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Foreign travel advice The Gambia
Warnings and insurance Still current at: 23 April 2024 Updated: 22 April 2024 Latest update: Ferry services between Banjul and Barra have been suspended until further notice; The Islamic Summit of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) will be held in Banjul on 4-5 May; road closures and delays at Banjul International Airport ('Safety and security' page).
Foreign travel advice China
Warnings and insurance Still current at: 23 April 2024 Updated: 22 April 2024 Latest update: Updated information on flooding (‘Safety and security’ page).
Guidance Living in South Korea
Information for British citizens moving to or living in South Korea, including guidance on residency, healthcare, driving and more.
Guidance Living in Nigeria
Information for British citizens moving to or living in Nigeria, including guidance on residency, healthcare and passports.
Paul Beare Wins IR Global Member Of The Year
Paul Beare has been named Member of the Year at this year’s IR Global Conference in Amsterdam.
Holiday Hack: More Than Double Your Holiday Leave in 2017
Most employees in the UK are entitled to around 28 days of paid leave annually, but with some strategic planning you can more than double your leave in 2017!
By carefully planning your leave, around bank holidays and weekends, in the upcoming year you can maximise your time off without having to use all your official leave days. Here’s how according to Instant Offices:
December 2016 – January 2017
Take a 16-day holiday by booking 7 days off (24 Dec – 8 Jan) OR
Take a 23-day holiday by booking 12 days off (17 Dec – 8 Jan)
April
Take a 16-day holiday by booking 8 days off (8 – 23 April)
April/May
Take a 9-day holiday by booking 4 days off (29 April – 7 May)
May/June
Take a 9-day holiday by booking 4 days off (27 May – 4 June)
August
Take a 16-day holiday by booking 9 days off (19 Aug – 3 Sept)
December 2017 – January 2018
Take a 16-day holiday by booking 7 days off (23 Dec – 7 Jan) OR
Take a 23-day holiday by booking 12 days off (16 Dec – 7 Jan)
Benefits of Mid-Year Breaks
Working Smarter, Not harder
When you’re overworked or overwhelmed it’s easy to fall into the habit of ‘always working’ rather than working smart. It’s vital to be able to switch off from work for a while, not only to relax your mind, but to reset your attention span and renew your focus.
Avoid Burnout
Feeling inefficient, exhausted, anxious, disengaged, cynical and even excessively critical of yourself at work are all signs of burnout. Before reaching this extreme point in your career, it’s essential to take preventative measures, and one of the best ways to do this is by taking strategic andregular breaks.
Reset Your Work/Life Balance
Setting clear boundaries so that work stress doesn’t spill over into everyday life can be difficult, but it’s imperative to push the off button and take a step back to focus on the things that really matter – travel, spending time with loved ones, improving yourself, helping others and…lots of napping!
Increase Your Value at Work
Some companies place value in the ‘first to come in, last to leave’ style of working from their employees but, in truth, this culture only leads to burnout and reduced productivity over time. Rather than being the person who spends themost timeat work, focus on being the person who brings the most value to each task by being sharp, thoughtful and enthusiastic.