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Biggest issue we have in my industry is the speed of minimum wage increases. We supply casual working staff at minimum wage. With that increasing the speed it has been we have no option but to pass this on to clients, meaning huge increase in cost. This also impacts managerial staff etc as the gap between pay rapidly decreases causing issues with retention.

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We have seen a turbulent few months with the order board busy in December so we recruited. By the time we came back in Jan we no longer had the work so we put recruitment on hold. Then the company decided to restructure to two shifts because of cost this put 60 jobs at risk. 4 weeks later we have work from India most likely impacted by the cost of the plant and the world tensions currently. With this restructure people left the business we are now in the position of needing to recruit into these positions to stay on 3 shifts.

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Main issues at the moment are conflicting priorities across projects.

There is also a clear dispersion between communications at a senior level between internal and external stakeholders and what is communicated at a working level.

Burn out is also a very real risk as we continue to ask our engineering teams to deliver more with less resource available.

Lack of breadth of experience is also a challenge.

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Current issues in the business I work in:

1). Increasing fixed costs and instable energy markets.

2). Heavy reliance on fossil based energies and single use plastic with little to no recycling versus the business sustainability targets

3). Unstable pipeline - 90% of new drugs fail to reach market. We need to be flexible and reactive to changes.

4). Skill shortage / recent restructure in 2025 as a result of market downturn was followed by a site expansion and increase in manufacturing. Seeing the signs of burnout / stress related illness amongst existing staff.

5). Skill shortage / struggle to attract talent in some key roles and have an ever increasing aging workforce that will retire without passing on expertise.

6.) Need to constantly attract new business to keep future pipelines full and we need to be competitive with major UK Biopharma and oversees competitors but we are blind to their processes/pricing structure

7). Biopharma heavily regulated - can elongate and complicate even simple changes. Also we must keep abreast of changes to regulations and adapt to them.

9). So reactive and busy fire fighting we rarely get time to make improvements to legacy processes

10). Dealing with work life balance expectations that have changed since COVID - People want to work from home but we have noticed a drop in productivity and in some roles this is not feasible.

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I work in Higher Education and current issues include:

- Broken funding model (lack of government funding, drop in international students etc)

- Job cuts

- Affordability for students (fees, accommodation etc)

- Youth unemployment, fall in grad scheme places

- Prospect of a Reform government

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Lack of direction / long-term strategy, business model tunnel vision, i.e., only one way forward. Ongoing changes at the government level are causing uncertainties.

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Current issues in the world i exist in are

-shortage of skilled and experienced personnel to meet demands at peak. This coupled with cost conscious customers reducing event durations to make long term employment almost impossible.

-HR functions and alike cascading processes and procedures to meet a compliance to industry/client expectation as opposed to an operational need. This causes a paper blindness to the things we rely on.

-Greenwashing of the highest order

i could go on and on but i am already struggling to keep up with the day job

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Within the NHS Ambulance sector there is a huge emphasis on cost improvement as with the wider NHS. This creates challenges around sustainability and being able to meet the zero carbon plan.

As an ambulance service we heavily rely on vehicles which contribute to 80% of our carbon emissions through the use of fossil fuels. As of 2030 the NHS ambulance trusts will only be able to buy electric ambulances. Given the limitations of electric vehicles there is a significant capital investment required to, 1. Increase the fleet size to ensure the ability to function and meet response targets. 2. Investment in critical infrastructure to enable the vehicles to be charged.

Having the ability to prepare for the future, maintaining business as usual during the transition and also provide cost savings is a real challenge.

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I work with hospitality businesses, specifically pub businesses and there are a range of current challenges effecting them. Everything from societal changes meaning that people's drinking and socialising habits have changed, through to a myriad of business challenges from tax to utility costs.

