what kind of materials are prohibited and that content is reviewed efficiently, including the removal of any illegal materials that breach terms and conditions.

Additionally, users should have the ability to report any inappropriate material. That means businesses need a process in place to handle complaints.

“The rules are proportionate and we expect different things from large, high-risk services and small, low-risk services,” says Hall. “The key requirement is that online services have systems and processes to take down illegal content swiftly, once it has been identified.”

How much will it cost businesses?

There’s no exact cost for implementing the new rules, as this will differ depending on the process each business takes. However, for budget-conscious startups, there are some cost-effective ways to adapt.

Hall suggests using Ofcom’s online toolkit, which includes an interactive, step-by-step guide on the new rules, as well as tailored recommendations for a business’s online service. He also stresses that there is no specific way to respond to the Online Safety Act.

“Many of our recommended safety measures are ‘principles-based’, meaning that there’s flexibility about how you implement them,” says Hall.

“Online services should enable users to submit complaints. [But] some services may offer a web portal or ‘help centre’, while small or low-risk services may simply provide an email address through which users can submit reports or complaints.”

What do startups need to do now?

In terms of immediate deadlines, businesses are required to carry out a children’s access assessment to establish if their service (or part of it), is likely to be accessed by under-18s.

If this is the case, companies will have until the 16th of April to start this assessment, and it must be completed by July this year. 

Further responsibilities include ensuring that risk assessments are up to date (Hall recommends reviewing them at least every 12 months) and carrying out a new evaluation if you plan to make significant changes to your services. 

“There are foundational steps that everyone should follow – but if your service is large or high risk, there will be more to do,” Hall said.

“By now, everyone running an online service in the scope of the Act should have completed the first illegal content risk assessment. That will help decide if you’re at higher risk and whether you should consider more of our recommended safety measures.”

“Small tech platforms are crucial for growth”

Understanding and implementing practices around new safety legislation can be a serious red-tape headache for tech startups. However, Ofcom says it is making it easier for businesses to remain innovative while still being compliant with the new rules.

“Small tech platforms are crucial for economic growth in the UK and we want to support that through proportionate regulation,” Hall states. “That’s why we’re producing resources and tools to help make the compliance process easier.” 

While the penalties also sound harsh, Hall adds that Ofcom isn’t setting out to make things harder for tech startups, many of which are already struggling to scale due to the challenges of today’s poor economy.

“Unfortunately, we also know that harm can exist on the smallest services as well as the largest,” he says “We intend to focus our enforcement on services where the risk and impact of harm is highest [and] will only take action where it is proportionate and appropriate.”

Job cuts might be dominating the news headlines today. But despite this apparent lack of job security, one in four young employees is considering quitting anyway, primarily due to mental health issues.

The research, by consultancy PwC, has found that 25% of British 18-24 year olds have considered leaving the workforce in the last year.

With many firms planning to carry out further job cuts due to increases in National Insurance Contributions (NICs), younger employees could be jumping ship before they find themselves at risk of getting fired.

More young workers are quitting due to mental health

In all, PwC’s survey revealed that 19% of employees of all ages had considered quitting their jobs in the last year. However, employees under 35 were more likely to call it quits.

Julia Turney, Partner and Head of Platform and Benefits at BW, says that the PwC findings show that younger workers are “rejecting the traditional corporate ladder” and prioritising wellbeing and work-life balance.

Turney added: “Our own research of UK employees recently found that reports of stress, anxiety and burnout were at their highest among young workers, leading to two-thirds taking extended sick leave in the past five years.”

Survivor’s guilt: mass layoffs are worsening morale

According to the CIPD, 25% of employers were planning to carry out redundancies in the three months to March 2025, an increase from 21% the previous year. Most employers blame the rise in NICs and a 6.7% increase in the living wage for the reduction in headcount.

With many businesses planning layoffs this year, it might seem surprising that younger employees are choosing to exit the workforce and risk being unable to find another role in future. One explanation could be survivor’s guilt.

The high number of redundancies that have been made in the last year at UK workplaces has raised anxieties over job security and has also affected the morale of those who remain. 

Research reported by People Management found that HR leaders are deeply concerned that layoffs are negatively affecting their company’s organisational culture. 

27% cite the impact of job losses on employee engagement as a key concern. Meanwhile, 68% of employees report a high level of “survivor’s guilt” following mass layoffs, which could be affecting their willingness to stay in work.

Sally Bendtson, founder of Limelight HR, said: “[Layoffs can] change the shape and dynamic of the team and business and, for those who remain, there’s the loss of friends and teammates to process. 

“Many staff take on new roles or additional work while still harbouring concerns that their own job might be at risk.”

Employees may jump before they get pushed

With young employees planning to up and leave the workforce, and bosses planning to let more workers go this year, there will likely be a lot of people out of work in the next 12 months — willingly and unwillingly.

This is bad news for businesses. Firing team members may help to strengthen cash flow in the short-term, but organisations undeniably need talent to grow.

At the end of last year, we asked 531 SMEs to tell us what they thought had been the biggest contributors to their success in the last 12 months. 52% of business leaders named a talented and motivated workforce as a key factor.

Government statistics reveal that 270,000 employees aged 16-34 are already economically inactive due to long-term sickness and mental conditions. If staff turnover and unemployment continue to rise, it could be disastrous for the UK’s economic recovery.

“[With] business costs set to skyrocket in coming months, employers are now walking a financial tightrope,” Turney adds. “There is an urgent need to prioritise the health of our workforces; not just as a moral imperative, but as an economic and business necessity.”

A petition calling for the government to increase the personal tax allowance threshold is once again gaining traction after it was posted on the parliament website last month.

In total, the campaign has now reached over 200,000 signatures and is rising daily. Alan Frost, who started the petition, has requested that the government raise the income tax personal allowance from £12,570 to £20,000, in order to help low earners and pensioners navigate the ongoing cost of living crisis.

