Public awareness of the gender pay gap is sharper than ever. But while the gulf between male and female wages across the UK has narrowed to 9.1%, momentum is stalling. In many sectors, such as aviation and finance, the disparity is actually widening. In 2024, almost four out of five companies and public bodies are still paying men more than women. That includes household names, such as easyJet and Lloyds Bank, which have been criticised for their lacklustre evidence of addressing the imbalance. Holding the most egregious employers accountable is crucial to ensure that progress does not grind t ..read more

What do you think of when you hear ‘CEO’? Likely, it’s an Elon Musk-type figure, barking orders across a desk and awarding themselves the highest salary band for their effort. From Logan Roy to Mr. Burns, we’re taught from an early age that CEOs, or Chief Executive Officers, are ‘fat cats’ who would rather plump up their own payslip than an employee’s. That perception has been reinforced by a growing pay divide between staff and bosses in 2024. But while there are doubtless some bad actors, the full picture is more nuanced. Many CEOs forgo paying themselves for years to fund business growth an ..read more

All good things must come to an end. For some UK workers, that includes remote working, thanks to the number of large employers that are rolling out return to office (RTO) policies. While small businesses lean into flexible working, large employers are putting their foot down. Their bosses might have embraced hybrid or remote working post-COVID, but the message now is simple: “get back to work, or wave goodbye to a promotion.” We’re keeping track of all the businesses that have U-turned on remote work below. We’ll also explore their motivation for doing so, and the potential impact on employe ..read more

Payroll administration is the process of paying wages to employees, and ensuring the correct tax and National Insurance (NI) contributions are deducted and paid to HMRC. The role also involves ensuring all employment laws and payroll administration tasks are followed efficiently and compliantly, and the accounting transactions involved balance. Below, you will find out what payroll administration is, the tasks involved, who is responsible for operating payroll, and payroll best practice. On this page, we will cover: What is payroll administration? How does payroll administration work? What ar ..read more

Your business is blooming and you’ve reached a point in your journey where employees are a necessity for your operation. Congratulations! Now it’s time to get your head around what having employees on a payroll means for your HMRC obligations. Hiring employees entails a commitment to HMRC that you will provide details of real-time information (RTI). RTI refers to a process implemented and enforced by HMRC that requires employers to submit their pay information in real-time. This guide will look at everything you need to know about RTI, including what it is, what it involves and how to send you ..read more

Secondhand fashion has become one of the best ways to make a quick buck. Apps like Depop and Vinted provide a platform for side hustles and wardrobe spring cleans alike. Where consumer demand grows, however, scammers also flock. This week, a Which? survey of 1,300 buyers found that 32% had been defrauded in the past two years. Depop was the worst performing app. 57% of users told Which? they had experienced a scam on the site. Below, we list eight tell-tale signs that will help you to spot and avoid common secondhand shams on apps like Depop and Vinted. How can you spot a fake marketplace lis ..read more

Wayve, the AI startup that is developing self-driving cars has secured a record-breaking investment worth $1.05bn (£800 million) in a funding round led by Japan’s SoftBank.  Wayve’s latest windfall means it is now Europe’s biggest AI success story, beating the previous $500m funding record set by Germany’s Aleph Alpha in November.  The company will use the money to develop its unique smart technology, and to fund international expansion. This could position it as a rival to some of the world’s largest self-driving car manufacturers, including Tesla.  Seemingly overnight, Wayve h ..read more

Starting a business from scratch is never easy, especially in a market as crowded as the digital space. When I started Cedarwood Digital back in 2016, I didn’t have any financial backing. That may sound scary, but this was a deliberate choice. I wanted 100% ownership and control over my business. In the past few years, I’ve worked with a number of clients who have taken investment into their own businesses. I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly of angel investment and venture capital. I think if you choose this path, you really need the right investor with the right level of involvement. Ei ..read more

Getting to grips with the different features and processes of payroll is an important step for small business owners. If you have multiple employees to juggle, payroll can get confusing. Assigning payroll numbers to each employee can help to make the process easier. Payroll numbers are a unique reference number used by UK businesses to keep track of and identify individual employees within their payroll system. Payroll numbers form a key part of overall payroll management, and in this article we’ll take a look at what they are, why you need them, and how they’re used. In this article, we'll co ..read more

May’s arrival brings the joy of two bank holidays for UK workers and with it, a taste of a three-day weekend. For those looking to enjoy this perk all year-round, it’s time to apply for a job at a company with a four-day week. The four-day week (where employees work one day less per week but earn the same salary and benefits) has become one of the most sought-after benefits in today’s workforce. After successful trials revealed significant business benefits, more vacancies with a four-day work schedule are opening up as employers get on board the trend. In fact, a Startups survey recently unco ..read more