Say What You Pay: The New Law That Forces Job Adverts to Show the Salary

Joy Adesanya does not describe herself as a woman who simply runs businesses. She describes herself as a woman who serves — and who found her purpose in helping other women feel confident in their own skin, their own hair, and their own lives. As Group Managing Director of AJ Skylar, she leads a group whose brands include Sshhh Lingerie Boutique and The Braiding Vault, with locations across Nigeria and London. But the story behind those brands did not start with a business plan. It started with what she saw — and did not see — when she returned to Nigeria. It started with body image “My area of speciality is the beauty industry, hair to be precise,” Joy says. “But I started off with body image, because I felt that when I relocated back to Nigeria, there wasn’t a lot of positive body images being shown in women.” So she started with lingerie — not as a luxury for its own sake, but as a way to redefine sensuality. “In Nigeria, they never had nice lingerie stores,” she explains. “It was usually like a bend-down-select that you would go to in the marketplace. So there was nothing like a Victoria’s Secret or a Marks & Spencer.” She brought that experience into the market. And from there, the business grew in a direction that felt natural to her: hair. Confidence starts from the head — and underneath For Joy, hair is not just hair. It is where confidence begins. “I realised very quickly that a woman’s confidence really does come from her head,” she says. “How she carries herself, how she presents herself — everything starts from two things: her hair, and what she’s wearing underneath.” That is the thread that runs through everything she has built in Nigeria: the seen and the unseen, both treated with the same care. “I got into this because I love service,” she says. “I believe that my purpose is to serve. And I’m able to serve through various businesses by connecting with women from all over the world, understanding their pain, their pressure points, and then turning that into something beautiful.” The hardest parts were funding — and being heard Joy is honest about what doing business in Nigeria cost her, especially at the start. “The most difficult thing for me in business would be being in Nigeria,” she says. “It’s a very dog-eat-dog territory.” First, there was money — or the lack of access to it. “Number one, you don’t really have access to funding, so it makes it difficult for you to kick your business up,” she says. Then there was something harder to put a price on: being taken seriously as a woman. “Number two, because you’re a woman, you’re always second-guessed on everything,” she says. “If they don’t hear a man’s voice first, then it’s always a problem.” Those two things, she says, were her biggest challenges when she first started: having her voice heard, and having the money to really do what she needed to do. “I didn’t pick Nigeria. Nigeria picked me.” Ask Joy why she chose Nigeria, after coming from the UK, and her answer stops you in your tracks. “I didn’t pick Nigeria,” she says, smiling at how strange that sounds. “Nigeria picked me.” She has now been there for 14 years. Her love for the country began much earlier, on a first visit when she was just 16. “I instantly fell in love with the people, the environment,” she says. “It was very different from what I was seeing on the news in the UK — very fond of putting Africa as an impoverished country or continent. So when people see it from abroad, they always feel like Africa is poor and Africa needs help.” What she saw was different. “But when I came here, I saw opportunity, I saw resources, I saw wealth,” she says. “And I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to be a part of giving back to my people and making a difference.” Fourteen years on, she is clear about where she stands: “To be honest, I don’t think I’m ever going back.” Her proudest moment went in the opposite direction Joy’s proudest business moment is not a store opening in Nigeria. It is a store opening in the UK — four years ago. “It was a proud moment for me because I took something that I built here in Nigeria back to the UK,” she says. “And usually it’s the other way around.” That reversal matters to her. So much of the story told about Africa is about things arriving from elsewhere. Joy’s story is about something built in Nigeria, strong enough to travel back the other way. Who inspires her Joy does not name a single hero. She names a pattern. “I draw inspiration from many people. I don’t have one particular person that inspires me,” she says. “Mel Robbins inspires me. Oprah Winfrey inspires me. Tara Durotoye inspires me. These are women that have built businesses from nothing, that motivate, that give back.” More broadly, she says, she draws inspiration from “anybody that is ambitious and driven and has been able to change their story and their narrative.” In other words: people who did not accept the story they were given — and wrote a new one. What she would tell her younger self At the end of the interview comes the simplest question, and the simplest answer. What would you tell your younger self? “Don’t rush,” Joy says. “Everything will come at the time that it’s supposed to come.” It is advice that fits the whole conversation: a business built patiently, a country chosen slowly, a confidence that was never rushed — just grown, one woman at a time.

