The UK government has urged employers to remove “stereotypically masculine” language from job advertisements in a bid to encourage more women to apply for roles, particularly at senior levels.

The guidance has triggered a political row, with critics branding the recommendations “patronising” and unnecessary.

The new advice was issued by the Office for Equality and Opportunity as part of a wider initiative aimed at reducing barriers to women entering and progressing in the workplace. Ministers say the move is intended to address subtle biases in recruitment practices that may discourage female candidates from applying for jobs.

Under the guidelines, employers are encouraged to review the language used in recruitment adverts and remove terms that researchers believe may carry gendered connotations. Words such as “competitive”, “dominant”, “independent”, “strong” and even “ambitious” are cited as examples of phrases that may unintentionally reinforce male stereotypes in hiring processes.

The initiative forms part of a broader strategy unveiled by Bridget Phillipson ahead of International Women’s Day. The government says the guidance is designed to help employers attract a broader pool of candidates and ensure women have equal opportunities to progress in their careers.

Phillipson said the new recommendations were based on research suggesting that gender-coded language can influence how potential applicants perceive job roles and whether they see themselves as suitable candidates.

“Too many women are still not paid fairly, held back at work due to inconsistencies in support or find common sense adjustments for their health needs overlooked or dismissed,” she said.

“We’re acting to empower women at work and work with business so we all benefit from unleashing women’s talents.”

Ministers argue that removing potentially exclusionary language can help companies tap into wider talent pools and improve diversity in leadership positions. The government also believes such changes could support broader economic productivity by ensuring skilled candidates are not discouraged from applying for roles.

The government’s recommendations draw on behavioural and labour market research which suggests that certain personality traits commonly used in recruitment advertising can carry gendered associations.

Studies have indicated that terms like “competitive” and “dominant” may be more strongly associated with traditional male leadership stereotypes, while alternative wording can create a more inclusive tone.

Officials say that small changes to language can influence how job descriptions are perceived. For example, phrases such as “collaborative”, “supportive” or “motivated” are sometimes recommended as alternatives because they are considered more neutral or inclusive.

The guidance also warns employers to examine how emerging technologies could perpetuate bias in recruitment processes. In particular, the government highlighted concerns around artificial intelligence tools used to generate job descriptions or screen applications.

According to ministers, some AI-driven recruitment systems rely on historical employment data which may contain gender biases. Without careful oversight, these systems could unintentionally replicate those patterns when generating new job advertisements or evaluating candidates.

The recommendations have drawn sharp criticism from opposition politicians, who argue the advice is unnecessary and risks stereotyping women.

Claire Coutinho dismissed the guidance as “patronising gibberish”.

“Telling companies that women find the words ‘ambitious’, ‘competitive’ or ‘entrepreneurial’ too masculine is frankly insulting to women,” she said.

Critics within the Conservative Party say the government should focus on addressing structural barriers such as childcare costs, career breaks and pay inequality rather than encouraging businesses to modify job advert wording.

Some commentators have also suggested that the advice risks oversimplifying the causes of gender disparities in certain professions.

The guidance forms part of the government’s wider programme to tackle gender inequality in the workplace. Ministers have previously announced plans encouraging large employers to publish action plans detailing how they intend to reduce gender pay gaps and improve support for women at work.

Policy advisers say addressing workplace culture, recruitment practices and career progression barriers are all essential components of closing the gender pay gap.

The government maintains that improving gender equality in the workforce is not only a social objective but also an economic one. Research frequently cited by policymakers suggests that increasing women’s participation in the labour market could significantly boost productivity and economic growth.

Reaction from employers has been mixed. Some companies have already adopted gender-neutral language analysis tools to review job descriptions and identify potentially biased wording.

Large corporations, particularly in sectors such as finance and technology, increasingly use automated software that flags language patterns believed to discourage underrepresented groups from applying.

However, smaller businesses have expressed concern that constantly changing recruitment guidelines may add complexity to hiring processes without addressing the deeper issues affecting workplace equality.

