Sitting out Black Friday

The 1-minute read to get the money news you need.

Black Friday deals

Several high street names are choosing to opt out of the Black Friday sales phenomenon. Although research by Lloyds bank suggests that two thirds of customers have delayed purchases in the hopes of bagging a deal, Next, M&S, Wilko and B&M have all said they will not take part. The commercial event has typically been used by companies to boost their pre Christmas sales, but the actual benefit for consumers has been debated.

Toxic management

A committee of MPs has found that Britain’s handling of its nuclear waste facilities is a “sorry saga” of incompetence and failure. The body with oversight for the sites, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, was found to have poor knowledge of the state and safety of the sites it manages, which has led to spiralling costs of decommissioning. The UK has a poor track record here: a previous group responsible for decommissioning the Sellafield nuclear plant came under fire after its executive expense claims included a £714 bill for a “cat in a taxi”.

Last orders before Brexit

With five weeks to go before the Brexit transition period reaches its end, businesses are racing to stockpile products imported from the continent. This has been driven by the ongoing uncertainty about what will happen when the temporary trading rules with Europe come to an end. The last minute dash has sent logistics prices soaring as customs services try to keep up with the demand.

Can’t escape the boss

Privacy experts are unimpressed with Microsoft’s new “productivity score” feature, which allows managers to monitor their employees working from home. The score tracks a number of activities such as sending emails, turning on your camera during video calls or contributing to group chats. Research has found that 16% of employers use similar tools to track their employees remotely, and as companies adapt to a future in which more people work from home, that number looks set to rise.