UK House Prices Head For Yet Another Flat Year
I don't always pay a huge amount of attention to the Rightmove index of UK house prices.
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Forbes
34 minutes ago
- Forbes
New Study: Switching To 4 Day Workweek Reduces Burnout
Companies that switched to a 4 day workweek, with no reduction in pay, saw major improvements in their workers' well-being, according to a new study published in Nature Human Behaviour earlier this month. Led by Boston College sociologists Wen Fan and Juliet Schor, the study was the largest of its kind, involving 2,896 employees across 141 organizations in the US, the UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. 'When workers want to deliver the same productivity, they might work very rapidly to get the job done, and their well-being might actually worsen,' Fan told Nature. 'But that's not what we found.' Compared to a control group of 300 workers at 12 companies that kept a traditional 5-day workweek, the firms that switched to a 4-day workweek instead showed 'improvements in burnout, job satisfaction, mental health and physical health.' Moreover, the individual workers themselves reported gains in work ability as well as 'reduced sleep problems and decreased fatigue.' Based on the study's results, the authors concluded that 'income-preserving 4-day workweeks are an effective organizational intervention for enhancing workers' well-being.' Before the participating companies began their six-month trial period of reduced work hours, the businesses were given approximately eight weeks to streamline their organizational processes and restructure workflow. So to maintain their productivity, many companies participating in the study eliminated superfluous meetings and other time-wasting, if deeply ingrained, activities. Notably, 90% of the companies that participated in the study ultimately decided to keep their 4-day workweeks, strongly implying that the benefits of a shortened workweek outweighed any potential downsides or losses in productivity. The findings in Nature Human Behaviour are largely consistent with previous trials and pilot programs conducted at other companies around the world. Combined, these studies could even provide some empirical evidence for the oft-cited Parkinson's Law: 'Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.' Given these promising results, policymakers have started to take notice. Last year, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act (S. 3947). True to its name, the bill would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to reduce the standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours, with no corresponding loss in pay. If enacted, the bill would have marked the first reduction in the federal workweek since 1940, when it was lowered from 44 hours to 40 hours. 'Moving to a 32-hour workweek with no loss of pay is not a radical idea,' Sen. Sanders said in a statement when he released the bill. 'The financial gains from the major advancements in artificial intelligence, automation, and new technology must benefit the working class, not just corporate CEOs and wealthy stockholders on Wall Street. It is time to reduce the stress level in our country and allow Americans to enjoy a better quality of life. It is time for a 32-hour workweek with no loss in pay.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Even High Earners Mess Up: Their Most Expensive Money Mistakes Revealed
Everyone makes money mistakes, and if you learn from enough people, you can avoid common pitfalls on the path to wealth. Financial blunders aren't limited to people who don't have enough money to cover their expenses. Many high earners have also made mistakes with their money, and many of them turned to Reddit to share things they did wrong. "Two high growth years of compound interest lost because I wasn't paying attention to my accounts," one high earner said. These are some of the other expensive money mistakes that came up. Don't Miss: Accredited Investors: Grab Pre-IPO Shares of the AI Company Powering Hasbro, Sephora & MGM— $100k+ in investable assets? – no cost, no obligation. Thinking You Can Beat The Market Many Redditors regret trying to beat the market. One of the top comments came from someone who said they used to buy individual stocks but now stick with ETFs. While it's possible to beat the stock market, ETFs make it easier to achieve market returns. A fund manager handles everything for you, and you only have to pay a small expense ratio. Investors can choose from many ETFs that track popular benchmarks like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite. You can save time and generate higher returns with an ETF. Many high earners mentioned this money mistake, but individual stocks weren't the only culprit. Options trading, special purpose acquisition companies, and angel investing are some of the ways people have tried to beat the market. Several high earners regretted dabbling in those areas. Trending: 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. You can Divorces Are Costly Divorces came up a lot in this Reddit thread. Some people were grateful that their spouse was able to communicate how they wanted to divvy up assets without getting lawyers involved. However, others mentioned that both spouses were paying lawyers $500 per hour because they couldn't have a conversation about it. Marriage is a wonderful thing if you find the right partner. These divorce stories shouldn't deter people from seeking marriage, but they should make them extra careful about who they marry. Knowing the financial devastation that can take place if you choose the wrong partner is healthy. It may also be beneficial to sign a prenuptial agreement before getting married. That way, there is a clear framework for what happens in the worst-case scenario. Very few people marry with the intent of getting divorced, but people can change a lot in a few years. That's why a prenuptial agreement can be Taking Money Seriously Right Away One of the most common money mistakes that came up was people who regretted not taking money seriously earlier. A few high earners lamented about not taking money seriously until their late 20s. Other people commented by saying they didn't take money seriously until their 30s and 40s. Compound growth is one of the best resources for people who want to build long-term wealth and retire on big nest eggs. Your portfolio can compound over time and eventually outpace your salary. For instance, a $5 million portfolio with a 4% yield brings in $200,000 per year. That's more than what most people make. A $5 million portfolio doesn't come overnight. It takes many years of diligently saving and investing money. Many high earners encouraged people to start investing now instead of putting it off. Read Next: Here's what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy. Image: Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Even High Earners Mess Up: Their Most Expensive Money Mistakes Revealed originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Food inflation will rise to 6% by the end of the year, industry predicts
Food inflation will rise to 6% by the end of the year in a 'significant challenge' to household budgets in the run-up to Christmas, industry leaders have predicted. Retailers warned of rising prices and job losses if the Chancellor hiked taxes in the next budget, with two thirds of chief financial officers expecting further price rises, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said. Some 56% of retail finance chiefs – representing more than 9,000 stores – are 'pessimistic' about trading conditions over the next 12 months, a survey by the BRC found. Some 85% said their businesses had been forced to raise prices as a consequence of the last budget's raising of employer national insurance and the national living wage, while two thirds (65%) predicted further rises in the coming year. The BRC, whose figures now put food inflation at 4%, said prices would reach 6% higher year on year by Christmas. It said: 'This will pose significant challenges to household budgets, particularly in the run-up to Christmas.' Other than cost increases, 42% of chief financial officers said they had frozen recruitment, while 38% said they had reduced job numbers in-store. This was reflected in the official job figures, with almost 100,000 fewer retail jobs in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the previous year, the BRC said. More than a third of CFOs (38%) said they had cut investment in local communities, while 15% had already delayed opening new stores. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: 'Retail was squarely in the firing line of the last budget, with the industry hit by £7 billion in new costs and taxes. 'Retailers have done everything they can to shield their customers from higher costs, but given their slim margins and the rising cost of employing staff, price rises were inevitable. 'The consequences are now being felt by households as many struggle to cope with the rising cost of their weekly shop. It is up to the Chancellor to decide whether to fan the flames of inflation, or to support the everyday economy by backing the high street and the local jobs they provide.' In January, the BRC predicted that food prices would rise by an average of 4.2% in the latter half of the year as retailers battled increased costs from the budget. At the time, Ms Dickinson said modelling by the trade association and industry chiefs suggested there was 'little hope of prices going anywhere but up' as retailers faced higher national insurance (NI), national living wage and new packaging costs. Last week, market research firm Worldpanel by Numerator, formerly Kantar, reported UK grocery prices had increased at their fastest pace for 18 months amid growing concern from shoppers about the rising cost of living. Grocery price inflation accelerated to 5.2% in the four weeks to July 13, up from 4.7% a month earlier and the highest level since January 2024. The data indicated that rising prices are set to add an average of £275 to shoppers' annual grocery spending.