In response to the petition, the Government said it is “committed to keeping taxes for working people as low as possible while ensuring fiscal responsibility.”

What is the personal allowance?

The personal allowance is the amount of income someone is entitled to earn without paying tax, per year. As of now, the threshold for personal allowance is set at £12,570. It has not been raised since the 2018/19 tax year.

The personal allowance decreases for those who earn over £100,000 per year. For every £2 earned over £100,000, £1 of tax-free allowance is deducted.

Self-employed people qualify for both the personal allowance and the ‘trading allowance’, which allows them to claim the first £1,000 of their taxable profits, tax-free.

If you earn over the threshold, you’ll be liable for up to 45% income tax, depending on the amount you earn annually. The current tax rates for this financial year are:

• Basic rate (£12,571 to £50,270): 20%
• Higher rate (£50,271 to £125,140): 40%
• Additional rate (over £125,140): 45%

 Why the petition and why now?

In February, Frost said the petition was created to “help low-earners get off benefits and allow pensioners a decent income” amid the cost of living crisis.

According to a study reported by Health & Protection, 66% of UK workers said they were worried about the cost of living crisis, with 48% reporting that it was affecting their ability to do their jobs properly. 

With inflation still high, real wages are falling. The result is something called ‘fiscal drag’, an economic term that describes when tax thresholds are frozen, leading to increased taxable income. It results in a drop in take-home pay for earners, even if their salary stays the same.

Sole traders in particular have felt the pinch of the cost of living crisis. Research reported by Fresh Business Solutions revealed that 58% of self-employed workers have or are planning to increase their day rates due to cost pressures.

An increase in the personal allowance would boost takings for the self-employed, enabling them to also adjust their pricing strategies to offer more affordable products and services.

What’s next for the petition?

At the time of writing, the petition currently has 202,657 signatures.

But despite the high amount of support, the government stated that it has “no plans to increase the personal allowance to £20,000”, and that doing so “would come at a significant fiscal cost of many billions of pounds per annum”.

“This would reduce tax receipts substantially, decreasing funds available for the UK’s hospitals, schools, and other essential public services that we all rely on,” it added. 

“It would also undermine the work the Chancellor has done to restore fiscal responsibility and economic stability, which are critical to getting our economy growing and keeping taxes, inflation, and mortgages as low as possible.”

Despite the government’s response, parliament will need to consider the petition for debate as it has received over 100,000 signatures. However, a date is yet to be confirmed. 

UK employers are awaiting 6 April with dread. Come Spring, the main rate of employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) is set to rise from 13.8% to 15%.

Meanwhile, the secondary threshold—the point at which employers start paying NICs on employee wages—will also drop from £9,100 to £5,000 annually. SMEs have already begun to scale back their growth plans, with nearly a fifth planning to cut jobs.

It’s far from a gift for organisations, many of which are already feeling financial pressure. But in a very small silver lining for business owners, Employment Allowance is also set to increase, somewhat easing the financial pressure of upcoming tax rises.

What is Employment Allowance?

Employment Allowance is a scheme designed to help eligible employers reduce their annual secondary Class 1 National Insurance contributions. This allowance serves as a deduction from your yearly employer NIC bill.

Currently, the Employment Allowance allows qualifying employers to cut their National Insurance contributions by up to £5,000 each tax year. But also from April 6 2025, this allowance is set to more than double.

As a result, eligible employers will now be able to reduce their Class 1 National Insurance liability by up to £10,500. 

Who can claim Employment Allowance?

In last year’s Autumn Budget, chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the increase in the Employment Allowance, plus the removal of a significant restriction for the scheme.

Until now, businesses could only qualify for the Employment Allowance if they had a secondary Class 1 National Insurance liability of less than £100,000. However, starting from April 6, this cap will be completely lifted.

The change broadens the eligibility criteria for Employment Allowance significantly. From April, most businesses and charities can claim the allowance as long as they:

• Are registered as an employer
• Are a business or charity with documented employees
• Have two (or more) directors who earn over the secondary threshold for Class 1 NICs

To clarify, from April onwards, the amount of a business’s Class 1 National Insurance liabilities in the previous tax year will no longer matter when claiming the allowance.

According to government figures, this means that 865,000 employers will not have to pay any National Insurance contributions in 2025.

Certain exclusions will still apply. Most notably, businesses with a single director or employee (for example, sole traders) still do not qualify for the allowance.

How to claim Employment Allowance

To receive the Employment Allowance, you need to claim it every tax year. You can file the claim as part of your PAYE submission process, either with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Basic PAYE tools or your own payroll software.

If using your software, indicate ‘Yes’ in the ‘Employment Allowance indicator’ box when sending an Employment Payment Summary (EPS) to HMRC.

SMEs brace for employer NIC rise

In anticipation of changes to National Insurance Contributions (NICs), small businesses are preparing to bear the financial impact.

To mitigate these effects, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are considering raising prices and cutting jobs, which means that consumers and employees are likely to feel the repercussions.

The hospitality industry, in particular, is facing a bleak outlook due to its typically larger workforces. As many as 80% of pubs could become unprofitable as a result, potentially leading to widespread business closures and job losses.

The changes to Employment Allowance may offer relief for some SMEs and their payroll bills. However, those in the hardest-hit sectors will view it as an inadequate solution, akin to sticking a plaster over a gaping wound.

Successful female tech founders need to have twice as much experience in tech than male founders to secure venture capital (VC) funding, according to a new report.

Wokelo, an AI-powered insights platform for financial services, analysed 136 startups and female founder profiles that raised the most VC funding (a form of private equity funding for fast-growth companies) over the past two years.

The report shows that in advanced tech and AI sectors, the average industry experience required to win VC funding among female founders is 18 years. In comparison, men typically require just nine years to achieve similar levels of success.

