Business

Corporate events should focus on connection and fun, appealing to a diverse range of interests. With creativity, they can energize and inspire employees.

Giving employees to showcase their inner capabilities easily. Such events are also crucial in reducing stress among employees.

Here are 20 ideas for corporate events that can boost;

Team morale,
Inspire creativity, and
Strengthen your business culture.

1. Murder Mystery Games

To boost excitement and curiosity among employees look at Murder mystery games. Picture your office as a detective’s playground, where some employees play suspects while others gather clues. Laughter and suspense build as colleagues interrogate each other until the guilty party is revealed.

2. Escape Room Adventures

Escape rooms are popular because they engage teams in solving puzzles to escape a themed room within a time limit. This creates urgency that promotes teamwork and showcases leadership and problem-solving skills. They are available both in physical locations and online.

3. Hackathons for Innovation

A hackathon is not just for tech companies; it’s an event for employees to collaborate intensively and create something new. It sparks creativity, encourages innovative thinking, and can lead to practical business solutions.

4. Wellness Retreats

Burnout is a significant issue in modern workplaces. A wellness retreat prioritizes employee health through activities. Such activities include guided meditation, yoga, and workshops on nutrition and stress management. Employees return refreshed and focused.

5. Office Olympics

Incorporate the Olympic spirit into the workplace with fun competitions. You can hold competitions like chair races, desk basketball (using waste bins), and paper airplane contests. These activities are easy to organize. They also promote camaraderie and give employees a chance to laugh together, strengthening team bonds.

6. Corporate Charity Challenges

Community-focused events engage employees and can include many other factors. Such factors include charity fundraisers, volunteering days, or sponsored walks. They instill purpose in work, boost the company’s reputation, and encourage teamwork through common goals.

7. Creative Arts Workshops

Offer employees workshops in painting, pottery, or music. This promotes creativity, relaxation, and encourages personal expression. Also, gives them a tangible keepsake from the event.

8. Cultural Food Festivals

Host a food fair where employees bring dishes from their cultural backgrounds. This celebrates diversity and inclusion. Also, fosters meaningful conversations about heritage and highlights delicious food. Include storytelling, allowing each participant to share the significance of their dish.

9. Talent Shows

A corporate talent show enables employees to showcase hidden talents, such as singing or stand-up comedy. It builds confidence, promotes vulnerability in a safe environment, & builds a stronger community.

10. Outdoor Adventure Days

Plan outdoor events like hiking, kayaking, or ropes courses. They encourage trust and resilience, help employees step out of their comfort zones, and offer a refreshing break from office life.

11. Workshops for Professional Development

Workshops on leadership, communication, and digital skills provide valuable tools for employee growth. They demonstrate the company’s investment in its people and help employees feel prepared for future roles.

12. Comedy Sessions

Improvisation workshops can be intimidating, but they are excellent for:

Building quick thinking and confidence
Boosting creativity and communication
Encouraging adaptability
Fostering laughter.

13. Trivia Nights

A trivia quiz night is a fun, low-cost event that sparks competition. It can be customized with categories such as company facts, pop culture, and history. Thus, it is suitable for both in-person and virtual settings.

14. Virtual Reality Experiences

VR technology brings a modern edge to corporate events. It offers options such as VR team challenges, virtual travel tours, and training simulations. It’s immersive and attracts tech-savvy employees.

15. Book Clubs or Film Nights

Host discussions around a book or film to create intellectual bonding. This promotes conversations and encourages diverse perspectives. However, it also connects to professional themes like leadership and innovation.

16. Cooking Competitions

Food unites people, and competitions make it even more exciting. Think “Chopped”-style challenges with mystery ingredients, team bake-offs, and cultural cuisine cook-offs. These events foster creativity, teamwork, and fun and everyone gets to enjoy the delicious outcomes.

17. Scavenger Hunts

Scavenger hunts can be held in the office, outdoors, or online. They promote movement and teamwork, creating excitement through mystery and discovery.

18. Holiday Celebrations

Let’s celebrate major holidays like Halloween, Christmas, and Diwali to enhance the festive spirit at work! This will give you more options to create fun opportunities with your employees. You can even try themed décor, costumes, and delicious food to boost connections with trust.