Despite the debate, the government says the guidelines are voluntary and intended as practical advice rather than mandatory rules. Ministers say they hope businesses will adopt the recommendations as part of broader efforts to create more inclusive workplaces across the UK.

The issue is likely to remain a topic of debate as policymakers, employers and campaign groups continue to discuss how best to reduce gender disparities in the labour market while maintaining effective and transparent recruitment practices.

Jamie Young

Jamie is Senior Reporter at Business Matters, bringing over a decade of experience in UK SME business reporting.
Jamie holds a degree in Business Administration and regularly participates in industry conferences and workshops.

When not reporting on the latest business developments, Jamie is passionate about mentoring up-and-coming journalists and entrepreneurs to inspire the next generation of business leaders.

Morgan Stanley is set to cut around 2,500 jobs globally despite reporting record revenues last year, highlighting growing tension between strong financial performance and ongoing cost-cutting across the banking sector.

The Wall Street giant plans to reduce its workforce by roughly 3 per cent across several divisions, including investment banking and trading, wealth management and investment management. The reductions, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, were understood to have begun earlier this week.

The cuts come despite the bank posting one of the strongest financial performances in its history. Morgan Stanley reported annual revenues of $70.65 billion for the year, representing a 14 per cent increase compared with the previous year. Net income rose even more sharply, climbing 26 per cent to $16.9 billion.

Sources familiar with the restructuring said the layoffs were linked to shifting business priorities, location adjustments and performance reviews rather than a single strategic overhaul.

Unlike some previous rounds of restructuring in the financial sector, the bank’s wealth management financial advisers are understood not to have been affected by the job cuts. Instead, reductions are concentrated in support roles and operational teams across several departments.

The bank has not publicly linked the job cuts to artificial intelligence, although speculation has intensified across the financial industry about whether new technologies are beginning to reshape white-collar employment.

Morgan Stanley’s chief executive, Ted Pick, has previously spoken about the transformative potential of artificial intelligence across the firm’s operations.

Speaking to investors last year, Pick said AI could save financial advisers between 10 and 15 hours each week by automating administrative tasks such as transcribing client meetings and logging key details into internal databases.

“This is potentially really game-changing,” he said at the time.

The bank has been developing tools that automatically capture information from client conversations, generate summaries and suggest tailored investment strategies based on a client’s profile and portfolio history.

Executives believe such systems could improve productivity significantly, enabling advisers to spend more time with clients while reducing administrative overheads.

Morgan Stanley’s job cuts come amid a broader wave of corporate restructuring across the global technology and financial sectors as companies invest more heavily in artificial intelligence.

Several major companies have already linked workforce reductions directly to AI adoption.

At Amazon, the company recently announced plans to cut around 14,000 corporate roles. Senior vice-president of people experience and technology Beth Galetti said generative AI would fundamentally reshape how the company operates.

“We’re convinced that we need to be organised more leanly, with fewer layers and more ownership,” Galetti wrote in a company blog post announcing the layoffs.

Similarly, Marc Benioff revealed last year that his company had eliminated roughly 4,000 customer-support roles after deploying AI systems capable of handling many service enquiries automatically.

More recently, technology entrepreneur Jack Dorsey said his payments company Block would cut nearly half of its workforce, amounting to around 4,000 jobs.

Dorsey said the decision was part of a broader transformation driven by what he described as “intelligence tools” that enable companies to operate with smaller, flatter teams.

“We’re going to build this company with intelligence at the core of everything we do,” he said in an internal memo.

Many argue that several large corporations expanded rapidly during the pandemic and are now adjusting staffing levels after years of aggressive hiring.

Some Wall Street analysts have suggested that banks and technology companies may be using AI as a convenient explanation for workforce reductions that are primarily driven by cost management or changing market conditions.

In Morgan Stanley’s case, the job cuts come after several years of strong hiring across wealth management and investment banking operations.

The bank has significantly expanded its wealth management arm since acquiring brokerage firm E*TRADE in 2020 and asset manager Eaton Vance later that year, moves that transformed the company’s business model and boosted its client base.

