EDITION 814
20 APRIL 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 stay productive while working from home: The government is recommending that as many employees as possible work remotely until the virus can be slowed. But working remotely is a double-edge sword - sure, you get to stay home, but it can be harder to focus on actually working. So, first thing’s first: you should probably sit up straight, eat some breakfast, and put on some pants. How else can you stay focused on the job and mentally healthy while working remotely? Here are five tips from a work-from-home veteran: [MORE]

2. Furlough scheme extended till June. The government furlough scheme has been extended by a month to run until the end of June, the chancellor announced. The decision was made after a three-week extension of the UK lockdown, and will continue to cover 80% of workers’ wages up to £2,500 per month. The Job Retention Scheme was also widened to include anyone who started a new job and had been paid by 19 March, bringing in thousands of workers who were previously ineligible. BBC

3. Why we all need deadlines. Even under normal circumstances, bringing structure to our work lives can be a challenge. Today, as large portions of the professional world adjust to working from home, it has become that much harder. This is why deadlines are essential. Setting a day and time to finish work - even if it's just a personal goal - gives you a concrete milestone to work toward. What can make deadlines even more effective? Setting goal gradients, ways to measure your progress and how close you are to completion as you move along your way. Editor

4. Over-60s most active and least lonely. People aged 18 to 29 are reporting the highest levels of loneliness during the lockdown, a survey from University College London finds. They rate their levels at six out of ten, on average, while for the rest of the population, it is 4.5. Over-60s have been exercising the most in lockdown: 43% of them are spending more than 30 minutes exercising a day, compared with up to 35% in other age groups. The Times

5. Schools may reopen as early as May under government plans. Schools could reopen as soon as May 11 under a three-phase plan being drawn up by senior ministers to lift the coronavirus lockdown. The first pupils allowed back would include primary school children and those in years 10 and 12 who are due to sit GCSEs and A-levels in 2021. Pupils of different ages would be taught for only part of the week or every other week. The Sun

6. Stars align for One World. Lady Gaga, Elton John and the Rolling Stones were among the stars to take part in a global event from their homes to support frontline workers tackling the coronavirus outbreak. The eight-hour show, which raised more than £100m, and rising, for the WHO emergency response fund, also featured real-life stories from those on the front line of the pandemic. Lady Gaga, who organised the line-up, called the event “a love letter to the world”. BBC

7. Making video chat less painful. As the coronavirus sends ever-growing portions of the workforce into remote work environments, video chat is reigning supreme. There's just one hitch: Many of us loathe video chats, particularly because they involve looking at ourselves on camera while meeting others. Here’s some advice: Stare at yourself in the mirror for 10 minutes, all while maintaining an open, generous attitude. Such mirror meditation can help us grow accustomed to looking at ourselves from a place of kindness. And these kinds of practices can offer benefits that go far beyond video calls. Editor

8. Lockdown earns Amazon $11,000 a second. Online retail giant Amazon is reaping a cash bonanza from the global coronavirus lockdown, with its share price soaring and customers spending almost $11,000 (£8,800) a second. Founder Jeff Bezos has reinforced his position as the world’s richest person, his personal fortune rising $6.4bn (£5.1bn) on Tuesday to reach $138bn (£110bn). The Guardian

9. Brexit talks to resume next week. The UK will not accept any delay to the Brexit transition period beyond this year, even if the EU requests an extension, Downing Street has said. UK and EU negotiators have agreed to resume three rounds of post-Brexit talks, with the first due to take place next week, following disruption due to the coronavirus outbreak. A Downing Street official said that an extension would "prolong the delay and uncertainty" around Brexit. The transition period, intended to allow the two sides to negotiate a trade deal, will end on 31 December. City AM

10. The bottom line. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is warning that the UK economy could contract by 35% in the next quarter – and 13% for 2020 as a whole – because of the coronavirus lockdown. It says unemployment could soar by two million jobs to hit 10% by the end of June, with government borrowing increasing at a vertiginous pace. The Financial Times