19. Health and Fitness Challenges

Host a company-wide challenge like step competitions or gym class participation. This promotes well-being, fosters healthy competition, and encourages long-term lifestyle improvements.

20. Storytelling Nights

Invite employees to share meaningful personal or professional stories. This will help to foster empathy, connection, and authenticity while strengthening company culture. Combine storytelling with a casual dinner for a relaxed atmosphere.

A Successful Corporate Event Planning

Every great event begins with a spark of inspiration, but that spark needs careful nurturing to shine truly. To bring your vision to life, consider these essential tips for thoughtful planning:

Decide if your focus is on morale, innovation, or employee rewards.
Tailor activities to your team’s age, interests, and accessibility.
Offer a variety of physical, creative, and intellectual activities.
Great events can be affordable; think creatively.
Use surveys to find out what worked and what can be improved.

Conclusion

Corporate events strengthen company culture, enhance collaboration, and boost employee engagement. With creativity and planning, they can transform a workplace into a thriving community.

Choose activities that align with your company’s values and meet your team’s needs while keeping things fresh and inspiring.

Investing in motivating corporate events shapes the future of your workplace culture.

Read more:
20 Engaging Corporate Event Ideas to Inspire Your Team

Trading technology has advanced to the point where investors can choose between desktop platforms, browser-based systems, and mobile applications. Each format has strengths and limitations, and the right choice often depends on the trader’s style, level of experience, and personal schedule.

To understand how these platforms compare, we asked experts from Cliquall to share their perspective on what works best for different types of traders.

The depth of desktop platforms

For many professionals, desktop platforms remain the gold standard. The power of a desktop setup lies in its ability to handle large amounts of data quickly while offering advanced charting, technical indicators, and customization. Multiple monitors allow traders to track several markets at once, which can be vital for those dealing with fast-moving instruments such as foreign exchange or commodities.

Experts from Cliquall review and note that desktop platforms suit traders who dedicate long stretches of time to market analysis. These users often want access to the full range of tools without compromise, and the stability of a desktop connection helps avoid interruptions. However, this setup might be excessive for beginners or casual participants who do not need advanced features.

The flexibility of web platforms

Browser-based platforms strike a balance between functionality and accessibility. They allow traders to log in from any computer without installing software, which can be particularly useful for people who travel or switch devices often. Modern web platforms have improved significantly, offering reliable charting and integrated analysis tools that were once limited to desktop applications.

According to Cliquall, web platforms are ideal for traders who value flexibility but still want a relatively robust interface. They are also practical for workplaces where software installations are restricted. The trade-off is that heavy users may still prefer desktop systems for speed and extended customization.

The convenience of mobile platforms

Mobile trading has become increasingly popular, especially in 2025 as more people expect constant access to financial information. Smartphones and tablets allow traders to check positions, execute orders, and receive alerts while on the move. This immediacy is useful for part-time traders, professionals who cannot stay at their desks all day, or anyone who wants to react quickly to breaking news.

The experts emphasized, however, that mobile platforms are best suited for monitoring and light trading rather than complex strategy building. Screen size and limited charting tools can make in-depth analysis challenging. Mobile apps are most effective when paired with desktop or web platforms that handle the heavier research tasks.

Choosing the right mix

Rather than viewing desktop, web, and mobile platforms as competitors, experts at Cliquall recommend seeing them as complementary. Many traders benefit from combining platforms: using desktop systems for deep research, web platforms for flexible access, and mobile apps for real-time monitoring. The best choice depends on how much time you spend trading, the level of detail you require, and how often you need to stay connected while away from your desk.

Read more:
Desktop, Web, or Mobile – What Is the Best Way to Trade? Experts from Cliquall Review Your Options

A Blackburn tour operator has been jailed for more than two years after fraudulently securing two £50,000 Covid Bounce Back Loans, despite companies only being entitled to one.

Raja Imtiaz, 52, of London Road, Blackburn, dishonestly obtained the loans in June and July 2020 on behalf of his company, Al Fayroz Travel & Tourism Limited. Investigations by the Insolvency Service found he had falsely declared on his second application that it was the firm’s only request, even though he had already received the first payment.

