EDITION 818
18 MAY 2020

As another week of working from home slips by, here are 10 things which caught my attention and may have escaped yours. This newsletter is sent to 50,000+ subscribers each Monday at 10am. Please share on social media and forward to your colleagues and friends so they can subscribe, learn and engage. I'd be very grateful if you did.

1. How to ensure your next virtual meeting actually accomplishes something. How many times have you walked away from a theoretically important meeting and thought, “What did we accomplish?” You need to find the answers to two questions to give you a high-level understanding of what the meeting needs to accomplish. READ MORE >>

2. Should we go back to the office? Now that millions of employees have dipped their toes into the remote work world, many may not want to go back to the office once coronavirus-related restrictions ease up. Some 60% of readers told us they’d prefer to work from home as much as possible even after the pandemic calms. It's easy to see why: Saving time and money commuting, escaping colleagues in order to focus, and getting more control over your day. Granted, not all have the option to skip the office. But for those who do, the change could become permanent. Editor

3. Is the furlough scheme a form of masked unemployment? The Office for Budget Responsibility predicts two million people will lose their jobs when it is unwound. There has been much talk about the shape of the recession. Will we see a V-shaped recovery, a W, a U, or even an L? Looking at the economic record, the good news is that almost all UK recessions are V-shaped. The bad news is that almost all created hangovers in the labour market – and many lasted for a very long time. The Times

4. Four-day week may stop the virus. As leaders around the world weigh the risks of reopening workplaces in the wake of the pandemic, researchers from the London School of Economics have a suggestion: Start off with a four-day in-office work week, followed by 10 days off. Why? It typically takes three days for someone infected with COVID-19 to become infectious to others. So, if someone becomes sick during their in-office period, it's likely they will be off during the moments they are contagious. Such a method could help reduce the number of new infections, paving a path to a fuller return to working life. Evening Standard

5. A cool way to get to work and avoid public transport. Micro scooters and electric scooters are the scourge of any city pedestrian, and not just because they whizz past you, knocking your Pret toastie out of your hands for the pigeons. But Japanese researchers have made a prototype for an inflatable e-scooter that fits inside a backpack. It weighs just twelve pounds and has been nicknamed Poimo. Sadly, at this stage the scooter is just a prototype and not available to the public. Metro

6. The key to building courage. Everyone relates to risk in different ways. Our neurological makeup and life experiences both have a major influence on our willingness to act boldly when the need arises. But with practice, we can actively develop our courage. You can start with small moves. Miniature acts of assertiveness can help us grow accustomed to going out on a limb. And when you are feeling an urge to pull back, imagine the worst outcome and what might happen if you don't act at all. Such scenario building may help put the stakes in full context. Editor

7. In search of the R number. The number indicating the rate at which the coronavirus outbreak is growing in Britain may have increased and could be as high as 1, according to official data. The latest estimates of the R number put it as between 0.7 and 1. Last week Boris Johnson said that it was between 0.5 and 0.9. The new number reflects the state of transmission a fortnight ago. The R is still the best indicator available of how the virus is spreading. For that reason, officials will continue to use it - despite its imperfections. The Times

8. 110K apply for self-employee aid. More than 110,000 people applied for the government’s Self-Employed Income Support Scheme in the first four hours of opening. Designed to help those whose work has been affected by the coronavirus outbreak, the scheme will pay eligible self-employed workers a grant equivalent to 80% of the person’s average monthly profits for the past three years, up to a maximum of £7,500. HMRC has contacted those believed to qualify, providing a specific date on which to apply. The money, provided as a lump sum, is designed to cover March, April and May; unlike the furlough scheme for PAYE employees, the government has not announced any extension. The Guardian

9. Landline phones experience a revival. Once British households had stocked up on loo roll, they started to think of other things they’d need to cope in lockdown. According to John Lewis, the first week saw a rush on freezers and landline phones; then sales of pasta and bread makers started to rise sharply. Now, grooming products are flying off the virtual shelves. Hair dye sales are up 149%, and those of hair-removing kits are up eightfold. BBC

10. The bottom line. Almost half of UK businesses will run out of cash within six months despite the government’s furlough scheme, according to ONS survey results. It showed that 44% of the 18,506 responding firms said their reserves would last for less than six months, with 24% unsure how long reserves would last, and 4% reporting no spare cash. Only 27% said their reserves would last beyond six months. The ONS said 76% of firms had signed up for the Treasury’s wage subsidy scheme - up from 66% two weeks ago. Financial Times