How concerned are you by the sharp rise in inflation, in Poland, Europe and globally? Is the Polish government prepared to use monetary policy to tackle inflation? Are there any factors in the global economy that might naturally slow down inflation, or should we get used to rising prices – and wages – for the foreseeable future?

We are now approaching the second anniversary of the Covid-19 outbreak in the world. How has the Polish labour market reacted to the pandemic?

The experience of the pandemic, has forced a change in the approach to time management in companies and, in many cases, a shift to remote or hybrid working and a reorganisation of work schedules. This has led many experts and managers to boldly discuss going one step further and reducing the working week, ideally to 32 hours in an average four-day working week.

There’s no coming back to the old ways of working. How do you create a friendly workplace and develop your team in a hybrid setup?

It seems that both employers and employees have already settled into our new pandemic reality. The pandemic has meant that traditional company solutions – whether recruitment processes, training measures or remuneration systems – needed a complete overhaul. Most employers, however, have managed to face the challenges brought by the pandemic. Here are some examples of the lessons learned by employers during the pandemic.

Some office buildings are still completely empty, but all indications are that the pandemic is losing momentum and soon remote working will no longer be a necessity. It's worth taking advantage of the period of relative calm to modernise your premises, especially as transforming an older space into a modern office doesn't require a major overhaul. Innovative solutions such as smart glass, or smart liquid crystal film, come to the rescue.

The office market is now at the epicentre of changes caused by the transition to the remote work model due to the Covid-19 epidemic. However, with the epidemic situation improving, organisations have already commenced planning the return of employees to the workplace. The analysis of the findings of a survey of tenants of the office buildings in the portfolio of properties under management of Cushman & Wakefield Poland reveals how companies are preparing for this change.

Covid-19 was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as global pandemic in March 2020. The first few months following that outbreak were marked by a strong level of economic uncertainty worldwide, with direct consequences on mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Some ongoing transactions were put on hold, other cancelled, buyers who had already signed an acquisition deal tried to renegotiate the terms of the agreement or even withdraw from it. At that time, the absolute priority of companies all over Europe (including the UK and Poland) was to ensure first that the resilience, protection and continuity of their business will be guaranteed, through appropriate crisis management procedures and decisions. From summer 2020, the M&A landscape began to improve significantly, with an increasing appetite for deal-making on the markets, and the pandemic crisis turning into an opportunity for many investors. Today, many lessons can be learned with respect to M&A transactions and related processes during that period.

Team- and client-relationship management underwent an accelerated evolution during the pandemic. Practically overnight, business leaders were challenged to adapt to new conditions. Also, the legal business – in my opinion – underwent a faster transformation and moved both internal and client relationships to a different level.

The pandemic hit us by surprise and the scale of the situation was unexpected for the entire hospitality industry. The numerous restrictions imposed by governments forced us to adjust to formal requirements to be able to conduct business, making us more flexible in terms of customer acquisition as a result.

During a period of unparalleled activity, when the pandemic spread leaving national economies and businesses counting the costs, UPS has been a proud and trusted partner of governments and business alike as we continue to deliver what matters in a safe and reliable manner. Whether that is lifesaving vaccines, or Christmas gifts, UPS is continually investing in its smart global logistics network to provide choice, convenience and control in an uncertain business environment.

An annual fixture in the BPCC's social calendar, pandemic notwithstanding now for the second year in a row, is the end of summer-holiday mixer at Warsaw' Mamaison Hotel Le Regina. Thanks to our partners, Hays Poland and Pernod Ricard, members and guests could make the most of the fine late-summer weather and open-air courtyard to mingle safely, chat and swap business cards.

The 2021 series of Nice to See You Again mixers came to a conclusion in Kraków on 9 September. The event, held at the Mercure Hotel, was sponsored by real estate agents Savills and recruitment firm Michael Page.

From 1 October, the UK government is introducing new border checks on animal and plant products; these will make export of food from Poland to the UK more complicated. This webinar, held in Polish for Polish food exporters, looked at what the new border checks would mean, and how to prepare for them. Michael Dembinski, the BPCC’s chief adviser, opened the meeting saying that for the most determined exporters, prepared to deal with all the new paperwork, there would be many new opportunities. As exports from western European trade partners falter, more and more companies are withdrawing from the UK market, and so gaps appear that Polish firms could enter. Having the right strategy and marketing plans is key, he said.