Higher expectations for women in business

In the UK, some of the most exciting new startups, as well as the top-funded, are based in the technology sector. But the latest data from Wokelo demonstrates that the bar is considerably higher for women on their path to success within the industry.

Wokelo’s findings show that women need a minimum of 12 years of leadership experience to gain VC funding, versus the male average of nine, highlighting a ‘Gender Experience Gap’ in accessing early-stage capital.

In terms of education, Wokelo also uncovered that a significant proportion of female founders in the top tech startups have specialised or advanced degrees, such as postdoctorates or PhDs.

In comparison, Wokelo finds that the ‘college dropout turned tech mogul’ trajectory is not uncommon when looking at male founders. Some of the world’s most successful male businessmen, including Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs, are college dropouts.

No wonder that, with women needing outstanding education and decades of professional experience to get started, male founders today dominate the tech industry.

It’s a vicious circle. Men, by dominating the conversational space, solidify their position within key business networks. This creates an exclusionary environment, where women may find themselves denied access to valuable professional connections.

The Motherhood Penalty

One major cause for Wokelo’s findings could be the Motherhood Penalty. This refers to the fact that women are statistically more likely to take career breaks or work part-time to dedicate time to childcare.

While maternity leave and pay is due to increase in April 2025, by taking time out of their career, working mothers may be delayed in accumulating the same length CV as men, further contributing to the Gender Experience Gap and its influence on VC funding.

On the brighter side, several female-led companies are excelling in sectors such as biotech, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare.

Notably, Vinehealth is providing innovative, empathetic solutions to support patients battling cancer. Hormona is another standout platform for hormone-related support while Walking on Earth has launched an AI coaching platform to tackle workplace stress.

Clearly, despite the funding challenges, female founders continue to thrive and make significant contributions to critical issues facing humanity.

Funding disparity fuels gender experience gap

VC funding for women-owned businesses has always lagged behind men. In 2024, all-women founding teams raised only 2.2% of total venture capital allocated.

In November of 2024, the government unveiled a new £250m fund for women founders in an attempt to close this gap.

While money certainly talks, a change in investor mindsets will be necessary to properly address the root causes of gender inequality in business.

In the meantime, there are several business grants for women available geared towards combatting the gender funding gap.

Another day, another TikTok workplace trend. This time, employees are raving about ‘body doubling’, as a new study reveals that the craze is gaining traction in UK workplaces. But what does it actually mean?

Simply put, body doubling is the act of completing work while having another person present. It is often seen as a productivity hack.

Following in the footsteps of various office trends, such as hushed hybrid and quiet quitting, body doubling’s popularity suggests that workers may have a renewed appreciation for the social aspect of in-office work.

What is body doubling?

Using UK Google search data, researchers at recruitment software firm, Toggl Hire say they have identified body doubling as the most popular workplace trend for Brits this year.

According to Toggl Hire, the term refers to completing work in the presence of another person, whether physically or virtually, to enhance focus and productivity.

Workers can body double while collaborating on a shared project, or while working on individual tasks. The key is that both parties are aware of each other’s presence, a form of accountability that keeps them on track and motivated to hit milestones.

While body doubling may work best in ‘real life’, the benefits of working alongside others can also be accessed through virtual body doubling via using video conferencing platforms such as Google Meet and Zoom.

Another, related trend is ‘monk mode’, which refers to shutting off all distractions to focus on a single task, entering a ‘deep work’ state to maximise productivity. The name appears to have been inspired by the disciplined lifestyle of monks.

“The popularity of Body Doubling and Monk Mode highlights our struggle with digital distractions and the blurred boundaries between work and personal life,” states Alari Aho, CEO of Toggl Hire.

Who is body doubling for?

Toggl Hire suggests that body doubling primarily emerged as a technique to help those with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (also known as ADHD). People with ADHD often have trouble regulating their concentration.

However, the trend can also be useful for neurotypical employees to overcome procrastination and anxiety, or simply to improve focus. Recent research suggests that over two-thirds (67%) of UK workers find themselves distracted during the workday.

This may be due to an increase in digital distractions within modern workplaces, particularly due to the constant presence of personal phones at work.

To establish a healthy working balance, body doubling might also be combined with other productivity hacks. For example, the Pomodoro technique.

This involves splitting the working day into manageable 25-minute chunks, sandwiched with breaks in between. Sharing these breaks with a friend or colleague can make them feel more rewarding, offering an incentive to stick to the structure.

Is body doubling a response to RTO mandates?

As many employers backtrack on remote working arrangements, body doubling could be considered a response to return-to-office (RTO) mandates. While remote working has its pros, the shift back to physical workplaces may be driven partly by those who need to work alongside others to experience optimum focus and accountability in their work.

Awareness of body doubling has been building on TikTok, meaning that it is likely gaining popularity with a younger crowd, who appear more ready to embrace office working.

Evidence suggests that Gen Z graduates want to work in an office for their first job. In part, this is driven by a desire to avoid feeling isolated and lonely while WFH and fully appreciate the social benefits of working in a physical office.

Home working also often lacks the inherent structure of a traditional office, which can make it hard for staff to maintain focus. Remote or hybrid businesses should be on the lookout for anyone who appears to be body doubling, as it could be a sign of isolation among team members, prompting a need for interventions.

In-person team days, structured virtual check-ins, and clearer communication channels can all serve to combat disengagement and foster a stronger sense of connection.

The UK government has launched an eight-week review of small business lending, prompted by concerns that the UK could be falling behind when it comes to funding startups.

This review, conducted by the Department for Business and Trade (DfT), comes after figures from UK Finance — the British trade association for banking and finance —  revealed a £7 billion drop in net lending to SMEs last year.

The DfT is seeking input from all UK SME owners, inviting them to share their experiences and opinions on accessing and understanding debt finance, such as bank loans and government-backed StartUp Loans.

The review will specifically focus on debt financing and will not examine equity financing.

