HSBC has mandated that its managing directors return to the office for at least four days a week starting in October. A memo, reviewed by Bloomberg News, stressed the importance of in-person interactions, saying that they are “essential to how we lead and deliver for our customers.” The move reflects a broader trend among UK…

The Co-op has introduced a pioneering prisoner apprenticeship scheme, the first of its kind aimed at addressing skills shortages in the railway sector. In collaboration with City & Guilds, the programme will provide guaranteed employment opportunities to participants. The Level 2 Rail Engineering Operative apprenticeships will be conducted at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk. Claire Costello,…

Seven leading industry bodies have urged MPs to accept amendments to the Employment Rights Bill, saying changes proposed by the House of Lords will ease some of the burdens firms face when new workers’ rights come into force. Peers have called for the removal of a provision that would protect workers from unfair dismissal at…

Amazon is set to acquire Bee, a San Francisco-based start-up that has developed an artificial intelligence-enabled bracelet capable of transcribing conversations, which it can then analyse and distil into summaries, to-do lists, or other tasks. Terms of the deal, which is still to close, have not been disclosed. Amazon spokesperson Alexandra Miller said that Bee…

Songwriters and session musicians will receive better rates of pay under a landmark deal agreed by the music industry and the government. For the first time, songwriters will get daily payments of £75, plus travel and food expenses, any time they attend a session or songwriting camp. Previously, they were expected to cover their own…

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has warned of a “significant impending fraud crisis” in the financial sector due to AI’s ability to mimic human voices. He expressed concern over outdated authentication methods, saying: “A thing that terrifies me is apparently there are still some financial institutions that will accept a voice print as authentication for you…