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UK Edition
2nd March 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

Soaring numbers of jobless young women 'costing economy billions'

Rising female unemployment, particularly among young women, is hindering the UK jobs market and costing the economy £11bn, according to the PwC Women in Work Index. The report highlights a surge in young women classified as Neet (not in employment, education or training), with rates rising to 11.8% in 2024 from 9.5% the year before. Carol Stubbings, UK and EMEA managing partner at PwC, said: “Rising female unemployment, especially among young women, points to underlying weaknesses in our labour market at a time when AI is reshaping the economy and the skills needed . . . Reducing the number of young women who are Neet is not only a social imperative – it is an economic one, with billions in potential gross domestic product at stake.”
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STRATEGY

OpenAI expands London research hub

San Francisco headquartered artificial intelligence company OpenAI is to make London its largest research hub outside the United States. The London operation currently employs around 30 researchers. Mark Chen, OpenAI's Chief Research Officer, said: “We are excited to establish London as a major research hub for OpenAI, building on the leading work our London team is already doing to support our latest breakthroughs.” The company cited the UK's “unique concentration of world-class talent across machine learning and the sciences as well as its strong culture of cross-disciplinary collaboration” as key reasons for its expansion in the capital.
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DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

New rules could track business founders' gender

New proposals from a cross-party group of MPs could require banks and investors to report the gender of business founders they finance. The all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on women and work, chaired by Baroness Karren Brady, highlighted that only 2% of equity funding went to female entrepreneurs in 2024. Sarah Russell, co-chair of the APPG, said: "If women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men, the UK economy could see up to £250bn in new value." The government is considering interventions to improve funding for women-led businesses.
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LEGAL

Disabled supermarket manager awarded £32,000 after tribunal ruling

Ricky Taylor, a supermarket manager at Sainsbury’s in St Albans, has been awarded £32,320 after an employment tribunal found the company failed to make reasonable adjustments for his disability and constructively dismissed him. Taylor, who has ankylosing spondylitis, was expected to work about 10 hours of unpaid overtime weekly after his promotion in 2022, which worsened pain and fatigue. He failed his probation and later resigned before bringing a claim. The tribunal concluded adjusted shift hours were a reasonable accommodation and criticised disciplinary action related to disability-linked absences, ruling this amounted to discrimination and unfair dismissal.

Harrods faces legal challenge over cover charge

Harrods is facing legal action over a £1 cover charge added to diners' bills which is not distributed to staff. The case, involving 29 workers supported by the United Voices of the World (UVW) union, challenges the legality of the charge under the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023. The law mandates that all tips and service charges must be fairly allocated to workers. Alice Howick, a former waiter, said: "Harrods introduced this cover charge out of nowhere and without any transparency." Harrods maintains that the cover charge is separate from the service charge.

Worker wins unfair dismissal case after killing injured deer

Anthony Brown, a forklift driver at AB Agri, has won an unfair dismissal case after he was fired for the "mercy killing" of an injured deer on site. The tribunal found that Brown acted rationally to alleviate the animal's suffering. Despite AB Agri's claims that his actions were illegal and "barbaric," the judge noted that the company failed to provide evidence of any wrongdoing under the Deer Act 1991. Brown, who has experience in humane animal killing, is now set to receive compensation. The tribunal said: "[Brown] is a man who cares very deeply about the humane treatment of animals."
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INTERNATIONAL

Block cuts 4,000 jobs amid AI workplace shift

US fintech company Block has announced it will lay off over 4,000 workers, or nearly half of its workforce, as artificial intelligence transforms operational dynamics. Jack Dorsey, co-founder and head of Block, emphasized that the layoffs are not due to financial issues but rather a shift in how companies operate. “We're already seeing that the intelligence tools we're creating and using . . . are enabling a new way of working,” he said. Dorsey said he opted for immediate cuts to avoid prolonged uncertainty, explaining: “Repeated rounds of cuts are destructive to morale.” Block aims to complete the workforce reduction by the end of the second quarter of fiscal year 2026. Dorsey plans to address employees directly in a live session, keeping communication channels open for farewells.

Milan prosecutors move against Deliveroo

Prosecutors in Milan have placed the Italian unit of food delivery platform Deliveroo under judicial supervision and its chief executive under investigation for alleged exploitation of workers, according to documents seen by Reuters.  The prosecutors have appointed a judicial administrator to oversee the company to "regularise" its workers and to monitor compliance with labour rules and conditions. The UK-based business was acquired last year by US meal delivery company DoorDash for about £2.9bn ($3.92bn).

UAE tech giant G42 launches AI agent recruitment

G42, the Abu Dhabi-based technology firm, has announced the recruitment of AI agents for enterprise roles. The application process is open for agents that can deliver measurable value within approved infrastructure. Successful candidates will undergo a probationary phase to assess their performance. Maymee Kurian, group chief augmented human capital officer at G42, said: “The future of work is being shaped by how intelligently we design the relationship between human talent and intelligent systems. This initiative is not about deploying AI for incremental gains, but about rethinking enterprise workforce design for the AI era. By welcoming AI agents into structured roles, we are augmenting execution capacity while allowing our people to focus on leadership, innovation, and strategic outcomes.”

Malta launches social dialogue on work-life balance reforms

The Maltese government has initiated a social dialogue to reform work-life balance, focusing on maternity, paternity, and parental leave, as well as remote working. Parliamentary Secretary Andy Ellul said that discussions aim to strengthen existing measures to support families while ensuring economic sustainability. A key topic is the potential equalisation of maternity and paternity leave. Ellul also highlighted the importance of remote working arrangements and the right to disconnect. A Technical Committee on Work-Life Balance, chaired by Ingrid Baldacchino, will gather insights and propose recommendations for public consultation before finalising reforms.
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OTHER

Labour considers social media curfews for children

Children could face mandatory night-time social media curfews under plans being explored by Labour, alongside possible age bans and tighter controls on online platforms. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall will launch a consultation examining measures such as switching off addictive features like autoplay and infinite scrolling overnight, strengthening age verification, and restricting access to AI chatbots and gaming services. The proposals follow a House of Lords amendment to the Children’s Bill calling for an Australian-style ban on under-16s using social media, which ministers are expected to challenge in the Commons. The government also plans pilot schemes with families to test restrictions in practice. Separately, peers are proposing requirements for new devices to include tamper-proof software blocking child sexual abuse material.
 
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