"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2021-07-19T11:05:53Z"
data-video-section="world"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2021/07/19/england-covid-19-freedom-day-boris-johnson-black-pkg-intl-ldn-vpx.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="england covid 19 freedom day boris johnson Black pkg intl ldn vpx"
data-first-publish-slug="england covid 19 freedom day boris johnson Black pkg intl ldn vpx"
data-video-tags="air transportation,airports,business and industry sectors,business, economy and trade,communicable disease control,continents and regions,coronavirus,coronavirus pandemic,diseases and disorders,england,epidemics and outbreaks,europe,health and medical,infectious diseases,leisure and lifestyle,life forms,microscopic life,misc people,nightlife and nightclubs,northern europe,phil black,public health,respiratory diseases,transportation and warehousing,united kingdom,viruses"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Inside a reopened nightclub as England lifts Covid restrictions
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2021-07-19T11:05:53Z"
data-video-section="world"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2021/07/19/england-covid-19-freedom-day-boris-johnson-black-pkg-intl-ldn-vpx.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="england covid 19 freedom day boris johnson Black pkg intl ldn vpx"
data-first-publish-slug="england covid 19 freedom day boris johnson Black pkg intl ldn vpx"
data-video-tags="air transportation,airports,business and industry sectors,business, economy and trade,communicable disease control,continents and regions,coronavirus,coronavirus pandemic,diseases and disorders,england,epidemics and outbreaks,europe,health and medical,infectious diseases,leisure and lifestyle,life forms,microscopic life,misc people,nightlife and nightclubs,northern europe,phil black,public health,respiratory diseases,transportation and warehousing,united kingdom,viruses"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Inside a reopened nightclub as England lifts Covid restrictions
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2023-01-26T15:35:27Z"
data-video-section="business"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2023/01/26/united-airlines-intv-ceo-es-romans-vpx.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="united airlines intv ceo es romans vpx"
data-first-publish-slug="united airlines intv ceo es romans vpx"
data-video-tags="air transportation,airlines,aviation and aerospace industry,business and industry sectors,business, economy and trade,christine romans,companies,iab-air travel,iab-aviation industry,iab-business and finance,iab-industries,iab-travel,iab-travel type,misc people,transportation and warehousing,united airlines"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
'The system is stressed to the max': United CEO weighs in on industry woes
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2023-01-20T11:06:04Z"
data-video-section="business"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2023/01/19/nightcap-work-from-home-employers-clip-orig-nb.cnn"
data-branding-key="nightcap"
data-video-slug="nightcap work from home employers clip orig nb"
data-first-publish-slug="nightcap work from home employers clip orig nb"
data-video-tags=""
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Disney just threw down the gauntlet in the WFH battle
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2023-01-17T14:04:51Z"
data-video-section="business"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2023/01/17/nyc-sober-bar-owner-cnntm-cprog-vpx.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="nyc sober bar owner cnntm cprog vpx"
data-first-publish-slug="nyc sober bar owner cnntm cprog vpx"
data-video-tags="bars, pubs and taverns,brand safety-nsf alcohol,brand safety-nsf sensitive,business and industry sectors,business, economy and trade,continents and regions,food and beverage industry,food and drink,iab-attractions,iab-bars & restaurants,iab-business and finance,iab-dining out,iab-food & drink,iab-food industry,iab-industries,new york (state),new york city,north america,northeastern united states,restaurant and food service industry,restaurant industry,restaurants,the americas,united states"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Hear why this bar owner decided to open a non-alcoholic bar
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2023-01-13T12:33:08Z"
data-video-section="business"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2023/01/13/inflation-ease-small-business-impact-cohen-pkg-cnntm-vpx.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="inflation ease small business impact cohen pkg cnntm vpx"
data-first-publish-slug="inflation ease small business impact cohen pkg cnntm vpx"
data-video-tags="business, economy and trade,company activities and management,company structure and ownership,domestic alerts,domestic-business,economic conditions,economic indicators,economy and economic indicators,iab-business,iab-business and finance,iab-economy,iab-small and medium-sized business,inflation,international alerts,international-business,small business"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
'You're just a hamster spinning on a wheel': Restaurant owner struggles to stay open
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2022-12-15T13:26:19Z"
data-video-section="business"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2022/12/15/labor-force-men-women-yurkevich-dnt-contd-cnntm-vpx.cnnbusiness"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="labor force men women yurkevich dnt contd cnntm vpx"
data-first-publish-slug="labor force men women yurkevich dnt contd cnntm vpx"
data-video-tags=""
data-details="">
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2022-11-29T14:05:24Z"
data-video-section="business"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2022/11/29/bank-of-america-ceo-brian-moynihan-economy-harlow-cnntm-vpx.cnnbusiness"
data-branding-key="perspectives-no-logo"
data-video-slug="bank of america ceo brian moynihan economy harlow cnntm vpx"
data-first-publish-slug="bank of america ceo brian moynihan economy harlow cnntm vpx"