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The NHS is undergoing restructuring, with staff consultations and potential job cuts, which is creating anxiety, low morale, and uncertainty across the workforce. Persistent staff shortages, recruitment freezes, and burnout continue to put strain on teams and weaken service resilience. At the same time, there is pressure to make substantial savings, while reliance on costly temporary staffing increases. These challenges not only affect the NHS staff but also the wider community, as there are reduced access to services, longer waiting times, and concerns about the sustainability of the healthcare system.

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Current issues:

1) Supply chains moving from globalised to nationalised after covid so better able to respond e.g. US pharma companies major investment within US only.

2) Threat of trade tariffs destabilises investment.

3) UK skills shortages in pharma and biosciences

4) Changing demographics in work place and adapting leadership styles to suit this

5) Rising competition in far east who can do things faster and cheaper - so is a threat to UK biopharmaceutical industry.

6) UK not now seen as attractive place to invest.

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There is increasing pressure across the NHS to prioritise financial cuts at the same level as quality and safety, often as a short‑term fix rather than a sustainable long‑term solution. With ongoing government changes, the NHS 10‑year plan may never be fully realised, creating uncertainty for strategic planning and investment.

Despite the North East being a region with significant deprivation and health inequalities, funding continues to be directed to external companies—often based in the South—because they can offer cheaper services. This approach diverts money away from developing the local workforce and supporting regional skill growth. By failing to invest in local people and services now, we risk exacerbating existing inequalities and increasing demand on the NHS in the next 25 years, rather than reducing it.

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Current Issues:

M&A Activity in Telecoms and Broadcast Media - poor integration, tech debt, inability to innovate

Chip availability and global supply chain issues

Disruption from new entrants to market in MVNO space (particularly FinTech (Monzo) / Utilities (Octopus)

Longer handset refresh cycles eating into a once highly lucrative profit margin

e-Waste

AI - of course!

Regulatory pressures resulting in customers having more power than ever before and margins being squeezed further

Social media addiction

Fraud / social engineering and enhanced methods from AI

New criminal MOs in the high street resulting in thefts and assaults

Starlink / Satellite development - ethical considerations of partnering with the Musk empire

FCA Thematic Reviews pending!

Lack of economic activity in Gen Z population

Skill gaps and velocity

Tension between Government encouraging early career hiring and prefrontal cortex development for softer skills like self-awareness, which are seen as the human add to AI

Many more - lots covered by others (aging population, mental health issues, politics, geo-political climate, war and the need to re-industrialise, the USA just generally... climate change, and so on.)

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Societal Issues

-          Increase in mental health conditions, worsened by the covid pandemic (Recent studies indicate over 50% of students in HE have experienced a mental health issue).

-          Skill gaps, including digital skill gaps. Impacts the student transition to HE

-          Digital poverty – Students unable to afford essential equipment and resources

-          Inequality in various forms – Health inequality, degree awarding gap, gender and ethnicity pay gap, etc

-          Population changes, including an aging population and lowering birth rates – Lowering birth rates reduces the domestic pool of students entering Universities and an aging population puts more strain on essential services more generally.

Climate change and net zero ambitions – Requires significant investment and huge infrastructure changes.

Political issues – E.g. Brexit, changes to VISA regulations, reduced HE funding, frozen tuition fees, etc.

Freedom of speech, activism, protests, etc.

Cyber security and data protection

Rise in disruptive technology. E.g. AI, RPA, etc – Institutions are grappling with the use of AI amongst students, including issues such as academic misconduct. In addition to creating efficiencies through change programmes and re-structures.

Global uncertainty and geopolitical tensions are having a huge impact on global markets and risk management. Including issues like global tariffs, unstable international bodies and current/ potential regional and global conflict.

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Government impact on funding - unstable politically means unstable employers = less willing to invest in staff long term.

