EDITION 985
4 SEPTEMBER 2023

There is no escaping it: too much news is bad for you. It should come with a government health warning: “This intellectual diet is fine taken in small doses, and preferably in weekly instalments, via a well-balanced newsletter, such as 10 things from William Montgomery."

So, as another week slips by, here are 10 things which caught my attention and may have escaped yours. Please feel free to share on social media and forward to your colleagues and friends so they can also subscribe, learn and engage. I would be very grateful if you did.

William Montgomery
Editor and CEO of TEN

1. How to overcome email overload. Has your inbox reached its size limit? Have you lost track of who's waiting for a response? Most people struggle to stay on top of e-mail. Here are three tactics that might help: READ MORE

2. Harvard’s 85-year study on happiness. The Harvard Study of Adult Development is the world’s longest-running happiness study. It launched in 1938, following 724 men from teenage hood to old age. Later, the study incorporated their spouses and 1,300 of their descendants. Here’s what it found. [1] Happiness is about the quality of your relationships. Social fitness is the decisive factor in a happy life the study found. This means having strong supportive connections with friends or community. [2] Social fitness is also key to your longevity. It’s more important to a long life than genes, social class or IQ. [3] Social fitness is good for your brain too. People in happy marriages show better memory function over time and people with good relationships deteriorate less quickly as they age. [4] You can practice your social fitness. Like any living system, it requires tending. This means putting time and care into our intimate relationships and not being afraid to reach out when we need it. [5] Physical health is crucial, too. This means prioritising nutritious food, exercise and quality sleep and minimising alcohol and tobacco. World Economic Forum

3. Economy bigger than pre-Covid. The UK economy is bigger than before the pandemic, said the Office for National Statistics. The economy shrank less and bounced back faster during the pandemic, after previous assumptions were shown to be “too gloomy”, said the ONS. The group previously said the economy was still 1.2% smaller than before Covid, but revised figures add nearly 2% to the size of the economy as of the end of 2021, meaning Britain recovered to its pre-pandemic size almost two years ago. The Times

4. A third of desks are gathering dust. More than a third of office desks around the world sit empty all week and 29% were used for three hours or less on any given day, according to a new report by workplace sensor provider XY Sense. The study, which spanned nine regions including the UK, US and Singapore, found that office occupancy has stabilised at roughly 50% of pre-pandemic levels. That doesn't mean it's easy to find a room for a call, however, as small meeting rooms of up to three people tend to be occupied 90% of the time. It would behoove organisations to find a better use for the "wasted" desk space, redesign offices for a better employee experience, and reassess their property needs, the authors suggest. Bloomberg

5. Hybrid workers most engaged. Many of us feel more disconnected than ever from "the larger mission" of our employers. A new Gallup survey reveals a "mixed picture" on employee engagement, which, though showing slight overall improvement since 2022, is ticking down for remote workers. Of those who say they are fully remote, a record low of 28% say they "feel connected" to their workplace's purpose, compared to 32% last year. Also noteworthy: 33% of on-site employees feel connected, up slightly from 32% in 2022. Which group had the largest share of connection? Hybrid. At 35%. Gallup

6. Energy price cap falls. The energy price cap will drop from an average of £2,074 per year to £1,923 a year from 1 October, Ofgem has announced. It is the first time that the cap, which limits how much suppliers can charge households, has fallen below £2,000 for 18 months. The average annual bill is still set to be some £600 above pre-crisis levels, however, some households will face higher bills than last winter owing to the scaling back of government support. The Telegraph

7. School absence figures revealed. More than one in five children in England are regularly missing school, a sign that attendance is “still struggling to get back to pre-pandemic levels. The children’s commissioner, Rachel de Souza, said some children play truant, but others suffer from anxiety or have educational needs and therefore find it easier at home. The news comes as schools face waiting until December to find out if their buildings are in danger of collapse because of crumbling concrete, meaning many more could close. BBC

8. UK risks ‘tidal wave’ of heart disease. Britain faces a “tidal wave” of heart disease due to a dependence on ultra-processed food that is causing harm similar to smoking, according to two new studies. Experts warned that more than half of the British diet is linked to heart attacks and strokes. Campaigners said the findings, presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Amsterdam, must act as a “wake-up call” for the government. Meanwhile, The Mirror reported that healthy, fresh produce is almost impossible to find in poorer areas of Britain. The Independent

9. ‘Blitzes’ fail to improve PM’s ratings. Weeks of “Tory policy blitzes” have failed to boost Rishi Sunak’s approval ratings. The latest Opinium survey showed the Tories have “failed to shift the dial in Sunak’s favour”, with the PM dropping two points in the past fortnight to a net score of -25% (24% approve, 49% disapprove). The Conservatives spent the summer focusing on specific policy areas they believed would “expose Labour’s weaknesses” – such as crime, immigration, health and schools. The Observer

10. The bottom line. Buying a home has become more expensive than renting for the first time in 13 years for prospective UK homebuyers. Higher monthly mortgage payments are causing many first-time buyers to reassess the financial strain of ownership versus renting. Daily Mail