At Preston Crown Court (pictured) on 18 September, Imtiaz was sentenced to two years and two months in prison and disqualified as a company director for six-and-a-half years.

Imtiaz told investigators he only submitted the second application because he was unsure whether the first loan had been approved. However, evidence showed the first £50,000 had already been paid when he made the second claim.

David Snasdell, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: “Raja Imtiaz exploited a scheme designed to support small businesses during the pandemic. The rules were crystal clear – businesses were only allowed a single loan. His dishonesty has landed him behind bars and serves as a warning that the Insolvency Service will relentlessly pursue fraudsters who so cynically abused Covid support schemes.”

Al Fayroz Travel & Tourism Limited was incorporated in October 2017, with Imtiaz appointed as a director in 2019. The fraudulent loan applications were made to two separate banks just weeks apart during the pandemic.

The Bounce Back Loan scheme, launched in May 2020, was designed to provide fast-track support to small businesses struggling during Covid, offering loans of up to £50,000 backed by government guarantees.

The case underscores the continued efforts of regulators to pursue Bounce Back Loan fraud, which cost the UK taxpayer billions. Authorities have pledged to clamp down on abuse of Covid support schemes, with disqualifications, prosecutions and jail sentences now a growing outcome for those found guilty.

Read more:
Blackburn tour operator jailed after £100k Covid loan fraud

Sending money across borders has long been a test of patience. Traditional banks rely on legacy systems that were never designed for the speed and scale of global business today.

This is why Electronic Money Institutions (EMIs) are currently changing the market.

An EMI is a licensed financial entity that can issue electronic money, provide IBAN accounts, process payments, and hold client funds in safeguarded accounts. Unlike banks, EMIs cannot offer traditional loans or credit, but they can do almost everything else when it comes to facilitating digital payments.

Their advantage lies in flexibility: they are purpose-built for modern transactions rather than tied to decades-old infrastructure.

Across Europe, EMIs are growing in importance. In the UK alone, around 250 EMIs are authorized, safeguarding billions in client funds. In the EU, this model is being strengthened by upcoming regulation (PSD3) which will place EMIs on more equal footing with traditional banks when it comes to payment services and consumer protection.

Challenges in Traditional Cross-Border Payments

Despite globalisation, sending money across borders is often still too slow, expensive and sometimes downright opaque. The G20 has highlighted four stubborn problems: cost, speed, transparency and access.

High costs: Fees accumulate at every step (because of correspondent banks, currency conversion, intermediary charges), making small or frequent transfers inefficient.
Delays: Transfers can take days because they pass through a chain of intermediaries, each relying on legacy systems and manual processes.

Limited access: Many regions remain underserved, leaving individuals and businesses excluded from financial flows.

Lack of transparency: It’s common for senders to lose track of fees, exchange rates, or even the status of the transfers.

On top of all of this, regulatory fragmentation makes compliance quite difficult. Different jurisdictions impose their own rules on AML (anti-money laundering), KYC (know-your-customer), and tax reporting. That’s why it’s pretty common for international businesses to have to maintain some sort of balancing act. They have to stay compliant without slowing down their operations in order to survive.

How Trumia Simplifies Cross-Border Payments

This is where EMIs demonstrate their value. By design, they focus on reducing friction in the payment process while keeping compliance front and center.

Faster, more flexible rails

EMIs don’t have to depend on legacy correspondent banking networks. In fact, they can connect directly to payment schemes like SEPA or SWIFT, but also build their own digital rails if needed. This is how they enable near-real-time transfers.

For businesses this type of speed translates into improved cash flows. For individuals, on the other hand, it means transfers that feel as simple as sending a local payment. A win-win for everyone involved.

A better user experience

The standard features of an EMI (and what makes user experience far better) are digital onboarding, multi-currency wallets, and intuitive account management. Instead of juggling multiple bank accounts in different countries, clients can hold and send funds in multiple currencies from a single interface.  It’s hard to beat this type of convenience. For users, this equals to significantly less paperwork, fewer intermediaries, and a clearer view of costs.

