EDITION 880
2 AUGUST 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 news magazine, such as 10 things from William Montgomery. But don’t overindulge. It’s bad for the soul.”

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.

1. How to reinvent yourself. Reinvention is neither easy nor always smooth. Often, we encounter resistance. We don’t want to let go, even of things that cause us pain or that are obviously already out of our grasp. Professional reinvention is different later in your career. Professionals who are 50+ and hope to make a transition should consider these tips: READ MORE >>

2. Growth forecast raised to 7.6%. The economy is growing at the fastest pace in 80 years and is expected to recover to pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year, according to the latest EY Item Club forecast. The influential survey says that the economy is now expected to grow by 7.6% this year - the fastest rate since 1941 - and higher than the 6.8% predicted in April. The UK economy is highly dependent on recreation and leisure activities, which are benefiting from the unlocking. The Times

3. One in five firms plan job cuts as furlough tapers. A survey has found that one in five firms plan on letting staff go in response to the latest furlough policy change - which will see employers pay more towards workers' wages. The coronavirus job retention scheme enters its penultimate month in August, with employers paying 20% of furloughed staff’s wages and the government contributing 60%. The British Chamber of Commerce surveyed its members, with 18% telling the chamber they were likely to make staff redundant in response to the change to furlough. A quarter said they would aim to reduce hours or move staff to part-time working patterns. The Telegraph

4. More than 2m Brits may have long covid. More than two million Britons are believed to be suffering from long Covid, which affects about one in ten patients who contract Covid-19. British health experts are calling for a nationwide screening programme to help identify sufferers. About a third of these symptoms can last up to seven months or longer. The most common ones are fatigue, post-exertional malaise - where a condition worsens after physical or mental exercise - and so-called “brain fog”, or cognitive dysfunction, according to the study led by University College London. BBC

5. Study finds health issues among middle-aged. A major British study has suggested that about one in three middle-aged people has multiple chronic health issues. The 1970 British Cohort Study has been tracking the lives of about 17,000 people born in a single week. It found that 34% had two or more long-term health problems, such as high blood pressure and mental ill health, at age 46 to 48. The most commonly recorded health problems were high-risk drinking, recurrent back problems and poor mental health. BBC

6. House prices fall but boom may continue. House prices have fallen for the first time in four months, according to new data. Nationwide figures show that the average value of a home fell 0.5% to £244,229 in July. Analysts say the loss of momentum is largely down to the end of the stamp duty tax break in England, with the maximum saving on the tax having been reduced from £15,000 to £2,500. However, ultra-low interest rates, household savings and a long-term shift in the way people work and commute could help push prices up again. The Telegraph

7. UK unprepared for extreme weather. Extreme weather will become the norm in the UK, according to a report by the Met Office and climate scientists. As 2020 was the third warmest, the fifth wettest and the eighth sunniest year on record, the report, published in the International Journal of Climatology, warns that moderate British weather is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. The scientists fear extreme weather is likely to cause severe problems, as most infrastructure in the UK has not been built to tolerate the sort of rainfall, heatwave temperatures and storms that are expected in the coming years. The Guardian

8. Warning 60,000 could die of flu. Up to 60,000 people could die from the flu in England this year, doctors have warned. A report, commissioned by England’s Chief Scientific Adviser has called on ministers to start treating flu like Covid-19. Although society has never shut down in the face of a flu crisis, NHS hospitals have had to cancel tens of thousands of operations in the middle of previous influenza outbreaks. On average, between 10,000 and 30,000 people die of flu in England each year. The Times

9. How do you communicate at work? Generational dividing lines aren't just over fashion choices and pop culture references – how we communicate at work sees opinions split, too. Do you shun email like 25- to 35-year-olds, or find it the most efficient option for work? Vote in the poll below. Which communication tool do you most prefer using at work? Have your say in our poll. VOTE HERE >>

10. The bottom line. The need to get the economy firing again could scarcely be more urgent, a committee of MPs calculated this week that the pandemic has already cost taxpayers a staggering £372bn; or £12,000 a head. The Sun on Sunday