Read our insights, reports and more

Right now the hot topic most people are considering is ‘where’ staff are going to work, after more than a year of remote working it is no wonder it is at the fore. However, with the recent news that in the US, UK, and Ireland investment is being made to trial the benefits of the four day working week, is the ‘when’ people work getting the required attention in organisational planning and should it?

Reported frauds relating to online sales are 42% higher during the pandemic, compared to the preceding year (i.e. 2019), with the increased demand for online shopping providing fraudsters with greater opportunities to illegally obtain online shoppers’ personal and financial details.

Every business needs to keep moving forward. That includes being responsive to customer needs and adapting to a digital world. As new technology emerges, customer expectation has grown to include digital access to goods and services, on a round-the-clock basis.

There has been a lot written about the 10x economy in the last few weeks, with the usual mix of cheerleaders and naysayers that any attempt to present a new plan brings. I have written many economic strategies over the past 15 or so years so I know they are not easy to do. There is a constant challenge to try and deliver something unique when, deep down, we all know the economic weak spots are so obvious and ingrained that a rollover would do just as well.

One of the big topics for business leaders at the moment is how to embrace remote working post the pandemic, whilst at the same time maintaining their competitiveness and productivity. I was therefore delighted to see a publication from the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) in the Republic of Ireland on this very topic, within the past couple of weeks. Many of the points raised are equally applicable to Northern Ireland as well.

The outbreak of COVID-19 and the economic lockdowns that followed brought obvious difficulties – not just for our people, but for employees and organisations throughout the world.

I prefer to shop locally, and with three children who seem to get taller every night, the reopening of shops last week was a big relief (to them at least). We sat out the immediate rush on the Friday thinking the bank holiday Monday would be a bit quieter.

We are no longer working from home, rather living at work. Or, as a colleague recently said, “The weekend now feels like a two-day lunch break”. The novelty of remote working is on the ebb, and the numbers of ‘Zoombies’ on the rise as the ‘dark side’ of home working has been revealed. Employees are suffering from digital fatigue and blurred work-life boundaries.

In this webinar Mike Harris, Roslyn Lee Symmons and Sinead O’Neill from Grant Thornton’s Forensic & Cyber team walk through the Playbook and provide some useful information to help organisations either introduce, adapt or accelerate FRM programs.

Read our latest article on WeLearn by Grant Thornton

See our latest article Staying connected while working apart

At Grant Thornton NI, we provide support, advice and debt solutions to high street banks, private equity funds, directors, sole traders and government agencies to devise workable solutions that maximise value and deliver a sustainable recovery.

With the increased shift in organisational focus towards new technologies, we must be sure to not forget about our most important asset, which is our people.

The latest global survey findings from our International Business Report (IBR) shows that despite the rise of automation and record global business optimism (net 58%) businesses will turn to people in 2018 to meet swelling order books.

Our ‘Unlock Northern Ireland’ service can provide expert advice and insight to support you every step of the way.

During 2016, Grant Thornton undertook research to understand the role of the System Operator for Northern Ireland (SONI) within both the electricity market and the economy of the region.