PwC to allow employees to start and leave whenever they like

Apr 1 2021

PriceWaterhouseCooper is implementing a revision of the traditional work week by allowing its employees to work from home, start and/or leave whenever they like. The change follows the pandemic’s effect on businesses and the accounting company wants to offer its workers much more freedom over their working patterns. Chairman Kevin Ellis said that this flexibility should become the norm rather than the exception, making employees feel trusted and empowered.

This post-pandemic strategy aims to retain a mix of working from home and office, as ‘without conscious planning now there’s a risk we lose the best bits of these new ways of working when the economy opens up again’ stated Ellis.

#MaltaDaily

Child abuse reports increase since school closure

Apr 1 2021

Child Protective Services used to receive a median of 100 reports of child abuse every month before the pandemic. These numbers however increased to 140 ever since schools closed down due to lockdown. Steve Libreri, the Manager of Foundation for Social Welfare Services, stated that the increases surprised him as reports usually came from schools.

The reports seem to consist all manners of abuse such as verbal, physical and even sexual abuse. The reports also seem to come mainly from adults who notice the abuse, but in certain isolated cases it is the children themselves who report the abuse. Libreri stated that there is a degree of hope as the agency Sedqa does hold courses for children in order for them to realise what constitutes abuse.

#MaltaDaily

New Zealand raises minimum wage and taxes on rich

Apr 1 2021

New Zealand has decided to raise the minimum wage of workers to $20 per hour whilst also increasing tax rates for the country’s richest to 39%. Being implemented Thursday, the changes will also see increases to unemployment and sickness benefits with the minimum wage increase affecting up to 175,500 workers and increasing wages across the economy by $216m.

Any New Zealander earning more than $180,000 yearly will have taxes raised up by 2%. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stated that these changes represent ‘real and long-overdue improvements to the support we provide our most vulnerable.’ New Zealand’s previous minimum wage as of 2019 was already among the top five highest globally.

#MaltaDaily

You can now order your alcohol via drones with Booze Wagon’s new service

Apr 1 2021

For those of you who are unfamiliar, Booze Wagon is a game-changing alcohol delivery service operating via Wolt and Bolt who have been delivering drinks to people’s doors since 2020 and this year, they’re looking to take it one step further.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Booze Wagon Malta (@boozewagonmalta)

Founders Tom Bonello Ghio and Mark Bartolo Parnis have announced that Booze Wagon will now be providing delivery service via drone in order to increase convenience, going on to highlight how all drones will be operated by solar panels to reduce emissions.

The Future.

Posted by Booze Wagon Malta on Thursday, 1 April 2021

What makes it even better is that delivery casts will vary according to prevailing winds, which means if the wind is ‘Majjistral’, delivery towards the south will be cheaper.

If you’ve ever been on a boat, or on a date and caught without alcohol, this one’s for you.

#MaltaDaily