Commenting on the review, Neil Rudge, Chief Banking Officer for Commercial at Shawbrook, said: “Since 2008, businesses have become accustomed to cheap debt, but [the] cost of servicing borrowing has risen, and SMEs are feeling the squeeze from all sides.”

The rising cost of borrowing

Debt finance is a vital lifeline for small businesses. ‘Sexier’ forms of equity finance, such as venture capital (VC), often make the headlines when it comes to startup funding. However, small loans and grants can sometimes prove more advantageous for SME growth.

That’s because, while equity finance requires founders to sell a portion of equity in the company, in debt financing, the business borrows the money and pays it back at a later date.

That said, debt finance is much less affordable in an economic downturn. As the UK deals with higher interest rates and tighter lending conditions, SMEs are reportedly repaying debt at levels more than 20 times higher than pre-pandemic.

Some organisations have barely cleared their debts from the COVID Bounce Back Loans. Last August, Startups heard from three business owners who were still saddled with repayments for the pandemic financial aid scheme.

Now, the DfT review highlights the Government’s concern that this financial pressure is making SMEs reluctant to borrow capital, hindering growth and contributing to the UK’s low productivity.

UK entrepreneurs need £25m to make it

In the 2025 Startups 100 Index, launched this January, our 10 top-rated companies reported they had raised an average of £25m each. This suggests that businesses need significant financial backing of ten-figure funding rounds, at least, to thrive in the current economic climate.

Coinciding with the launch of the Index, we also surveyed 531 business leaders to discover that just 5% of UK businesses received VC funding in 2024, compared to 13% in 2023. 

With demand for debt finance falling, and equity finance also on the decline, the DfT review will hopefully offer insights for the Government into alternative, and more affordable, lending options that SMEs can instead turn to, such as specialist lenders.

“It is incumbent on the government to raise awareness of specialist lenders as the first point of call for SMEs, helping to create an environment where businesses can access the right finance at the right time”, adds Rudge.

“Without intervention, the funding gap for SMEs will persist—hindering innovation, investment, and economic recovery.”

When it comes to Artificial Intelligence (AI), the UK is pulling ahead in one specific seb-sector: legal technology. Also known as lawtech, the area is proving to be a magnet for money, as startups roll out increasingly cutting-edge solutions to win funding.

According to LawtechUK, a Ministry of Justice-funded initiative, 30 lawtechs raised £140m in 2024, which is 10% more than they did in 2023. There are currently 376 lawtechs active in the UK, as reported by the LawtechUK Ecosystem Tracker. Most operate out of London.

Lawtech is a low-cost alternative to hiring expensive legal teams, which means startups and SMEs stand to benefit most from its expansion. The trend could also serve to drive positive change within law firms themselves.

Funding boom for lawtech

Data from LawtechUK finds that, since 1990, UK lawtech has collectively attracted £1.7bn in investment. In recent years, though, scale-up has accelerated, triggered by the whirlwind evolution of AI from experimental chatbot, to an integral part of modern business operations.

Last month, London-based Luminance raised $75m (roughly £60m) in Series C funding. In October, AI legal assistant Genie AI pocketed around £13.3m.

At the start of this year, we also named Robin AI runner-up in our 2025 Startups 100 Index. Robin’s patented large language model (LLM) can review contracts in seconds. Adding to the pool of AI funding, it’s also earned around $36.5m in just two years.

More could be on the way. In recognition of Brits’ burgeoning “global advantage” in lawtech, the Government this week announced a further £1.5m funding boost for the sector.

The UK already has the largest legal services market in Europe. Courts and Legal Services Minister, Sarah Sackman KC MP, described lawtech as “a powerhouse for the UK economy”, adding “Lawtech is making legal services faster, more efficient, and more accessible.”

How is lawtech changing legal services?

The marriage of AI technology and the UK legal sector may cause anxiety within the legal sector. Research has shown that many employees are wary about how automotive platforms affect their job security. 11% of UK workers already report having lost their job to AI.

However, the partnership could also benefit the wider industry and its work culture, thanks to its potential to promote healthier work practices for legal professionals.

The legal sector is known to have much higher working hours than average, with many workers feeling pressured to work overtime to meet the demands and expectations of their roles. In a recent Startups poll, 13% of senior leaders in professional service firms said overtime is necessary for their operations.

As the majority of lawtech startups are focused on automating fiddly admin processes, such as contract reviewing, this would free up time for legal teams and help them to disconnect.

In fact, this is one of the main reasons that Robin AI was launched. CEO and co-founder, Richard Robinson, says he started the business to find a “new purpose”, following four sleepless nights working at a Magic Circle law firm.

“Robin is completely aligned with the incentives of in-house legal teams”, says Robinson. “They want to keep costs down while maximising the work they get through, and AI supervised by human legal professionals helps them hit those goals.”

UK at AI action stations

The Government’s latest round of funding aligns with its AI Opportunities Action Plan, unveiled back in January. This backing, alongside startup innovation, has helped to propel the UK into being a global challenger in legal tech.

The US has the lion’s share of the market. Across the pond, the legal technology market is expected to register a CAGR of 10.2% from 2025 to 2030.

But if UK firms embrace this tech, they could carve out a niche to make legal services more accessible and efficient, modernise the sector, and gain an upper hand in the AI race.

Extended career breaks – whether for sick leave or a planned adventure – and changing roles quickly are on the rise among young workers.

New research from Barnett Waddingham has revealed that there is a huge shift between long-held career norms and how younger workers approach their careers.

What used to be red flags for recruiters are now becoming accepted career choices. This begs the question as to whether recruitment professionals – and even HR teams – must also change their views.

Changing priorities

The research revealed that a quarter (28%) of 18-24 year-olds have already taken an extended career break (also called a quarter life gap year). The figure was slightly lower for 25-34 year-olds  at 22%.