The decision to reduce headcount despite record revenues reflects a broader trend among global banks seeking to balance profitability with operational efficiency.

Investment banks have faced volatile deal-making conditions in recent years, with mergers and acquisitions activity fluctuating as interest rates rose sharply in 2023 and 2024.

Although markets have stabilised more recently, many financial institutions remain cautious about long-term staffing levels as economic conditions remain uncertain.

For Morgan Stanley, the latest restructuring appears aimed at ensuring the bank remains competitive while continuing to invest heavily in digital infrastructure and AI tools.

As financial institutions increasingly integrate automation into core operation, from trading systems to client management platform, the industry is likely to see continued debate about whether artificial intelligence will ultimately augment human roles or gradually replace them.

For now, Morgan Stanley’s latest move underscores a reality that is becoming more common across global finance: strong revenues do not necessarily translate into job security as companies restructure to adapt to technological change and evolving market dynamics.

Jamie Young

Jamie is Senior Reporter at Business Matters, bringing over a decade of experience in UK SME business reporting.
Jamie holds a degree in Business Administration and regularly participates in industry conferences and workshops.

When not reporting on the latest business developments, Jamie is passionate about mentoring up-and-coming journalists and entrepreneurs to inspire the next generation of business leaders.

ChatGPT Health debuted in January to provide a generative AI companion for all health needs, but researchers have recently conducted a study to test its capabilities and reliability.

While there are several good qualities to the special version of the chatbot, the researchers found in their study that it downplayed various medical concerns and emergencies that should immediately warrant a trip to the emergency room.

ChatGPT Health: Study Finds It ‘Underestimating’ Concerns

A study conducted by researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai claims that they have conducted the first independent safety evaluation of ChatGPT Health, OpenAI’s specialized chatbot for medical concerns.

Here, the researchers found that ChatGPT Health has “underestimated” several medical concerns and possible emergencies from questions or scenarios raised by the researchers. In the study, the researchers assessed the capabilities of the chatbot to perform “triage,” the way medical professionals assess the patient, their state, and what they feel.

According to Gizmodo, instead of ChatGPT Health immediately directing patients to the emergency room, the chatbot suggested that they monitor their condition first for around one to two days. This happened for concerns like diabetic ketoacidosis and impending respiratory failure.

According to the study, this is despite ChatGPT Health already identifying the symptoms as early warning signs, particularly in the case of respiratory failure.

That said, for “textbook emergencies,” the chatbot did more triage. However, they also noted that ChatGPT Health failed in situations where it matters most.

Is ChatGPT Health Reliable For Concerns, Emergencies?

Previous studies have been done to test ChatGPT’s knowledge in the medical field, and it was found that it was not perfect in its capacity to provide advice or information.

While the chatbot may be able to answer your queries about a disease, illness, or condition, the recent study from the Icahn School of Medicine only showed that it is not yet fully reliable.

ChatGPT Health still has a lot to improve on, with studies like these looking to help improve its systems and raise awareness among the public.

Originally published on Tech Times

A Las Vegas hotel-casino was demolished on Thursday morning after the establishment closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and never reopened.

Eastside Cannery Hotel-Casino opened on the Boulder Strip in 2008, replacing the older Nevada Palace casino. It catered to locals rather than tourists, offering value-oriented gaming, dining and stays away from the crowded Las Vegas Strip.

The nearby Longhorn Casino hosted a demolition party to give guests a front-row seat to the implosion, selling parking spots for $25 and rooms for $250, FOX5 Las Vegas reported.

Las Vegas locals and people from across the country showed up at 2 a.m. to bid an explosive farewell to the building.

LAS VEGAS CASINO OWNER OFFERS UNIQUE DEAL TO ENTICE VISITORS BACK AMID SLUMP

Eastside Cannery Hotel-Casino opened on the Boulder Strip in 2008. It has remained shuttered since it closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (KVVU / Fox News)

“I’m from San Diego, and this is one of my favorite casinos,” Gus Biner told FOX5. “It’s just I have never seen a building come down live, you always see it on the news but never live.”