Compliance built into the process

EMIs integrate compliance checks (KYC, transaction monitoring, AML screening) directly into their systems. With the arrival of PSD3 in Europe, standards for EMIs will align with banks. Now, there will be even more consistency in consumer protection and supervision.

Security and trust

One of the best aspects of an EMI is that all customer funds must be held in safeguarded accounts. They have to be fully separated from the institution’s own funds. This particular requirement builds a lot of trust, especially as EMIs handle more cross-border volumes.

The numbers actually back this up: in the EU and UK, customer funds safeguarded by EMIs roughly doubled in just four years, reaching over €35 billion.

Future Trends in Cross-Border Payments via EMIs

The role of EMIs in international payments is only going to get bigger. In Europe, all eyes are on PSD3, the new framework that will tighten supervision while putting EMIs on a more level playing field with banks. For clients, this shift means greater stability and trust in using EMIs for serious cross-border operations rather than day-to-day transfers.

At the same time, the payment infrastructure itself is evolving. Europe’s Wero wallet, born out of the European Payments Initiative, is a step toward a continent-wide instant payment system. For EMI’s, plugging into this kind of network means finally offering users a single, seamless experience across multiple countries.

The changes aren’t limited to Europe. Africa’s Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) has already shown how dramatically costs can fall when local currencies are exchanged directly, bypassing the dollar and other intermediaries. Similar ideas are spreading in Asia and Latin America, suggesting that EMIs could become the connectors between these regional systems.

Also, it’s important to note that technology will probably push things even further. Artificial intelligence is already being used to streamline compliance checks and liquidity management. EMIs are in a strong position to adopt these tools quickly because they aren’t weighed down by legacy systems.

Add to that the possibility of new non-SWIFT networks emerging from geopolitical tensions, and EMIs could find themselves acting as crucial bridges, keeping global money flows open even in a fragmented financial landscape.

Read more:
Cross-Border Payments Simplified: The EMI Advantage With Trumia

In today’s fast-paced, hyper-connected world, meeting new people has never been easier.

LinkedIn messages arrive in your inbox, networking events seem to appear every week, Zoom calls can introduce you to someone on the other side of the country—or even the world—social media groups create communities based on shared interests, and casual introductions from friends or colleagues happen more often than we realise.

It is almost effortless to expand your network, and the advice we are constantly given is to take advantage of every opportunity. The reasoning is simple: the more people you know, the more doors will open. And there is certainly truth to that, but it is only part of the picture.

The real value of connecting with others does not lie in how many business cards you collect or how many LinkedIn connections you can boast about. It lies in the depth of those relationships, in the human bonds you create when you meet someone without a hidden agenda. There is an overlooked flaw in the way many of us approach networking. Too often, when we meet someone new, there is an unspoken question lingering just beneath the surface: “What can this person do for me?” At first glance, it seems practical. After all, business is about leveraging relationships, is it not? We want our connections to be useful, to help us grow, to open doors to opportunities we might not otherwise access. But when every interaction is filtered through that lens, we risk missing the most valuable part of connecting with another person: the chance to truly see them.

People have a remarkable ability to sense when they are being “worked” rather than genuinely engaged with. Conversations become mechanical, cold, and transactional. They feel one-sided and forgettable, leaving both parties with little sense of fulfilment. The energy that makes people remember you, the spark that forms a meaningful bond, is missing. It is not the job title, the network, or the resources that make someone memorable—it is the humanity they bring to the interaction, and the humanity you reciprocate.

Meeting someone without an agenda means showing up as a human being first, before any professional or personal objectives. It means allowing the conversation to exist for its own sake, not as a stepping stone towards a goal. When you shift your mindset from “What can I get from this person?” to “Who is this person, and what can I learn about them?” everything changes. You begin to ask questions not to extract value but to understand experiences, choices, and perspectives. You listen not to find the perfect opening for your own pitch, but to hear the story unfolding in front of you. You share parts of yourself without expectation or calculation, simply because sharing is part of connecting.

This approach to networking can feel unfamiliar at first because our society often equates efficiency with effectiveness. We are taught to maximise every moment, every conversation, every introduction. There is a pressure to quantify interactions in terms of return on investment—whether it is a potential client, a job lead, or an influential contact. But this way of thinking overlooks the long-term, often unpredictable benefits that come from relationships rooted in genuine curiosity and mutual respect. The most meaningful connections, the ones that stand the test of time, rarely begin with immediate transactional value. They grow slowly, nurtured by shared experiences, laughter, and trust.

