BBC News
By Dearbail Jordan & Lucy Hooker
Business reporter, BBC News
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So-called freedom day has finally dawned in England, and gone is the legal requirement to wear face masks to help stop the spread of Covid.
The government has said it expects and recommends people continue wearing a face covering in enclosed spaces.
But if businesses want customers or passengers to use a mask, it is now up to companies to get people to comply.
Or, more specifically, it will be their employees who will have to ask the public to wear a face covering.
Some businesses, such as Tesco and Sainsbury s, have said they will encourage shoppers to wear face coverings. Uber is making mask-wearing mandatory.
BBC News
By Lucy Hooker
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Employers will have to shoulder more of the costs of furlough from Thursday as the government starts to wind down its flagship job support scheme.
With about 1.5 million workers still on furlough, the change will affect thousands of firms across the country.
Staff will continue to receive 80% of their wages, but employers will pay part of that for the first time.
That could prompt layoffs, with older workers at greater risk of redundancy, according to one think tank.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies said the bill for employers keeping a member of staff on the scheme would rise from £155 per month currently, which covers costs such as National Insurance, to £322 in July and £489 in August and September.
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BBC News
By Lucy Hooker
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Monday sees another milestone in the reopening of the economy: people in most of the UK will be able to go to a bar or restaurant and eat indoors.
But some favourite haunts will no longer be there: over the last year, thousands of establishments have closed, latest surveys indicate.
Across Britain, there are 9.7% fewer restaurants to choose from, compared with before the pandemic.
And mid-market casual dining venues have fallen by 19.4%.
The data in the latest Market Recovery Monitor from CGA and AlixPartners suggests that while many pubs and bars have also struggled to survive the pandemic, it is restaurants that have fared worst.
BBC News
By Lucy Hooker
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For over a year anyone who has been able to, has been asked to do their job from home. And for many that has meant a whole catalogue of challenges from fitting work around home schooling to shooing the cat off your keyboard.
While there was money to be saved on bus fares, the heating bill has gone up.
And while the pressure was off to wash your hair, it s been lonely at times too.
So with many offices now gradually inviting staff back, we wanted to know how people are feeling about the return.