As the battle to attract and retain the best talent continues, it will become increasingly important for agencies to be able to build a brand and culture that distinguishes itself in a crowded market.  

Publicis' recent commitment to greater flexibility is a good example of an initiative that seeks to challenge the traditional ways of working and build the workplace (and workforce) of the future.  

As agencies prepare for the IR35 changes (which are likely to bring many freelancers within the scope of PAYE), it is particularly interesting that Publicis has focused on the underlying reasons why employees leave employment to take up freelancer work.  

Finally, as we look ahead to the next round of Gender Pay Gap reports (and prepare the for the possibility of ethnicity pay reporting), it will be interesting to see whether agencies that promote (and successfully deliver) greater flexibility see the greatest improvement in their reportable statistics.  Join us as we look ahead to the next round of Gender Pay Gap reports on 28 February.