Your phone doesn’t just have to stay out of sight any more — from September 2027 it can’t be in your bag or your pocket at all during the school day. Here’s what’s changing, and what it means for you. 1. What just happened The Department for Education has updated its guidance on phones in schools. From September 2027, the rules go further than “no see, no hear” — the policy some schools use now, where your phone can stay in your bag as long as nobody sees or hears it. Under the new guidance, that won’t be enough: schools must have whole-school plans that keep phones out of use and out of reach during the school day. Education Secretary Lucy Powell put it plainly: “School is for learning and friendship, not scrolling.” 2. What’s already in place This isn’t the first step. Since 29 June 2026, schools in England have had a legal duty under the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 to follow the government’s guidance on phones, and since September 2026 the guidance has said schools should be phone-free by default — no phones in lessons, between lessons, at break or at lunch. Today’s change tightens it further: from September 2027, “not seen, not heard” is no longer enough. 3. What happens to your phone Each school decides how to do it. Some collect phones at the start of the day. Some use sealed pouches or secure lockers. Some have banned phones from the site altogether. If your parents need to reach you during the day, they go through the school office. Teachers aren’t exempt either — they can’t use personal phones in front of pupils for personal reasons during school hours. Head teachers’ unions have said schools will struggle to put the stricter rules in place without more funding from the government. 4. Does it actually work? The evidence is mixed, and it’s worth knowing both sides. The biggest English study so far — SMART Schools, run by the University of Birmingham and published in The Lancet Regional Health in February 2025 — followed 1,227 pupils aged 12 to 15 in 30 secondary schools. It found no difference in pupils’ mental wellbeing between schools that restrict phones and schools that don’t, partly because pupils just used their phones more after school. On exam results, studies suggest well-enforced bans can modestly help attainment, especially for lower-achieving pupils. A ban cuts distraction in lessons. On the current evidence, it’s not a cure for everything linked to phones and social media. 5. It’s not the same everywhere in the UK Education is devolved, so the new rules are for England. In Scotland, the government has said it will bring in a law to restrict personal phone use in schools and has consulted on it. In Wales, the Senedd recently voted against a national statutory ban, so schools there decide for themselves. Worldwide, UNESCO says 114 education systems — 58% of the countries it surveyed — now have national bans on phones in schools. 6. Don’t mix it up with the social media ban The school phone rules are separate from the UK’s planned ban on social media for under-16s, which is due to come in in March. 7. What to do now Check your own school’s policy — ask what happens to phones from September 2027, and whether that’s lockers, pouches or collection at the gate. If you use your phone for travel, homework or keeping in touch with family after school, work out with your parents how that changes. And if you disagree with your school’s approach, that’s what student voice and parent governors are for — say so, plainly. Closing question for readers: Do you think banning phones from bags and pockets will help you focus — or is it a step too far? Tell us what you think in the comments. Sources: DfE, Mobile Phones in Schools — statutory guidance (29 June 2026); BBC News, 10 Nov 2026; SMART Schools study, The Lancet Regional Health – Europe (Feb 2025); UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report (Mar 2026).