The Cannery was imploded at 2 a.m. local time on Thursday. (KVVU / Fox News)

“I want to watch it, I want to feel it,” Mark Carson told the outlet. “I’m a retired carpenter. I spent all my career building them. This will be the first time I watch it in real life, bring ’em down.”

The explosive event drew people from across the country who wanted to bid farewell to the establishment. (KVVU / Fox News)

IVANA TRUMP’S MANHATTAN TOWNHOUSE SELLS FOR $14M AFTER $12.5M PRICE CUT

The Cannery closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns in Nevada.

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Boyd Gaming, which acquired the hotel-casino in 2016 as part of its purchase of Cannery Casino Resorts, said it remained shuttered after most other casinos reopened due to insufficient market demand after more than five years of closure.

New car sales in the UK surged to their highest February level in more than two decades, highlighting continued recovery in the automotive market. However, industry figures show the transition to electric vehicles is losing momentum, with the market share of fully electric cars falling for the second consecutive month.

According to data compiled by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), more than 90,000 new vehicles were registered across Britain in February. The figure marks the strongest February performance since 2004, reflecting improved supply chains, pent-up consumer demand and stronger dealer incentives following several years of disruption across the automotive sector.

Despite the broader rebound in vehicle sales, the uptake of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) has shown signs of slowing. A total of 21,840 fully electric cars were registered during the month, representing a modest year-on-year increase of 2.8 per cent, equivalent to just 596 additional vehicles compared with February 2025.

However, because the wider market expanded more quickly than electric sales, the overall share of battery-powered vehicles fell to 24.2 per cent of new registrations, down from 25.3 per cent in the same month last year. The decline marks the second consecutive monthly fall in EV market share and raises questions about the pace of the UK’s transition away from petrol and diesel vehicles.

Industry leaders warn that current adoption rates remain significantly below the trajectory needed to meet the government’s long-term decarbonisation targets for the automotive sector.

The UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle mandate requires manufacturers to increase the proportion of zero-emission vehicles they sell each year, with a target of roughly one-third of new car sales being electric by the mid-2020s.

However, February’s 24.2 per cent EV share remains well short of the government’s 33 per cent benchmark, prompting calls from industry groups for ministers to reconsider elements of the policy framework.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, said the figures showed that while the car market was recovering strongly, the transition to electric mobility was progressing more slowly than expected.

“The UK’s new car market is continuing to recover and electric volumes are growing too, even if market share remains disappointing,” Hawes said.

He added that the gap between current demand and government targets suggested policymakers needed to reassess the design of the ZEV mandate and the broader incentives available to consumers.

Industry analysts say several factors continue to slow the pace of EV adoption, including higher upfront vehicle costs, concerns about charging infrastructure and uncertainty around long-term running costs.

Although battery prices have fallen in recent years, electric vehicles still typically carry a price premium compared with equivalent petrol models. For many households already under pressure from the cost-of-living crisis, that difference remains a major barrier to switching.

Charging infrastructure also remains unevenly distributed across the UK. While urban centres have seen rapid growth in public charging networks, drivers in rural areas and those without access to off-street parking often face practical challenges when considering an EV.

These issues are particularly acute for renters and residents of flats, who may struggle to install home charging points.

Supporters of the electric transition argue that government incentives and infrastructure investment are beginning to improve the landscape for drivers considering the move to electric mobility.

Hive director of EV and solar Susan Wells said February’s figures still represented a positive signal for long-term adoption.

“February’s new car registrations mark a strong start to the year for electric vehicle adoption, as more drivers embrace electric and the UK becomes increasingly geared towards sustainable travel,” she said.

She added that recent government decisions to expand EV charging grants could help address some of the barriers facing drivers.

“The government’s decision to increase EV chargepoint grants is a welcome step in the right direction, particularly for renters, flat owners and households without driveways who have faced real barriers to accessing home charging.”

Expanded investment in public charging infrastructure is also expected to play a role in boosting confidence among prospective EV buyers.

