Across our professional careers, many of us will come into contact with a difficult colleague or hard-to-please superior. But what happens when difficult behaviour crosses over into bullying at work? What effect does this have, not only on our wellbeing, but on our workplace as a whole?

Evidence suggests that bullying may be on the rise in the UK. A 2025 survey of British workers conducted by ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) found that 44% of respondents had experienced conflict at work in the last 12 months. And on the global stage, the resurgence of ‘strong man’ leadership has reignited a debate: does bullying behaviour get you what you want?

Evan and the panel look at what workplace bullying is, when and why bullying can occur, and the steps individuals and organisations can take to tackle this behaviour in the workplace.

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The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

The UK’s private rental market has grown dramatically over recent decades, creating what often feels like a tale of two nations: ‘Generation Rent’ who are priced out of home ownership and unable to access social housing; and buy-to-let investors who view property as a reliable income stream or pension plan.

Rising rents, poor conditions and fierce competition for homes have fuelled frustration with landlords, prompting political efforts to strengthen protections for tenants and increase tax pressure on property owners.

Now the sector is facing a turning point – with large institutional investors, backed by pension funds, for example, playing an increasing role. Evan Davis and guests discuss the state of the UK rental market and where it might be heading.

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The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

Everyone wants to get the best price they can when they buy, whether that’s a product, a service or an experience. But the ‘best price’ can look different for different people, and at different times.

Surge pricing, tiered prices, off-peak discounts, time-of-use pricing- technology has enabled more industries to employ dynamic pricing to get the best prices for their products by altering them depending on a range of sophisticated considerations.

But this has made pricing less predictable and left customers feeling like the prices are often stacked against them; most notably after the Oasis reunion tour ticket sales in 2024.

Is dynamic pricing really as bad as we all think? Evan and guests look at the psychology behind consumer perceptions of dynamic pricing, and ask how different industries can utilise the pricing model to benefit themselves and their customers.

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The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

From headline deals like Vodafone-Three or home builder, Barratt buying rival, Redrow, corporate mergers and takeovers are on the rise. Evan Davis and guests take a fresh look at what happens when companies combine. They discuss why deal-making is growing, why execs turn to M&A, what can go wrong and whether mergers deliver growth or simply disguise deeper problems.

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The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

In the years after the COVID pandemic we are travelling more and expecting more from our journeys. Travel is increasingly viewed as an end-to-end experience that begins before you even set foot on board your flight. As people look to inject luxury into their travel, airport lounge usage has boomed.

But lounges’ rise in popularity has created a unique problem for their operators: how do you grow your customer base whilst maintaining a degree of exclusivity?

Evan Davis speaks to industry operators and experts about balancing the scales.

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The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

Right now, Artificial Intelligence feels unstoppable. Investors are piling in, expectations are sky-high and claims about a radically different future are everywhere. To anyone who remembers the late 1990s, it all feels strikingly familiar.

Back then, the internet sparked the dotcom boom - a frenzy of big ideas, easy money and soaring valuations. When the bubble burst in 2000, billions were lost and companies wiped out. Yet the core idea proved right - the internet did transform lives, just more slowly and messily than expected. And there are important lessons to be learned.

Evan Davis talks to Ernst Malmsten, co-founder and CEO of boo.com, one of the most high-profile startups of the dotcom era. From his frontline seat in the boom and bust, he shares what really happened and what today’s AI moment can learn from it.

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The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University.

Every country likes to think it’s world-class at something. The Italians claim style, the Germans have their engineering and the Americans have Silicon Valley - and swagger. So, what about us? What’s Britain’s superpower? It’s a serious question. If we know what the UK is good at, we can play to our strengths and build an economy that pays for the things we all rely on – like hospitals, homes and schools. Evan Davis and guests discuss what Britain does well across culture, innovation and capital. And asks what works, what doesn’t and why it matters.

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The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University.

Frustrated by the lack of sophisticated non-alcoholic drink options, Ben Branson began experimenting in his kitchen, distilling herbs from his garden to create an alcohol-free spirit. Seedlip launched in 2015 and rapidly scaled. In just three and a half years, he took the company from a hobby to a global brand, sold in 35 countries and 30 US states, before selling the business to the drinks giant, Diageo. Ben tells Evan Davis how before all that, he’d tried his hand at a variety of jobs, some of them quite bizarre.

Margaret Heffernan didn’t start out in business. Until her mid-30s, she was enjoying a successful career at the BBC, producing and directing TV dramas and documentaries. But she was always curious about a career in the corporate world. She decided to take the plunge and took on roles in the US. It was as CEO of a tech firm when Margaret discovered she was being paid 50% less than her male counterparts that she faced one of her biggest decisions. As she explains to Evan Davis, should she speak out and risk the consequences or put up and shut up?

(Image: Margaret Heffernan. Credit: mheffernan.com)

When Joey Gonzalez took his first class at Barry’s, West Hollywood, he says “it was love at first sweat”. The music, night-club vibe and high-intensity workout was life-changing.

Joey was convinced he could expand the fitness brand beyond Los Angeles. So, he worked his way up through the company, starting as an instructor and becoming CEO in 2015 - creating Barry’s studios across the US and around the world. And even now, as Executive Chairman, Joey still leads a workout. He tells Evan Davis why his background in musical theatre and performing arts is ideal for being a Barry’s “entertrainer”.

(Image: Joey Gonzalez. Credit: Barry's)