TOP HEADLINES
Where Companies Stand on Vaccine Requirements and Return to Office
The New York Times – September 2, 2021
The Delta variant has upended office return plans. Here’s when large companies expect to have employees back at their desks.
Jobless Claims Total 340,000, Lowest Level Since Early Days of Pandemic
CNBC – September 2, 2021
Initial filings for unemployment insurance fell to their lowest levels since March 2020 in another sign that the labor market is gradually improving from the COVID-19 era, the Labor Department reported.
Manufacturing, Retail and Hospitality Employers Slow to Mandate Vaccines
HR Dive – August 31, 2021
Employers in the manufacturing and retail/hospitality industries are the least likely to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for employees, according to an Aug. 23 report from law firm Littler.
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
Delta Surge Sees Split in Australian States’ COVID-Zero Strategy
Bloomberg – September 2, 2021
Australia’s COVID-Zero strategy is under unprecedented pressure with some states seeking to remain isolated from Sydney and Melbourne, where attempts to eliminate the highly-contagious Delta variant have largely been abandoned.
CANADA
It May be Difficult for Employers to Uphold Vaccine Mandates
CTV News – September 2, 2021
As Canada tries to return to a pre-pandemic normal, workplaces are grappling with enforcing vaccine mandates for their employees, and some employees are learning in real-time the legality of such mandates.
INDIA
Reemploying India: How Can We Create the Jobs Millions of Indians Need?
Forbes India – August 23, 2021
Structural weaknesses in the jobs market, amplified by COVID-19, continue to quietly impact many, particularly women and younger workers.
UNITED KINGDOM
UK Furlough Scheme Must Stay for COVID-Hit Industries, Warn Unions and Firms
The Guardian – August 31, 2021
The furlough scheme should be extended to protect workers in industries that continue to be damaged by the pandemic, business groups and unions have said as the job subsidy program that has supported more than 11 million employees entered its final month.
UNITED STATES
Number of Employers to Mandate COVID-19 Vaccinations is Expected to Surge
Staffing Industry Analysts – September 2, 2021
The number of employers in the U.S. requiring COVID-19 vaccinations is set to surge, according to a survey by Willis Towers Watson.
POLAND
Vaccinated People to be Exempt from Any New Restrictions – Health Minister
The First News – September 1, 2021
If restrictions to stem the spread of COVID-19 are reintroduced in Poland, they will not apply to fully vaccinated people, the health minister said on Wednesday.