The overall strength of February’s new car registrations reflects broader recovery in the UK automotive market following several difficult years marked by pandemic disruption, semiconductor shortages and supply chain bottlenecks.

During 2020 and 2021, new vehicle registrations fell sharply as lockdowns disrupted dealerships and manufacturing output. Production constraints continued into 2022 and 2023 as the global semiconductor shortage restricted the number of vehicles manufacturers could deliver.

More stable supply chains in 2025 and early 2026 have helped the market regain momentum, allowing manufacturers to deliver long-delayed orders and increase showroom stock levels.

Discounting and promotional finance offers have also helped stimulate demand among buyers who delayed replacing vehicles during the previous downturn.

Despite the recent dip in EV market share, analysts broadly expect electric vehicles to continue expanding their presence in the UK car market over the coming years.

Automakers are investing billions of pounds into new electric models, while battery costs are expected to fall further as manufacturing scales up globally.

At the same time, the UK government plans to phase out sales of new petrol and diesel cars by the end of the decade, reinforcing the long-term shift toward zero-emission vehicles.

However, industry leaders say that without stronger consumer incentives, improved charging infrastructure and clearer policy support, the pace of adoption may struggle to keep up with regulatory targets.

For now, February’s figures highlight a paradox within the UK automotive sector: the car market itself is recovering strongly, but the transition to electric mobility remains slower than policymakers had hoped.

Jamie Young

Jamie is Senior Reporter at Business Matters, bringing over a decade of experience in UK SME business reporting.
Jamie holds a degree in Business Administration and regularly participates in industry conferences and workshops.

When not reporting on the latest business developments, Jamie is passionate about mentoring up-and-coming journalists and entrepreneurs to inspire the next generation of business leaders.

Retail giant Frasers Group has acquired a 5.77% stake in athletic apparel manufacturer Puma, worth over €5.5m, plus additional put option shares valued at €187m

Frasers Group has snapped up a stake in sportswear heavyweight Puma.

The retail powerhouse has acquired 246,000 shares in the athletics firm, according to German filings published on Thursday and revealed by City AM.

With Puma’s share price currently sitting at €22.50, this 5.77 per cent holding is valued at over €5.5m.

Frasers Group, established by British entrepreneur Mike Ashley, also owns Flannels, Sports Direct, House of Fraser and Debenhams.

A portion of the shares purchased by Frasers are held directly, whilst the bulk have been secured through a put option – allowing the purchaser to offload assets at a predetermined price ahead of a specified date – City AM understands, as reported by City AM.

Alongside the direct shareholding, Frasers has secured an additional 8.3m put option shares, valued at a further €187m based on Thursday’s trading price.

Three million of the put option shares expire mid-next month, whilst a further one million run until September, with the balance set to lapse in December.

The shares are owned by Frasers Group but recorded under Ashley’s name in line with German stock market regulations.

Puma, established in Germany in 1948, ranks as the globe’s third-largest sports clothing manufacturer. It has moved its UK headquarters from London to Manchester‘s Circle Square development as the city cements its position as Britain’s sportswear capital.

The company’s shares climbed three per cent on Thursday but have fallen 20 per cent over the past year.

Frasers controls substantial positions in fashion businesses Hugo Boss, Asos and Boohoo. The British entrepreneur frequently takes an active role in his investment portfolio, having lately sought board representation at Debenhams whilst the retailer endeavours to orchestrate a recovery.

Puma and Frasers Group were contacted for comment by City AM.

Puma announced last year that it was moving its sales, marketing, merchandising, finance, people and operations and direct to consumer departments to Manchester. At the time, Lucynda Davies, UK managing director at Puma, said: “Being surrounded by such a strong line up of industry was an important factor, and to find somewhere in the heart of Manchester’s thriving tech community is exactly what we hoped for.

“Being based at Circle Square will also open up a host of opportunities to tap into the city’s creative talent pool and strengthen our existing links with academic partners like Manchester Metropolitan University – of which we get the added benefit of Bruntwood SciTech being a partner.”