The surprising thing is that when you let go of the agenda, opportunities often appear in ways you could never have predicted. People you meet without any expectation of gain may later become collaborators, mentors, friends, or allies in ways that feel completely organic. Because the relationship was not forced or calculated, it is stronger, more resilient, and more authentic. Opportunities arise not because you asked for them, but because trust and mutual respect have been established. People are far more inclined to help, recommend, or partner with those they feel genuinely connected to, and these connections are built precisely in the spaces where agendas are absent.

In a world dominated by efficiency and strategy, it can feel counterintuitive to meet people without an explicit goal. But the truth is that the depth of our human connections cannot be forced. Genuine engagement takes time, patience, and openness. It requires the willingness to enter a conversation without a checklist, without a mental tally of what you might gain. It asks for vulnerability—the willingness to be seen and to see others, without expectation. And when we embrace this approach, we find that the value of these interactions often far surpasses anything that could have been calculated.

Meeting someone without an agenda also transforms how we experience our own lives. We begin to see people not as resources but as complex, fascinating individuals with unique stories and perspectives. We notice the richness in diversity of thought, in lived experience, and in the ways different people navigate the world. Our empathy deepens, our listening skills improve, and we develop a genuine appreciation for human complexity. We start to approach relationships with curiosity instead of calculation, with generosity instead of strategy, and with openness instead of caution.

The next time you find yourself in a conversation with someone new, pause before letting your mind run through the familiar questions of utility and benefit. Try simply showing up as a person meeting another person. Let the conversation unfold naturally, allow curiosity to guide your questions, and give the other person room to share without interruption. Listen with full attention. Respond with honesty. Share your experiences without expecting reciprocation. In doing so, you create the conditions for a connection that is both meaningful and enduring.

Some of the most rewarding relationships in life begin this way—not with a calculated goal, not with an immediate payoff, but with genuine human connection. Over time, these relationships often lead to opportunities, collaborations, and friendships that feel effortless precisely because they were never forced. The paradox is that the more we stop trying to “use” connections, the more valuable those connections become.

Ultimately, meeting people without an agenda is not just a networking strategy—it is a way of engaging with the world that prioritises humanity over utility, curiosity over calculation, and connection over convenience. By approaching interactions in this way, we open ourselves to relationships that are richer, deeper, and more transformative than anything we could have engineered. The next conversation you have could be the start of something remarkable—if you let it happen without trying to control it.

Read more:
Why Meeting People Without an Agenda Matters

President Donald Trump has suggested that US television networks critical of his administration should have their broadcast licences revoked.

The comments came as he praised ABC for suspending late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, whose monologue about the death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk sparked backlash.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his return from a state visit to the UK, Trump claimed that about 97% of media coverage of him is negative. He said that network owners currently hold broadcast licences and questioned whether those licences should be “taken away.”

The trigger for these remarks was Kimmel’s recent show monologue, in which he accused Trump supporters of politicising Kirk’s death and criticised the broader political reaction. ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! “indefinitely” following pressure from both the public and government regulators.

President Donald Trump has suggested that US television networks critical of his administration should have their broadcast licences revoked.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr publicly condemned Kimmel’s remarks as “offensive and insensitive,” hinting at possible regulatory consequences. Local station group Nexstar announced it would stop airing the show, citing similar concerns.

Legal experts and critics point out that revoking licences over editorial content would likely violate the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, a Democrat, warned that threatening to remove licences in response to criticism is an attack on free speech. She said the FCC lacks authority to penalise broadcasters simply for content it dislikes.

The FCC, under current law, licenses individual local stations rather than national networks like ABC, CNN, NBC or Fox, complicating the legal basis for revoking a network licence as Trump suggested.

Former President Barack Obama and various media industry and free-speech advocates have accused the Trump administration of pushing censorship and using regulatory agencies to punish critics. Some see this episode as part of a broader trend of political pressure on the Fourth Estate.