data-video-tags="bank of america corp,brian moynihan,business figures,business, economy and trade,companies,economy and economic indicators,misc people,poppy harlow"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Bank of America CEO predicts 'mild recession' next year
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2022-11-18T22:44:24Z"
data-video-section="business"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2022/11/18/rising-heat-costs-home-heating-oil-prices-inflation-winter-cohen-pkg-biz-lead-vpx.cnn"
data-branding-key=""
data-video-slug="rising heat costs home heating oil prices inflation winter cohen pkg biz lead vpx"
data-first-publish-slug="rising heat costs home heating oil prices inflation winter cohen pkg biz lead vpx"
data-video-tags="business and industry sectors,business, economy and trade,economic conditions,economic indicators,economy and economic indicators,electric power industry,energy and utilities,inflation,seasons of the year,utilities industry,winter (season)"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Some Americans being forced to pick between paying for groceries and heating their homes
"
data-check-event-based-preview=""
data-is-vertical-video-embed="false"
data-network-id=""
data-publish-date="2022-11-09T19:49:31Z"
data-video-section="business"
data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2022/11/09/stew-leonard-jr-grocery-food-price-mb-markets-now.cnn-business"
data-branding-key="markets-now"
data-video-slug="stew leonard jr grocery food price mb markets now"
data-first-publish-slug="stew leonard jr grocery food price mb markets now"
data-video-tags="agricultural commodities,agriculture,agriculture, forestry, and commercial fishing,banking, finance and investments,business and industry sectors,business, economy and trade,commodity markets,economic conditions,economic indicators,economy and economic indicators,financial markets and investing,food and beverage industry,food prices,food production industry,holidays and observances,inflation,retail and wholesale trade,supermarkets and groceries"
data-details="">
Video Ad Feedback
Grocery chain CEO on food prices: 'My crystal ball is broken'
But a growing number of companies, including supermarkets and pubs, are now facing worker shortages that threaten their operations, as coronavirus infections surge and keep scores of people away from their jobs.
One of Britain’s leading pub chains Greene King said it had to temporarily close 33 pubs in the last week because of the number of employees required to go into quarantine after coming into contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.
It’s currently a legal requirement in the United Kingdomto isolate at home for 10 days if you test positive for the virus or if told to do so by the national test and trace service, which alerts people via an app if they’ve had close contact with someone who has tested positive. Fines are payable for breaking the rules, which are expected to be relaxed on August 16.
With new coronavirus cases approaching 50,000 a day — the highest rate of infection since January — and hundreds of thousands more people told to isolate by the app, businesses are urging the government to ease the rules for people who are fully vaccinated much sooner than next month.
“We are already seeing a serious impact on retail operations as a result of staff having to self-isolate and this will only get worse right across the economy, as cases are already rising fast and the final restrictions are eased,” said Helen Dickinson, the CEO of the British Retail Consortium, in a statement.
“Given the effectiveness of the current vaccine roll-out programme, the government should pull forward the August 16th date so that people who are fully vaccinated or have a negative test are not forced to needlessly quarantine when they are contacted by track and trace,” she added.
Britain’s largest grocer Tesco
(TSCDF) was forced to abandon some online deliveries on Sunday due to a shortage of truck drivers, despite telling shareholders last month that it had plans in place to address the shortfall. The company told CNN Business on Monday that it has no plans to reduce store hours or close any supermarkets.
Rival chain Iceland Foods has not been as fortunate. It’s already had to close some stores for the first time since the pandemic began because it does not have enough people to staff them, managing director Richard Walker wrote in the Daily Mail last week.
Walker told BBC Radio 4 on Monday that more than 1,000 employees, or 4% of its workforce, are isolating due to Covid — a 50% increase over the past week and a 400% increase compared to a month ago. As infections rise, “it could get a lot worse, a lot quicker,” he added.
Meanwhile, Marks & Spencer CEO Steve Rowe said that the retailer could also be forced to change or reduce store hours due to worker shortages. “Our Covid cases are roughly doubling every week and the pinging level [via the app] is about three to one of Covid cases,” he told The Times newspaper on Friday.
Pedestrians on Bow Street on so-called 'Freedom Day' in the City of London on Monday, July 19, 2021.
Hollie Adams/Bloomberg/Getty Images
While retail and hospitality businesses appear to be hardest hit, the problem is creeping into other areas of the economy too.
Car manufacturer Vauxhall Motors, which is owned by Stellantis, said Monday that its plant in Luton will move from three shifts to two for the duration of this week because increasing numbers of employees have been contacted by the test and trace app.
Nissan
(NSANF) is grappling with similar challenges. It too has had to adjust production “in certain areas” at Britain’s biggest car plant because of staff shortages linked to the test and trace rules.
“It is not an exaggeration to say factories are on the verge of shutting and that at some sites hundreds of staff are off work,” Steve Turner, assistant general secretary at manufacturing union Unite said in a statement on Sunday.
“One major engine supplier has said that so many people are absent and orders so far behind that work may to be permanently relocated to China,” Turner added.
The British Chambers of Commerce, a business lobby group, said last week that companies need to know if the government has any plans to allow people to return to work more swiftly. “Instances of self-isolation will almost certainly continue to rise between now and the change set for August 16,” co-executive director Hannah Essex said in a statement.