EDITION 895
15 NOVEMBER 2021

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 boomerang back to a job. Boomerang workers, those who leave their jobs and return later on, are on the rise - and in today's labour market, they have the upper hand. Returning to a previous employer, particularly those trying to quickly fill open roles, provides an opportunity to negotiate pay and benefits. READ MORE

2. Climate deal ‘kicks can down the road’. COP26 has come to an end in Glasgow after two weeks of meetings on climate change and the environment and with a deal on the table. The summit's overall goal was to chart a path to keep warming limited to 1.5C and avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The deal has received a mixed reaction with many saying that it keeps the 1.5C goal "only just alive.” A projection by the well-respected Climate Action Tracker research group found that even if the pledges were met, warming would rise by a catastrophic 2.4°C. Around 40,000 people from around the world are estimated to have attended the UN's climate summit which attracted days of protests across Glasgow, as well as multiple celebrity appearances. Irn-Bru might emerge as the only winner from COP26 as delegates from all over the world were exposed to Scotland’s favourite fizzy drink for the first time. Editor

3. Can an algorithm be accountable? An all-parliamentary party group (APPG) of MPs and peers says that the effect of performance-driven tracking in jobs like packaging, delivery and stocking is damaging employees’ mental wellbeing. They want to introduce an “algorithm accountability act” that would “ensure AI puts people first”. Its recommendations could include involving workers in the design and use of algorithm-driven practices and forcing companies to fill out algorithmic impact assessments. The APPG’s work is based on a recent report from the Institute for the Future of Work, which detailed the sometimes-dangerous lengths gig economy workers will go to in order to fulfil algorithm-based targets. Prospect

4. Flexible work ‘not widely available’. Hybrid roles are in demand but, according to campaign group Timewise, only 26% of roles advertised in the UK mention flexible work in their job ads. The study, and research elsewhere, shows that the majority of people are seeking out flexibility, with many hoping to work from home at least some of the time. Yet many in mid-career roles say they are unable to find a role that suits. Organisational experts say that employers may be reluctant to publish info on flexibility in job ads, despite jobseekers responding well to those that outline specifics at the start. BBC

5. The best medicine for your heart. Going to bed between 10pm and 11pm reduces the risk of heart disease, a new study has found. Researchers at the University of Exeter studied 88,000 volunteers and found that people who fell asleep during that hour-long window had lower rates of heart disease compared with those with earlier or later bedtimes. The experts believe synchronising sleep to match our internal body clock may explain the reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes. In other news, researchers have concluded that adding plenty of herbs and spices to your diet could benefit your heart. A study found that feeding people a diet with plenty of ingredients such as cinnamon, coriander, parsley, garlic, black pepper, thyme and turmeric for four weeks was followed by improved blood pressure readings. The change was seen in people who consumed about one and a half teaspoons of herbs and spices per day.The Guardian

6. Should managers be messaging at all hours? A big shift to remote work has brought with it a change in perception as to when employees are 'on'. But should managers be messaging at all hours? A new law approved by Portugal’s parliament stipulates employers could face penalties for contacting workers outside of office hours. The rules, which apply to companies with 10 or more employees, are a response to the explosion of home working as a result of the pandemic. MPs are keen to build a healthy remote working culture and felt regulation was required to make sure employees are not being overworked. What do you think of this idea? VOTE HERE

7. Poll finds six-point lead for Labour. Labour have reached a six-point lead in a poll as the Conservative Party is hit hard by the sleaze scandal. According to the Savanta ComRes survey, a three-point Conservative lead last week has become a six-point deficit. The study, for the Daily Mail, found that voters overwhelmingly believe Boris Johnson should apologise for his handling of the scandal. A YouGov poll for the Times put the two parties neck and neck on 35%. Editor

8. Are we starting to regret our pandemic purchases? Nine out of ten British adults bought themselves “treats” to help them cope with lockdown, and many are now suffering from buyer’s remorse, a survey has found. For instance, one in 20 respondents splashed out on a hot tub, 36% of whom regret it. Gaming equipment, DIY kit, Peloton static bikes, air fryers and pizza ovens were among the other items frequently cited by regretful respondents to the Aviva survey. Typically, they had spent £1,400. The Guardian

9. Are you brushing enough? The NHS advises that we brush our teeth for about two minutes twice a day. Surveys have suggested that most people don’t even achieve that target – but there is evidence that we should be aiming higher. Research by the University of Birmingham reveals that three to four minutes will remove more plaque; and though this has yet to be clinically proven, it’s likely it will lead to better oral health. But people should avoid using hard brushes and abrasive pastes – and should not brush more than twice a day. The Times

10. The bottom line. Economic growth slowed between July and September as supply chain problems inhibited the recovery, according to the Office for National Statistics. Although consumer spending increased as Britain continued to emerge from lockdown, the contribution was offset by falls in other areas of the economy, leaving growth for the three months at 1.3%. The UK economy has still not caught up with its losses during the pandemic. BBC