The team also found that two-thirds (66%) of 18-24 year-olds have taken extended leave due to illness in the past five years. Reasons listed included anxiety; stress; depression; and burnout. The percentages got lower with age, though. In the 55+ age group, 50% said that they had taken time off for anxiety, as compared to 79% of 18-24 year olds.

This is measure of the importance of younger employees place on wellbeing, flexibility, and personal fulfilment, say the researchers.

The survey revealed not only how work norms are changing now but also gave a glimpse into the future. A growing number of younger workers are planning career breaks or considering stepping away from their careers entirely.

Job swaps

The survey touched upon how long people will stay in a role. It revealed that younger employees will move on if a job does not meet their expectation for a work-life balance. This could even be a decision that impacts them financially; but the priority is their health.

More than a quarter (26%) of 25-34 year-olds having already sought a lower-paying job for this reason. A quarter of 18-24 year olds (24%) has also made this decision, with 30% planning to in the near future.

Julia Turney, Partner and Head of Platform and Benefits at Barnett Waddingham, says: “We are witnessing a fundamental redefining of people’s attitudes towards work. Younger workers are rejecting the traditional corporate ladder, while prioritising their wellbeing and work-life balance above all else.

“The figures are clear: if businesses don’t offer the flexibility that these people expect, they could struggle to retain crucial talent while risking a disengaged workforce and stretched bottom line.”

CV gaps “no longer a red flag”

Turney adds that companies must move on from the “one-size-fits-all approach” to recruitment and employee retention. Instead, they must recognise that expectations have shifted; and norms have changed.

For example, they must move away from long-held beliefs on what a CV red flag is, says former corporate recruiter and career coach, Hannah Salton.

Salton shares: “Having gaps on your CV was once seen as a red flag, but employers now recognise that people take career breaks for many reasons – including caregiving, professional development, or adapting to a tough job market.”

Her advice to candidates is to highlight how they spent this time. Red flags in this context are often just points for extra exploration during the interview process.

Job hopping has traditionally been interpreted as a sign of poor commitment from candidates. However, Salton says that recruiters today are more open-minded and understand that it’s common for people to explore and try different jobs, especially in the early stages of a career.

She warns though: “There is a limit, and if you have never stayed in a role longer than a month, this could ring alarm bells to recruiters.”

Meat, dairy and sugar grown in a lab could be on sale in the UK for human consumption for the first time far sooner than expected. In fact, it could appear in fridges across the country by 2027.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is looking at how it can speed up the approval process for lab-grown foods. It predicts it will be able to assess two lab-grown foods within the next two years.

UK startups are likely to be a driving force for innovation, as hospitality firms struggle with the rising costs of “home-grown” meat products and wrestle with the environmental implications of imports.

Beefing up investment

The Government has pumped £38 million into creating a national centre where R&D into alternatives proteins can take place. According to Green Queen, it has also invested £15 million into the research taking place at this future food hub, as part of its net-zero emissions strategy.

UK startups are already making a name for themselves in this area, keen to get ahead in what could be a huge growth area. This is not only because of concerns about the ecological impact of the cattle industry but because more people are choosing to be selective about both where their meat comes from and how often they eat it.

The Green Alliance states that the global alternative proteins market could be worth £226 billion by 2035. It has published its own analysis, which suggests that the UK industry could be worth up to £6.8 billion annually and create 25,000 jobs by 2035.

Home-grown talent

The UK has some of the highest food quality and safety standards and so has been slower to give lab grown proteins the green light than some other nations.

Professor Robin May, the FSA’s chief scientist, told BBC News: “We are working very closely with the companies involved and academic groups to work together to design a regulatory structure that is good for them, but at all costs ensures the safety of these products remains as high as it possibly can,” he said.

However, ventures are innovating so that when the FSA does finish developing its new regulations, they will be ready.

Hoxton Farms was founded by a synthetic biologist and machine learning expert. It has set out to make the UK’s first cultured-fat plant, and now has a 4,000sq ft pilot facility.

Another entry in the Startups 100 list is Better Dairy, which set out to tackle the shockingly high carbon footprint of dairy products. The team uses a process known as precision fermentation, which involves reprogramming microorganisms to manufacture casein. This is an important milk protein from which the company can make cheese and milk.

What is happening elsewhere?

The push for what the science minister, Lord Vallance, calls “pro-innovation regulation” will see products appear in UK shops sooner than predicted; but the UK is still being accused of dragging its feet.

Other countries are years ahead. Singapore became the world’s first nation to give lab grown meat approval and now it is stocked in shops across the country.  The US followed in June 2023, with two companies – Upside Foods and Good Meat – getting regulatory approval from the US Department of Agriculture.

In Europe, the Dutch are leading the pack, according to Green Matters. However, steps have been more tentative in the UK. Dog food made from meat grown in factories was only made available last month.

However, the FSA insists that safety is paramount. As Professor May told BBC News: “It can be quite complex, and it is critical that we understand the science to make sure the foods are safe before authorising them.”

After less than a year in the role, the CEO of beleaguered beer company, BrewDog, has announced he is moving on.

James Arrow only took the position in May 2024. He stepped in to replace co-founder James Watt, who stood down as chief executive after 17 years behind the brand.

Arrow’s departure comes at a difficult time for the company, which hasn’t reported a pre-tax profit since 2019. But it is also a time of turbulence for all hospitality businesses.

There are rallying calls to support local SMEs ahead of the April tax rises with warnings of job losses and closures.

What’s happened at BrewDog?

Arrow has stated he is leaving for “personal reasons”. He has handed over to the company’s former chief financial officer, James Taylor.

A finance figure might be the best bet for the company. CityAm reports that Brewdog’s pre-tax loss went from £25m to £59m in 2023. However, there is some good news as its revenue increased by 14% to £366m over the same period.

Taylor’s appointment is also a C-Suite reshuffle as opposed to wholesale change. Taylor joined the company from Mayborn Group in November 2023 and is described by chairman Allan Leighton as “an instrumental leader at Brewdog,” who has a “deep understanding” of the business.