For broadcasters, this moment underscores concerns about editorial independence, regulatory overreach, and the vulnerability of media institutions in a polarised political climate.

Read more:
Trump suggests networks critical of him could lose licences amid Kimmel fallout

Retail bosses are warning that rising levels of shoplifting and violence against staff are deterring young people from entering the sector, deepening the industry’s recruitment crisis.

Jonathan James, owner of James Convenience Retail, which runs around 40 stores under the Select Convenience brand, said fears over safety are making roles less attractive.

“It’s just completely going unchecked and that is having an impact on morale and recruitment,” he explained. “People see in the local paper that shops have been done and staff assaulted. Young people looking for their first job are being told by parents, ‘Do you really want to do that?’”

James said that, for the first time in 25 years, he is designing stores around security and staff protection rather than customer experience.

Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) show incidents of violence and abuse against shopworkers surged by more than 50% in the year to August 2024, rising to over 2,000 incidents per day. Shop theft also hit a record 20 million cases, costing the industry £2.2bn.

The increase has been attributed to the combined effects of the cost-of-living crisis and the rise of organised crime networks targeting stores.

Chris Noice, of the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), said the impact of crime on workers can be “life-changing”: “Retailers and colleagues face theft, abuse, assault, and even threats with weapons. Some shops have had to cut opening hours to protect staff locking up late at night. In the last two years, retailers have spent over half a billion pounds on security, but this must be matched by tougher police action against repeat offenders.”

The government has pledged to crack down on retail crime. Ministers plan to invest £200m in neighbourhood policing and have made assaulting a shop worker a standalone offence. Rules that downgraded thefts of goods worth under £200 have also been scrapped.

Former policing and crime minister Dame Diana Johnson vowed earlier this year that “there will be consequences” for offenders, warning that rising “middle-class shoplifting” by more affluent individuals will also be punished.

For an industry already grappling with labour shortages, high inflation and squeezed margins, rising violence poses yet another hurdle. Unless the government’s measures quickly restore confidence, retailers warn that recruiting young staff could become increasingly difficult – undermining one of Britain’s largest private-sector employers.

Read more:
Rising shop assaults deter young workers as retailers face recruitment crisis

Nvidia, the world’s most valuable company, is in advanced talks to pump $500 million (£400m) into Wayve, a UK-based self-driving car start-up.

The fresh investment follows the company’s participation in Wayve’s record $1.1bn funding round last year alongside Microsoft, which was the largest ever for a European AI business.

The new funding commitment was unveiled during an event in London coinciding with President Trump’s state visit, where Nvidia pledged £2bn in UK start-up investments spanning AI and fintech. Beneficiaries include digital bank Revolut and video AI company Synthesia.

Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s chief executive, told an audience of tech leaders and investors that he expects the UK’s first trillion-dollar company will be an AI business.

Wayve, founded in London, is developing AI-powered systems to help vehicles interpret surroundings and navigate without human input. The company is also backed by SoftBank, Uber and Eclipse Ventures.

Alex Kendall, Wayve’s co-founder and chief executive, said: “Support from Nvidia underscores confidence in our approach to AI and its potential to transform the future of mobility.”

Alongside Wayve, Nvidia also announced a £500m investment in Nscale, an AI infrastructure start-up that Huang said could become a “national champion for the UK”, forecasting potential cumulative revenues of £50bn within six years.

The state visit has triggered a wave of American capital commitments totalling £150bn, including a £90bn pledge from Blackstone and up to £1.5bn from Palantir, the data analytics company co-founded by billionaire Peter Thiel.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the announcements, saying: “Today we put tech out there as a special feature of the special relationship. Thank you so much, Jensen, for your confidence in what we are doing and your investment.”

For Wayve, Nvidia’s additional $500m backing cements its position as one of Europe’s most promising AI mobility ventures, strengthening its ability to compete globally. For the UK, the flurry of announcements highlights its growing status as a hub for AI investment, even as it navigates challenges around regulation, skills and infrastructure.

Read more:
Nvidia to invest $500m in UK self-driving start-up Wayve

UK businesses are losing an estimated £103bn a year to workplace sickness, a rise of 41% in just five years, according to new research. The analysis highlights that £25bn of the cost comes from presenteeism – employees turning up to work despite being unwell, leading to reduced productivity.

