Kingsway Project - New Town Birmingham

1. How to get your emails under control. Still ploughing through your post-festive break emails? Or are you an inbox-zero type who has already dealt with the deluge? For those still catching up, here are some tips on handling an overwhelming inbox and some tricks that will come in handy next time you return from a break. [MORE]

2. Year 2020 was better than you think. For many, 2020 was a disastrous year, but it wasn’t all bad. Here are several achievements to celebrate. [1] The ozone hole over Antarctica closed; [2] Germany is changing 62 military bases into nature reserves; [3] Whales came back to the Atlantic Ocean after more than 100 years; [4] Britain reported the smallest number of people that became infected with HIV in history; and [5] the vaccine against Covid-19 became the fastest developed vaccine in history. Sir David Attenborough

3. Firms bend lockdown rules. Companies have been accused of putting workers’ lives at risk by bending lockdown rules. The Observer says the “irresponsible firms” exploit looser regulations to bring thousands of non-essential workers into busy workplaces. No enforcement notices have been served on companies by Health and Safety Executive inspectors for Covid safety breaches since the country went into the latest lockdown despite them being contacted 2,945 times. Metro

4. Fake commutes have real benefits. It can be a walk around the block. It can be a stop at your local coffee pickup counter or your favourite drive-thru. Many workers have replaced their pre-coronavirus commutes with allotted time around work shifts where they break away from what can be the monotony of working from home, also known as the pretend or "fake commute." Personally, I miss having a clear dividing line in my weekday. Researchers recommend this practice as a means to fend off burnout. WSJ

5. Economy to ‘get worse before better’. The chancellor warned that he expects the UK economy to “get worse before it gets better”, with the latest lockdown slowing chances of economic recovery. His economic update came as the Federation of Small Businesses warned that one in five firms had cut staff in the previous quarter and 5% expect to close in the next year, equating to around 250,000 companies. Its survey of small businesses found that confidence is at its lowest level since the coronavirus lockdown in March of last year, due to the pressures of Covid-19 and Brexit. CityAM

6. Dream team conquers K2 in winter. Here's a story to lift the spirits. Ten Nepali climbers have claimed the greatest prize left in mountaineering: the first winter ascent of K2. Their conquest of one of the world's highest peaks, known as the savage mountain, comes after six winter failures since the 1980s and is a remarkable achievement. BBC

7. Doing good boosts emotions. Voluntary work doesn’t just do good for the recipients, but can also give the volunteer a boost, research shows. A UK study found that 68% of people helping out schools with a range of activities, from mentoring to mock interviews, gave them greater motivation in their own work. Eight in 10 of the volunteers also felt they improved their own communication skills. Many people on our 10/10 programme have shared their own experiences, whether delivering a neighbour's shopping or offering a friendly phone call to combat loneliness. People Management 

8. Furlough struggle for working mums. More than 70% of working mothers who asked to be furloughed after schools closed had their requests refused, according to a TUC survey. The results also showed almost half of women were worried that childcare responsibilities could result in negative treatment at work, and 90% said they felt more stressed or anxious during the latest lockdown. The TUC general secretary said that mothers are “shouldering the majority of childcare” and that it is “not sustainable” for parents to work as normal while looking after children and supervising school-work. The Guardian

9. Bosses get a new job description. The working world has undergone a dramatic shift amid the pandemic, with remote work and organizational changes accelerating a new trend in management. As bosses continue to oversee increasing numbers of employees and their traditional tasks get overtaken by automation, experts predict managers’ roles will shift from that of an authoritarian figure to a nurturing mentor. That means providing more emotional support for employees and helping them navigate organisations, requiring bosses to become “social-emotional experts” in order to gain trust, boost engagement and foster collaboration. WSJ

10. The bottom line. Britain’s gyms, swimming pools and leisure facilities, which have had to close during the current lockdown, are losing £90m a week, according to campaign group ukactive. January is usually a busy month for the sector as people seek to stick to their New Year resolutions. Daily Mail