The company has also announced another internal promotion with Lauren Carrol taking on the role of chief operating officer.

Appointing internally takes some of the sting out of succession planning as the employees stepping up already know the company. In this case, with such a sudden departure after a short period of time, this will play a role in making the transition as smooth as possible.

Celebrity entrepreneur

Since Watt’s departure, all eyes have been on the Scotland-based brewing company. Arrow had big shoes to fill as Watt was not only the co-founder of the brewing company but also headed up his own reality TV show.

House of Unicorns was a mix of The X Factor, The Apprentice and Dragons’ Den, and saw contestants compete with each other to win a £2 million cash prize for business investment.

Watt pulled on his own experience as a founder. BrewDog was one of the biggest Startups 100 success stories, starting from a small craft brewery in Scotland to becoming a brand worth billions.

Press frenzy

The punk brewer has often hit the headlines, though. In January last year, Watt courted controversy with his announcement that the company simply couldn’t afford to pay the upcoming rise in the Real Living Wage (RLW). This voluntary rate of pay hit £12/ hour for employees aged 21 or over in April 2024.

At the time, Watt stated in a social media post that retaining a Real Living Wage salary would require an increase in staffing costs of 26%. This, he argued, would jeopardise “the long-term viability of our business.”

Similar debates are now taking place as the NICs price hike approaches, with businesses arguing that their tax burden is already too high.

BrewDog employs over 2,700 people and operates more than 120 bars, hotels and venues. Others will now be watching the company’s new CEO to see how he’ll ride the incoming storm; and whether his name will be in as many news headlines as James Watt’s.

The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) launched its ‘Our Pub’ campaign yesterday, in a bid to drum up support for the UK’s teetering local pubs.

Soaring energy costs and inflation hitting both food and drinks has put many hospitality businesses in dire straits. Our own research revealed that confidence is low. Some leaders are predicting that the incoming budget measures could hit organisations even harder.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of data from BII that come April, if pubs make no changes, over 80% will be unprofitable.

Concern mounting

Concerns have been rising within the hospitality industry since the unveiling of the budget. The incoming increase in employer NICs payments specifically prompted UKHospitality board members to write an open letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

In it, they warned that their profit margins would be damaged by the changes. “The changes to the NICs threshold are not just unsustainable for our businesses, they are regressive in their impact on lower earners,” the letter reads, adding that the changes will “unquestionably lead to business closures and job losses within a year.”

This has been echoed in other industries too with iwoca — one of Europe’s largest SME lenders – warning that over 300,000 SMEs may cut jobs due to the rising NICs.

Rallying call

This new BII campaign comes before the budget measures will really bite in April. It is hoped that it will raise the profile of the issues facing the BII’s 13,000 members, who are mainly licensed trade professionals, running independent pub businesses.

Steve Alton, BII CEO explained that pubs are “fabric of our society” and need to be protected. “They are not just places where people can have a pint. They are vital to communities, towns and high streets and are a unique attraction to locals, visitors and tourists alike,” he said.

This is reinforced by our survey data, which found that 64% of hospitality firms say strong customer loyalty is their biggest success factor (above average compared to other industries).

Alton damned the incoming rises as “a hammer blow to pubs across the UK” especially after the COVID pandemic and then the price hikes over the past five years. “The Government’s short-sighted approach to taxing small businesses to fill the black hole in the budget will mean rising inflation, unemployment, [and] lost investment in communities,” he stated.

Galvanising action

The call to arms from the BII is being echoed by other businesses. The BII is asking members of the public to send a “flood of emails to local MPs” in reaction to what has definitely been a divisive Budget.

The same issues affecting pubs – the UK’s virtually unprecedented energy, staffing and rent overheads – are impacting businesses across the board. They are already being blamed for a slow-down in business creation. The next stage could be a string of business closures.

The BII is pretty stark in its predictions and is hoping that customer loyalty might be enough to get its members through the next phase of this ongoing crisis.

In what could be a warning for things to come, the Government has confirmed that the companies register has shrunk for the first time since quarterly reporting began.

More than this, the figures reveal that not only are less businesses being created, but increasing numbers are also shutting down.

Between October and December 2024, there were 181,261 incorporations in the UK, which is a decrease of 15.47% compared with the same period in 2023.

The statistics also reveal that there were 203,584 dissolutions in the UK between October and December 2024. This is an increase of 40,132 – or 24.55% – compared with the same period in 2023. The register does not include businesses in the process of dissolution and liquidation.

Steve Humphrey, Founder at The Mortgage Pod commented: “We knew the August 2024 Budget was a difficult one to swallow, but now, seeing the latest Companies House data, we have to assume there’s been a direct impact.”

Storm clouds ahead

The latest incorporation figures have been released just weeks before the Budget starts to bite.

There are mounting concerns that the planned employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) hike and increase in the National Minimum Wage (NMW) could stall growth.

Business leaders are issuing dire warnings of job stagnation or even job cuts. Just today, a survey of business owners revealed that over 300,000 SMEs may cut jobs due to the rising NICs.

The same survey also warned that nearly 60% of respondents are planning to increase prices for customers to cover this higher NICs burden.

This has resulted in some business leaders damning the upcoming budget as “anti-business”.

Will entrepreneurs look elsewhere?

Companies House has been implementing stricter policing of the register regarding registered office addresses. This has led to the dissolution of companies that fail to comply, which may have contributed to the decline.

But some business leaders are suggesting that the data does not bode well.  There are even those who suggest that the Chancellor’s changes could make entrepreneurs think twice about starting a business in the UK – or at all.

Riz Malik is an Independent Financial Adviser at R3 Wealth. He is damning. “Rachel Reeves effectively hung a giant “closed for new business” sign on the door of UK Plc in October 2024 Budget, and this data only reinforces that reality.