Hiring confidence has collapsed, apprenticeships are being cut and entry-level jobs are drying up — just as around a million young people sit outside work, education or training. The Budget raised pay, but who is actually hiring? The first rung of the ladder is disappearing If you are young and looking for your first proper job, the market is moving against you. That is the blunt message of the CBI/Pertemps Employment Trends Survey 2026, published on 13 October. Only 15% of businesses say they are hiring confidently, down from 24% in 2025. Labour costs are now the number one threat to the competitiveness of the UK jobs market, named by 73% of firms. And the squeeze is landing hardest on the people with the least experience. More than half of businesses (53%) say cost pressures mean they are offering fewer apprenticeships than they would like. Almost half (44%) say rising recruitment and onboarding costs are pushing them towards experienced hires, cutting entry-level opportunities for young people. Another 45% say they simply do not have the demand to justify creating entry-level roles at all. Rain Newton-Smith, chief executive of the CBI, put it plainly: “Higher employment costs and growing regulatory pressures are making firms more cautious about hiring and investment. That matters not just for businesses, but for living standards and particularly for young people trying to get their first foot on the career ladder.” A million young people locked out The survey lands against a bleak backdrop. Around one million 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK are now classified as not in employment, education or training. Retailers — traditionally one of the biggest employers of young people — warn that Budget-related costs are making it harder to take young staff on, with around £250 million in extra business rates and £2 billion in employment costs from wage increases. High street trouble is adding to the pressure. Poundland has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators, putting around 12,000 jobs at risk. And even for those in work, pay is stalling: only 47% of firms expect to raise pay in line with or above inflation at their next review, compared with 70% in 2024. The Budget gave with one hand Chancellor John Healey’s Autumn Budget, delivered on 28 October, did bring help. The National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage both rise by 3.9% in April, at the start of the new tax year. The minimum wage for 18- to 20-year-olds currently stands at £10.85 an hour; the Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71. Twenty million households will also receive a one-off £100 payment towards energy bills, and a temporary VAT cut has been extended until 1 July, cutting the annual price cap by £50. But the small print is less cheerful. The Office for Budget Responsibility says it expects no growth in real earnings next year, and it has cut its growth forecast for 2027 to 1%, down from 1.6%. When the survey asked firms about an estimated 3.7% rise in the Living Wage to £13.18, 39% said they would offset the cost by raising prices, 29% by reducing employment and 22% by cutting business investment. A pay rise is welcome. A pay rise in a market where nobody is hiring is a different story. Still living at home The squeeze shows up in how young people actually live. The latest official figures show 35% of men aged 20 to 34 were living at home with their parents last year, compared with 22% of women in the same age range. The Budget did offer one longer-term promise for first-time buyers: a new First Time Buyer ISA launching on 6 April 2029, replacing the Lifetime ISA for new savers, paying a 25% bonus on your final balance — up to £20,000 in total — on deposits of up to £4,000 a year. The penalty for using Lifetime ISA funds on a home worth more than £450,000 has been cut from 25% to 20% from 29 October, so savers now get back at least what they put in. The Bank of England’s rate rise to 4% is already pushing up borrowing costs. 2029 is a long way off for someone trying to move out next year. But if you are saving, the new account is worth knowing about — and the penalty cut helps anyone already holding a Lifetime ISA. What you can actually do The picture is tough, but it is not hopeless. Half of employers told the CBI that cutting the regulatory burden on apprenticeships would make the system work better — so apprenticeships are still on the agenda, and pressure is building to fix them. Big employers are still recruiting: PwC alone has taken on 1,300 graduates this year. Five moves that help right now: Chase apprenticeships, not just jobs. They are under pressure, but they still exist — and they pay you while you learn. Apply where experience matters less. Retail, hospitality and care have always been the first rung; they are also the sectors feeling the squeeze, so apply early and apply widely. Make your CV prove something. A short course, a volunteer shift, a side project — anything that shows a hiring manager you can be trusted with real work. Use the pay rise. When the new minimum wage rates land in April, check your payslip. If you are 18 to 20, your minimum is £10.85 an hour now and rises 3.9% in April; if you are 21 or over, it is £12.71. Save where the bonus is. If you are putting money aside for a first home, a Lifetime ISA still pays a 25% bonus — and the penalty for using it on a pricier home has just been cut. The jobs market is not closed. But the door is narrower than it was, and it is young people squeezing through it. The bottom line Firms are cautious, apprenticeships are shrinking and a million young people are outside work…