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Reskilling for AI - "If the world’s workforce was made up of 100 people, 59 would need training by 2030"

"AI and big data top the list of fastest-growing skills, followed closely by networks and cybersecurity as well as technology literacy. Complementing these technology-related skills, creative thinking, resilience, flexibility and agility, along with curiosity and lifelong learning, are also expected to continue to rise in importance over the 2025-2030 period"

"Clerical and Secretarial Workers are expected to see the largest decline in absolute numbers"

"Frontline job roles are predicted to see the largest growth in absolute terms include Farmworkers, Delivery Drivers, Construction Workers, Salespersons, and Food Processing Workers. Care economy jobs, such as Nursing Professionals, Social Work and Counselling Professionals and Personal Care Aides"

https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_Report_2025.pdf

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De-globalisation, a national pursuit of sovereignty?

Global trends will likely impact all sectors and countries, increased focus in sovereignty and defence is likely to have impact on UK based organisations dependent on global supply chains.

Grow more of our own food?

Cost increases?

Removing dependencies on other nations and the data and technology they provide us?

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Social Care and Delayed Hospital Discharges

There is a lack of social care provision within the community, including shortages in nursing home placements, residential care facilities, and domiciliary care for patients who require support in their own homes. Insufficient funding within the social care sector further limits capacity.

As a result, patients who are medically fit for discharge remain in hospital longer than necessary. This delays patient flow, reduces bed availability, and increases pressure on Emergency Departments (ED), exacerbating system-wide demand and capacity challenges.

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Health Inequalities

Barriers to accessing GP appointments mean that some patients are not seeking care when needed. In addition, personal, financial, and wider societal pressures disproportionately affect individuals living in deprived areas, resulting in inequitable access to appropriate care.

Demand for mental health services has also increased significantly, affecting both patients and healthcare staff. However, the availability of community-based mental health support remains limited, further exacerbating existing inequalities.

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Waiting Lists and System Pressures

Delays in patients accessing GP appointments are increasing pressure across the system. In addition, GP services are commissioned to deliver a limited range of services, which can shift further demand onto acute hospital services. As a result, Emergency Department (ED) demand continues to rise, reducing overall system capacity.

Patients are therefore waiting longer for initial appointments, and many individuals requiring routine procedures are now waiting over a year for treatment!

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Workforce Shortages and Staffing Pressures in the NHS

Limited budget availability restricts the NHS’s ability to increase staffing numbers. As demand for services continues to rise, workload pressures intensify. This contributes to higher levels of sickness absence and work-related stress, leading to staff burnout and an increasing reliance on the goodwill of existing employees.

This creates a continuous and unsustainable cycle.

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As our TOM gathers pace, how we can further support the department effectively? We've already implemented lots of digital solutions but looking for more ways that help being mindful of these been beneficial changes. We also need to consider how to move staff along who are resistant to technology changes.

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Move of internal combustion engines to battery power. Government mandates in place but technology and infrastructure is not pulling consumers into the change.

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What to do with “ AI”. Execs want it but don’t know how to deploy it. Will it generate the business rate of return promised

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Minimum wage reducing pay gap in lower level roles creating a “why do I bother” attitude.

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Change of business model creating uncertainty in the business

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Shareprice performance not reflecting business results

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Political cycles disrupt long-term planning.

Direction changes every few years, which stops consistency and causes an unnecessary change in direction.

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Digital transformation

Staff are overwhelmed by constant change, restructures, and new tools. Gap in skills reducing in some cases, impact on the services desk and may impact delivery to residence

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Public expectations.

Residents want 24/7 digital access, instant answers, similar to Amazon, without the resources and budget to deliver, which causes tension.

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Town centres are empty.

Remote work reduces footfall in Middlesbrough and town centres, hurting local economies and services. Impact shopping to food reduction in sales

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Managers stuck between exec demands & staff expectations.

Post‑COVID cultures created impossible tensions. I feel stuck between Senior Management directives, balancing staff engagement. Impact on retaining staff.

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Accountability in remote roles.

Some staff have stretched WFH into low-effort, low-visibility, and low-productivity.

Others overwork

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WFH seen as expected, not a privilege. Employees expect permanent flexibility after COVID, even in roles where it doesn’t fit.n i.e. Servicce Desk - ICT