“If existing business owners are questioning their viability due to rising costs, why would new entrepreneurs take the risk? We risk losing a whole generation of innovators and entrepreneurs, leaving the UK trailing further behind on the global stage,” he says.

With the cost of living crisis still lingering, both businesses and consumers are facing tough times. Last year’s Autumn Budget set out to improve living standards and reduce inequality.

However, it has been met with consternation from some business owners. While it offers relief with an increase in the employment allowance; business rate cuts and a fuel duty freeze; many are saying the tax burden is already too high.

For startups, it will mean that growth plans – including hiring decisions – will have to be balanced with robust pricing strategies.  And all eyes will be on the next quarter of data from Companies House.

Businesses are bracing for a hike in the Government’s employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) but who will pay for it?

A survey of business owners from iwoca — one of Europe’s largest SME lenders – suggests that it will be employees and customers who will feel the hit.

The research warns that over 300,000 SMEs – a fifth nationwide – may cut jobs due to the rising NICs. This reinforces months of stark predictions that firms already facing high overheads will have no choice but to cut staff.

Businesses prepping

SMEs are waiting for the Chancellor’s Spring Forecast with bated breath but iwoca’s results suggests that, when it comes to NICs, they are fully expecting a tough time.

From April, Class 1 contribution rates are set to increase from 13.8% to 15.0%. The government is also planning on lowering the secondary threshold (ST). For businesses, this means they must start paying NICs from £5,000 of an employee’s earnings, instead of at £9,000.

Two-thirds (66%) of SME leaders estimate the higher NICs rate will cost them each over £10,000. As a result, more than a third (35%) of SMEs say that they will slow hiring plans. In addition, 31% expect to have to reduce pay rises, while over a quarter (27%) will have to delay promotions.

The data confirms that a third (33%) of SME leaders would invest more in their businesses if they weren’t facing a NICs hike. This gives credence to dire predictions that the rise in NICs will stall startup growth.

In an open letter, hospitality businesses issued a warning: “Without action, many businesses will be forced to reconsider their growth plans, and many smaller venues may be at risk of closure, risking future job creation in communities up and down the country,” they wrote. Likely this is the case across all industries.

Impact on customers

The research also revealed that having to foot the NICs bill will hit customers hard.

Respondents admitted that any planned price lowering on products will have to be shelved. In fact, nearly 60% of respondents said that they are planning to increase prices for customers to cover this higher NICs burden.

However, with customers feeling the pinch, businesses need to deploy a well-thought out pricing strategy. If price hikes are inevitable, they might, for example, need to reframe what they offer. There are many approaches – including price skimming and freemium models.

Ideally, this strategy needs to be treated as one of the biggest decisions a company has to make. It therefore needs to be well-thought out and planned, which may be difficult for businesses just weeks from this NICs price hike.

Tax Britannica?

What this survey has revealed is huge questions over whether this NICs hike – hoped to help our ailing services – could actually stall business growth or even sound a death knell for some ventures.

Nearly 70% of respondents say that they already feel that the rate of taxation on their business is high.

The Government has increased the employment allowance to help offset the higher NICs rate, but 28% of SMEs say this simply isn’t enough.

So will the NICS hike stymy growth? Seema Desai, iwoca’s Chief Operating Officer, says yes. “Based on our survey, rising employer NICs are likely to result in slower wage growth and job losses among SMEs.

“While the increase in employment allowance provides some relief, higher costs overall could limit SMEs’ ability to invest and grow – and that’s something we need them to do to help boost economic growth in the UK.”

It seems the majority of UK SMEs are now counting down the days with trepidation.

The impact of AI uptake is being felt in companies across the country but a new survey reveals that employees are still very much on the fence about it.

Kickresume surveyed 1,500 workers about their responses to AI. Shockingly, 11% of respondents report they have already lost their jobs because of AI. Another 10% know someone who has.

This is understandably driving fear. But the survey also revealed an optimism around the technology, with 57% of workers saying that they love AI tools.

These mixed results reflect how businesses are now facing a balancing act. On the one hand, there is the drive for technological uptake. On the other is the soft skills that human employees bring and should not be undervalued.

Who is using AI?

The Kickresume survey, carried out last month, reveals exactly how much of an impact AI is having in the workplace. More than half of respondents are now using AI tools every day. In the 2021 survey, this figure was just 39%. Meanwhile, a third of respondents use AI a few times a week and only 4% say they never use it.

The results also reveal a generational skew. Millennials and Gen Z are slightly more likely to use AI technology every day, with this figure sitting at 54% for both generations. This is compared to 44% of Baby Boomers and 48% of Gen X.

The research also delves into how much of an actual impact on their work respondents feel like AI is having. The results show that 35% say the technology has transformed their work much more than they expected. Kickresume adds that this was a finding shared across different industries and age groups, with “most workers taken by surprise by AI’s impact”.

The impact was also deemed to be positive for 48% of workers with the main advantage being time savings. A creativity boost was also a key advantage for 23% of respondents.

Love/hate relationship with technology

While more than half of the respondents were glowing in their review of the AI they deploy, this is balanced by some negativity. Nearly a quarter of respondents admit that their relationship with the technology isn’t always positive. 9% say they only use AI because they have to.

Less than 1% of respondents damn AI as “a stupid gimmick”, and these employees worked in Arts & Design and Education & Academia. Interestingly, these are also the areas where people have been most impacted by copyright issues as AI companies rush to find datasets to train their AI tools upon. As such, these industries are at the front of the battle between AI and humans.

The drive to upskill

While AI is not going away, the survey did reveal that employers are not pushing their staff to upskill. 46% of workers say their employer does not mind whether they use AI or not. A further 34% say they are encouraged to use it, but usage is still optional. Only 5% of workers report that using AI is outright prohibited.