1.8 million people wanted in. There were 5,000 seats. And hundreds of thousands of the people in the queue weren’t people at all. RAYE said it herself. On 13 October she posted on Instagram that her one-off show at the Royal Albert Hall on 23 October had drawn 1.8 million registrations — and that “AI bots” had flooded the presale with “hundreds of thousands of fake registrations”. The presale asked fans to pre-register for a chance at a code. The bots registered too, faster than any human could. She is not the only one. On 21 October, Sam Fender’s presale for his Proper Massive stadium tour of the UK and Ireland in June 2027 was hit by what he called a “sophisticated bot attack” on the ticketing site Gigantic. The presale was pushed back 24 hours so that, in his words, “real fans get the tickets”. Gigantic said there had been an “unusually high volume of suspicious activity”. This is the normal now. And this week, Parliament had a chance to act on the other half of the problem — the resale market where the bots’ tickets end up — and voted not to. The vote that failed On Wednesday 4 November, MPs voted 286 to 62 against an amendment that would have made it illegal to resell tickets for major sporting events above their original price, including fees. The amendment was put forward by Liberal Democrat MP Anna Sabine as part of the Sporting Events Bill. Ministers said the vote was not a retreat. The real fix, they said, is a separate piece of legislation, a Ticket Tout Ban Bill, that would generally ban reselling live-event tickets above face value and put new duties on the resale platforms. But that bill is still being drafted, and it will not feature in the parliamentary session that runs until May 2027. Labour promised in its 2024 election manifesto to cap ticket resale at face value. Two years on, there is still no cap, no ban, and no date. The artists who backed the promise — The Cure, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Radiohead among them — are still waiting. So are the fans. Who actually runs the ticket market The bot problem and the resale problem are the same problem, and they sit on top of a market that is more concentrated than most fans realise. A parliamentary committee report found that Live Nation directly controlled 58% of the 23.1 million primary tickets on sale in the UK in 2025. Count the affiliated companies and the figure rises to 66%. Live Nation owns Ticketmaster, and it also promotes shows, runs venues and runs festivals — the same company can sell you the ticket, own the room and take a cut at every step. The Business and Trade Committee has urged the Competition and Markets Authority to launch a full investigation into the live music market before the end of 2026. The CMA has not given a timetable. The committee’s report described a “climate of fear” around the dominant companies, with artists, managers, independent promoters and grassroots venues afraid to speak out. The scale of the bot traffic is hard to believe until you see the numbers. The Royal Albert Hall told Billboard UK that it routinely blocks millions of bot requests during ticket sales — more than 38 million in a single 24-hour period, separate from the RAYE sale. What it costs you Live music is big business. Spending on music tourism in the UK reached £11.2 billion, with 24.7 million music tourists attending events in 2025. That money is real, and so is the price fans pay for it. Do the fan’s maths. A ticket listed at £65 face value can be £180 or more on a resale site before fees. A “golden circle” standing spot at a stadium show — the premium front section Sam Fender’s fans were arguing about this week — can cost double the standard ticket. For a young person on a first wage, the difference between face value and resale is the difference between going and not going. That is why this story matters beyond the charts. A ticket is not a luxury for the people reading this site. It is the one night out they save for, the birthday present, the first gig with friends. When a bot takes it and a tout sells it back at three times the price, something has been taken from a real person. What you can actually do You cannot fix Parliament from your phone. But you can make yourself a harder target. Buy resale only at face value. Ticketmaster’s official fan-to-fan resale, Twickets and DICE all cap resale at face value. If a site will not show you the seat or the face value, walk away. Register for presales the minute they open, and use the artist’s own mailing list rather than a link forwarded in a group chat. The RAYE presale worked on registration codes — the bots won by registering first and in bulk, so speed and the official channel are your only edge. Never pay by bank transfer for a ticket. A card or PayPal gives you a way back if the ticket never arrives. Screenshot the listing, the price and the seller’s name before you pay. And when a sale goes wrong, report it. The FanFair Alliance campaign collects fan experiences, and every report is evidence for the investigation MPs keep asking the CMA to run. The question RAYE’s fans did everything right. They registered, they waited, they queued. The bots were faster, and Parliament blinked. The question now is how long fans are expected to keep losing a rigged race — and what comes first, the ban or the next 1.8 million-person queue. Have you ever lost a ticket to a bot, or paid double for one on resale? Tell us what happened. We read every reply.