From plumbers to electricians, plasterers to builders, most of us need to hire a trader at some point. But what's it like to work in the industry, and how has it been affected by changes such as Brexit, the pandemic and inflation? How should you go about finding a trader who is trustworthy and will deliver quality work?

In recent decades, going into a 'trade' has not been as strongly encouraged as to going to university, but tradespeople of all kinds are in short supply, so what is being done to encourage more young people to take up a trowel or pick up a drill?

Evan Davis and guests discuss.

CONTRIBUTORS

Chris Day - Electrician, Mayday Electrical Solutions Ltd.

Kalece Okusanya - Decorator - Suave Property Care

Will Davies - Co founder , Aspect Property Maintenance

Tim Balcon - CEO, Construction Industry Training Board

Peter Gordon - Listener

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer: Julie Ball

Many employers say they are desperate to get staff back into the office more often, but what's the best and fairest way to wean employees off remote working?

As companies from tech to banking grapple with this issue, Evan Davis and guests discuss the productivity pros and cons, the impact on company culture and career progression, and the future of the office space itself.

With many staff reluctant to give up the flexibility of remote working, is a hybrid model the answer to keeping them happy and how many office days each week should you go for? Plus, where do employees stand legally on return to the office requests, and what happens when workers simply refuse to comply?

Evan is joined by:

Kelly Beaver, CEO of Ipsos in the UK and Ireland;

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Producer: Simon Tulett

(Picture: A businessman staring out of the window of an empty conference room. Credit: Chris Ryan/Getty Images)

Is humour the most effective way to get your product noticed? If so, why does it seem that the use of comedy in advertising is in decline? Recent research by Kantar found that 90% of consumers were more likely to remember and purchase a brand if the advert made them smile. So why the downturn? Are multi-national brands looking for a one size fits all approach, or are brands frightened of offending potential customers? Evan Davis and guests discuss.

PRESENTER: Evan Davis

GUESTS

Rory Sutherland, VP, Ogilvy UK

Lucy Greeves, Author and Creative Strategist

Dom Dwight, Marketing Director, Taylors of Harrogate and Yorkshire Tea

ADVERT CLIP: Yorkshire Tea - Induction Training with Sean Bean

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer: Julie Ball

The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

England’s water companies are under fire – there’s public anger over sewage spills and leaks, and now regulators and government ministers are worried some of them are drowning in too much debt. So what’s gone wrong, and who will pay the price of fixing the industry?

On the face of it, running a water company seems like a licence to print money – there’s guaranteed revenue, and no competition – but there’s a lot of infrastructure to build and maintain, and strict targets that are getting even tougher and more expensive to hit as environmental concerns grow.

Many of England’s water firms have taken on very high levels of debt, but have they used it to invest, or pay off their shareholders? And does the regulator, Ofwat, have questions to answer for strangling spending on improvements in a bid to keep customer prices low?

Evan Davis is joined by:

Nicola Shaw, CEO, Yorkshire Water;

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Producer: Simon Tulett

Produced in partnership with The Open University.

From The Office and Succession to The Apprentice and Dragons' Den, does the portrayal of business on television inspire or is it a total turn off to budding entrepreneurs? And how challenging is it to create great drama from the world of business? Is 'greed, for lack of a better word, good' as Gordon Gekko from Wall Street would have us believe? Or post financial crash, is the world looking to find a more equitable and kind example of the business world on screen?

PRESENTER: EVAN DAVIS

GUESTS

Ash Atalla, CEO, Roughcut Productions

Dave Fishwick, businessman, subject of Netflix movie, 'Bank of Dave'

Nisha Katona, Founder, Mowgli Street Restaurants, Great British Menu judge

Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, co-writers, 'Industry' , BBC 2 drama series

Clip from 'Industry' BBC2

Produced in Partnership with the Open University

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer: Julie Ball

Demand for pre-loved goods has surged in the UK in recent years, with fashion, books and furniture especially popular. So what’s driving this boom in second-hand sales - the cost of living crisis or the increasingly eco-conscious shopper? And how are companies making money from it?

Evan Davis and guests discuss the business of buying and selling pre-loved products, the growing number of online platforms specialising in them, and the bricks-and-mortar retailers looking to get in on the act.

Plus, is buying second-hand really better for the environment, and what protection does the customer get when something goes wrong if they’re buying from a stranger rather than a business?

GUESTS

Hugh Hurley, CEO, Gumtree

Produced in partnership with The Open University.

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer: Simon Tulett

John Lewis Partnership and Waitrose are possibly two of the most trusted brands in retail. This week, Evan Davis interviews Dame Sharon White, who took over as Chair of the Partnership, literally weeks before lockdown. Post lockdown like all retailers the Partnership faces a cost of living crisis and getting customers back to the High Street. How is she facing these challenges and what are her plans for the future of the partnership?

GUEST: Dame Sharon White, Chair, John Lewis Partnership

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producers: Julie Ball and Simon Tulett

Younger workers want unlimited holiday, refuse to give up remote working, and are constantly looking for their next job, or so the cliché goes. Millennials and those even younger (Generation Z) do typically have different attitudes to work than their older colleagues, but what are they really, and how are they changing workplaces?

GUESTS

Grace Beverley, founder and CEO of TALA and SHREDDY;

Produced in partnership with The Open University.

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer: Simon Tulett

As Covid restrictions were eased last year, the demand to travel abroad by air overtook the readiness of the industry to cope, leading to thousands of flights being cancelled and enormous queues at several airport terminals because of a shortage of staff across the board from security to baggage handlers and flight attendants.

GUESTS

Willie Walsh, Director General, International Air Transport Association, Former Chief Executive, IAG and British Airways

Tim Hawkins, Chief of Staff, Manchester Airports Group

Sally Gethin, Independent Aviation and Travel Analyst and Commentator

Produced in Partnership with The Open University.

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producers: Julie Ball and Simon Tulett

Grocery stores are under pressure – with food inflation still near record highs, some have accused them of profiteering and the UK’s competition watchdog is investigating.

So what’s the evidence, if any, that supermarkets and other smaller stores are taking advantage of consumers, and what is a reasonable profit margin in this industry anyway? Food suppliers, large and small, also have a role to play here – we look at how their margins impact prices.

And, with government ministers vowing to curb food price inflation, we ask whether a cap on the cost of some products would help.

Evan Davis is joined by guests from across the industry to try to get a clearer picture of the UK’s food supply chain, and ask how fair it is on customers.

Produced in Partnership with The Open University.

GUESTS

Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, founder of The Black Farmer

PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer: Simon Tulett