However, employees recognise that change is coming and want to get the skills they need. The survey says that 37% would actively learn AI skills in order to stay relevant in their field. 28% will switch to an AI-proof career. This was echoed by a McKinsey report published in January, which revealed that nearly half of the workers it interviewed wanted more formal training in AI. More than a fifth said that they had received “minimal to no support”.

Getting the balance right

The sheer number of ventures doing exciting things in the AI space is a measure of how quickly this technology is moving. Tools like ChatGPT have become everyday names and their usage built into our working days.

However, exclusive Startups data indicates that 64% of 531 business leaders are more likely to prioritise soft skills over hard skills during hiring this year. This is one skillset that AI can’t replicate… yet.

With both the government and private enterprises now laser focussed on building AI opportunities in the UK, AI technology clearly needs to be part of organisational planning. But businesses which are planning to invest in AI tools should be wary of doing this in place of investing in their workforce.

Workers are obviously desperate to learn and upskill; presenting an opportunity to use the human capital that businesses already have rather than rolling out (for now) unfamiliar tech.

The opportunity to “Work from Anywhere” (WFA) is claimed to deliver a healthier work life balance; personal and professional growth and, for business, better employee retention. A new survey suggests that the appeal of this work trend is growing and business owners offering these opportunities will benefit.

According to a survey of 12,184 adults in nine countries worldwide, including the UK, Work from Anywhere policies are becoming a want for many; and even a factor for some in selecting a new role.

The report was commissioned by hotel brand Crowne Plaza, which worked with YouGov. It found that more two-thirds of US and UK travellers actively combine business trips with personal leisure time. This was up from just over half in 2022 when the company published its first white paper on blended travel – or Work Remotely Anywhere (WRA) – trends.

WRA as a perk

In fact, employees see WRA as a huge benefit. The survey revealed that 23% of Brits see extended trips “at a lower personal cost” as a key benefit to their role. This means that offering WRA opportunities for employees could be a powerful tool for businesses hoping to recruit and retain top talent.

The survey reveals that some businesses are already taking action. The team found that 36% of companies with full-time office-based policies are planning to transition to a WFA model. They follow multinationals including Airbnb, Spotify, Dropbox and Shopify, who have transitioned to models that embrace flexibility.

Interestingly, the report also put WRA up against the four-day work week; and found that more were in favour of the latter though there was only an 8% difference.

What are the benefits of WRA?

Well there are proved benefits for both employees and businesses. There are claims being made for improved productivity but this is also, incidentally, being claimed for RTO policies. This style of working also has an impact on employees’ work/life balance therefore their mental health. And this translates to a positive company culture.

For businesses, it could become a perk that will bring in fresh talent. The survey records that 72% of respondents agree WRA is beneficial so it is a trend that is on many radars.

One of many flexible working models

We would add that there are other flexible working models that are also gaining popularity, even at a time when some companies are putting strict RTO mandates in place.

The options vary from remote work, which doesn’t usually include the opportunity to work from another country, through to being a digital nomad, where you can work from anywhere. A new poll from PublicFirst suggests that 7% of the adult population consider themselves “very likely to work as a digital nomad over the next three years”. The poll adds that around 165,000 British citizens live and work abroad as digital nomads already and are spending an average of seven months a year overseas.

The caveats

There are, however, potential downsides to WRA, like all of the flexible working models. For businesses, there are the logistics to consider of managing a workforce spread of different locations. This could mean different time zones, for example. There also might be security concerns dependent on the nature of the business.

For employees, as one of our own writers shared, there is the danger that WRA translates to working constantly. Working from home can blur the boundaries between work time and home time; and WFA could see this replicated, just in a different location. There is also the possibility of friction between staff if some can WRA and others can’t.

However, as Ginger Taggart, Vice President of Brand Management – Global Premium Brands, IHG Hotels & Resorts, says: “Flexibility in where and when people work is now an expectation for today’s professionals.” Expectations are shifting. There are options and businesses need to find a model that fits their needs.

Some of London’s top restaurants are now asking for sizeable deposits from customers when they book to stop reservation squatting which can play havoc with cash flow forecasting and costing some businesses money in lost covers. This is why some of the capital’s top names have decided to take action.

But should all hospitality businesses be taking heed and putting deposits in place? Are there other tools that they can deploy?

What is reservation squatting?

This is when tables are booked out but then the customers don’t show up. This means revenue is lost because that table had not been open to other potential diners. Unless the restaurant is able to secure a last minute booking, the seats remain empty.

For restaurants already experiencing rising product costs – and in some cases, rent price hikes, this can be devastating to their business.

To try and stop this happening, restaurants including Gymkhana, a two-Michelin-starred Indian hotspot in Mayfair, are now asking diners to commit to a minimum spend and pay towards this with a deposit.

Why is it happening?

In an explainer video, the Financial Times says that it can be people hedging their bets – perhaps an influencer who has three or four top restaurants that they want to visit to wow their followers.

However, it can also be a bot programmed to grab a table, which then appear on reservation resale websites. If a restaurant is popular – perhaps it is just gained a Michelin star – getting a table can prove hard. These reservation resale websites use bots to claim tables, which they can then auction with desperate diners. Many of these people won’t know that the website they are booking through isn’t above board.

How businesses should respond

For businesses trying to keep favour with their customers, instigating a deposit scheme could fill them with dread. However, there are ways to explain their reasoning, including that they want to be able to buy their best produce and having the booking secured ahead of time, allows them the financial stability to do this.

This might be a more palatable reason than the invasion of bots, which some customers might be sceptical of.

However, there are innovators also trying to solve this problem. In the Startups 100 list is Ambl, founded by Jed Hackling and Aaron Solomon. This startup lets businesses list last minute availability in real time so that punters searching for somewhere to eat can simply book and walk in. The app offers search options including party size, price point and what kind of venue they are looking for, whether a restaurant, cocktail bar, pub or coffee shop.

While this doesn’t stop the bots or unscrupulous diners, it will help businesses lessen the impact of no-shows; including on their bottom line.