COVID-19 and the Workforce: May 7, 2021

TOP HEADLINES 

How to Ease the Transition Back to the Office 
HR Dive – May 3, 2021 
In the post-pandemic workplace, leaders will be tasked with calming reentry anxiety, enhancing worker well-being, and moving the organization forward, these Deloitte execs say. 

Jobless Claims Tumble Below 500,000 in Another Sign the Labor Market is Getting Closer to Pre-Pandemic Levels 
CNBC – May 6, 2021 
Initial claims for unemployment benefits fell sharply last week, sinking below 500,000 for the first time since the COVID crash. 

Employees Will Leave if Employers End Remote Work Options, Survey Says 
HR Dive – April 19, 2021 
More than two-thirds (68%) of U.S. workers would prefer a hybrid workplace model after the pandemic ends, according to Prudential’s Pulse of the American Worker survey, conducted by Morning Consult in March. 

What’s New from the CDC 
Keep up with all the latest information on COVID-19 directly from the resources created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

GLOBAL NEWS 

AUSTRALIA 
Mystery Australian COVID Case Spurs Return of Masks, Travel Bans 
Reuters – May 6, 2021  
Australian officials reinstated social distancing measures in Sydney as New Zealand partially suspended the pair’s “travel bubble” on Thursday, amid fears an Indian variant case of COVID-19 could spur a significant outbreak. 

CANADA 
Canada Authorizes Coronavirus Vaccine for Children Ages 12 to 15 
The Washington Post – May 5, 2021  
Canada on Wednesday authorized the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages 12 to 15, a step hailed by officials as a “significant milestone” in the country’s fight against the coronavirus. 

INDIA 
India’s Modeling Has COVID Outbreak Peaking in Coming Days 
Bloomberg – May 6, 2021 
A mathematical model prepared by advisers to Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggests India’s coronavirus outbreak could peak in the coming days, but the group’s projections have been changing and were wrong last month. 

UNITED KINGDOM 
UK – Half of Workers Expect Their Employer to Make COVID-19 Vaccine Mandatory 
Staffing Industry Analysts – April 29, 2021 
The study also found that 17% have had a conversation about their companies’ policy on vaccines, but over a third said they expect it will be mandatory. 

UNITED STATES 
4 Things That Might Explain the Labor Shortage Hitting the Reopening American Economy 
Business Insider – April 16, 2021 
While it’s hard to pinpoint a definitive reason for the disconnect between Americans looking to reenter the labor force and a “potentially catastrophic” labor shortage, this article highlights four main possibilities. 

POLAND 
Poland Tightens Quarantine Rules After Cases of Indian COVID-19 Variant 
Reuters – May 4, 2021 
People traveling to Poland from Brazil, India and South Africa will have to quarantine, the Polish health minister said on Tuesday, as he announced cases of a COVID-19 variant first detected in India in the Warsaw and Katowice areas.