Data shows a clear link between employee health and output: 93% of staff in good physical and mental health are productive, compared with just 67% of those with poorer wellbeing. On average, UK employees lose the equivalent of 44 days’ productivity each year by working while ill.

Presenteeism doesn’t just damage company performance; it can sap team morale and stall business growth. Experts warn that many employees feel pressured to work through illness or take on excessive hours, pointing to the need for cultural and policy changes.

Employers are being encouraged to monitor not only absenteeism but also signs of presenteeism – with regular catch-ups and wellbeing surveys recommended as ways to spot struggling employees.

As part of a preventative health strategy, Bupa has partnered with GoJoe, the global health and performance platform, to help its business health insurance customers improve staff wellbeing.

Early results suggest GoJoe users experience a 60% boost in workplace productivity and a 70% uplift in wellbeing within just two weeks. The app encourages healthier lifestyles through fitness, nutrition and wellbeing challenges, fostering better cognitive performance and resilience.

Richard Norris, Commercial Director at Bupa, said: “Physical and mental health are deeply connected. When people feel well, they perform at their best. Our partnership with GoJoe reflects our commitment to helping organisations build healthier, more resilient teams.”

Will Turner, co-founder and CEO of GoJoe, added: “Employers want to do more to support staff health while managing rising costs. Our partnership with Bupa is an innovative way to deliver end-to-end preventative health support, improving engagement and performance.”

The partnership will be available to new and renewing Bupa Business Health Insurance customers, with a focus on supporting larger corporate clients. By embedding health and wellbeing initiatives into everyday working life, Bupa and GoJoe aim to reduce presenteeism, improve productivity and ease the mounting costs of poor workplace health.

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Workplace sickness costs UK firms £103bn a year as Bupa partners with GoJoe

The UK public sector has swelled to its largest size in over a decade, even as the wider economy struggles with a hiring slowdown. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show almost 6.2 million people now work in the public sector – the highest since 2011 and up 75,000 in the past year.

The total includes a record two million NHS staff and the biggest civil service headcount since 2006. By contrast, private employers have pulled back on recruitment following increases in employment taxes and the National Living Wage earlier this year.

The expansion in the state workforce comes at a difficult moment for Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who is preparing her autumn Budget on 26 November. She is expected to raise as much as £30bn in new taxes to close fiscal gaps created by weaker growth forecasts and pressure from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).

Economists warn that the combination of a growing public payroll and persistently low productivity leaves Reeves with little choice but to tighten the tax burden, already heading towards a post-war high.

Despite employing nearly 600,000 more people since the pandemic, the public sector is delivering less. The ONS estimates productivity was 4.2% lower last year than before Covid-19, meaning taxpayers are effectively paying more for reduced efficiency.

Professor Jagjit Chadha, an economist at Cambridge University, said the government must present a credible plan to slim down: “A lot of state employment is incredibly valuable – NHS, police, schools – but it’s become a little bloated over the last few years. If you could reduce the number of people employed by the state and improve productivity, you wouldn’t need to raise taxes as much.”

The wider backdrop is sobering. UK debt is approaching the size of the £2.8 trillion economy, while the yield on 30-year gilts has climbed to a 27-year high, reflecting investor demands for greater fiscal discipline.

Economists at Oxford Economics and the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) warn that Reeves’s plan to deliver 1% annual efficiency gains until 2029 is “ambitious” given the public sector’s historic productivity growth of just 0.2% a year. Failure to deliver even modest improvements could leave the Chancellor facing a funding shortfall of up to £18bn.

Andrew Goodwin, chief UK economist at Oxford Economics, said: “If we’re thinking about how the public finances are put back on an even keel, it is imperative the government improves public sector productivity. We can’t just keep raising taxes.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pinned his hopes on AI and digital technology to reduce administrative workloads and boost frontline efficiency. But without a clear plan to curb the size of the state or improve its productivity, analysts warn Reeves may be forced into another round of painful tax increases – with businesses and households once again footing the bill.

Read more:
Bloated public sector growth leaves tax rises all but inevitable