Thursday newspaper round-up: Unilever, high streets, Carillion, property funds
The boss of Unilever, one of the UK’s biggest companies, has said his office workers will never return to their desks five days a week, in the latest indication that coronavirus will transform modern working life. Alan Jope, the chief executive of the consumer goods group, said the company would also encourage all of its employees to receive vaccinations against Covid-19, but would stop short of making jabs mandatory. Employees who opt not to be vaccinated, however, will face mandatory testing. - Guardian
England’s high streets could lose up to 400,000 retail jobs as a result of more people working from home and shopping online after the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report, with affluent towns in the south among the most vulnerable. Out of the 109 towns and cities studied by the accountancy firm KPMG, Bracknell in the London commuter belt was judged to be most at risk of having the greatest declines in retail employment as a share of local economic activity. - Guardian
Eight former Carillion bosses could be banned from serving as directors for up to 15 years after ministers launched legal action over the contractor’s collapse in 2018. The outsourcer’s former chairman, two chief executives, two finance directors and three non-executives could be disqualified under proceedings brought by Kwasi Kwarteng, Business Secretary. - Telegraph
Property funds suffered £1.1 billion of outflows last year, despite many of the biggest suspending dealing for months as the pandemic took hold. Investors who had been prevented from withdrawing funds rushed for the exit later in the year, according to Calastone, a fund network. Outflows hit £315 million in October, the third-worst month on record, and fell to £263 million in November and £224 million in December. - The Times
The death of Sir David Barclay has opened the door to a sale of the Telegraph newspapers, City insiders believe. One analyst said that potential buyers would be exploring bids knowing that Sir David was more enthusiastic about the newspaper business than his brother. Another said that a recovery in the newspaper business would have suitors “dusting off their valuation models”. - The Times