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Stories Tagged as

Omicron

COVID-19

Facing omicron, businesses stick to COVID-19 protocols and hope for the best

by Kristin Schwab
Dec 17, 2021
Nearly two years into the pandemic, with vaccination mandates and other precautions in place, businesses are operating without new ways to mitigate risk.
With fewer safety nets and little new guidance, businesses are sticking with existing protocols and grappling with how to address the new, highly transmissible omicron variant.
Cindy Ord via Getty Images
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Some big employers are delaying back-to-the-office plans thanks to omicron

by Samantha Fields
Dec 8, 2021
Just like they did for delta before it.
Omicron has halted many employers' plans to bring people back to the office.
Getty Images
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COVID-19

The restaurant industry preps for a winter with omicron

by Kristin Schwab
Dec 6, 2021
Spending is still down, prices are up and owners are worried about how the variant will affect business.
Amid the continued spread of the coronavirus, spending at restaurants is still below pre-pandemic levels.
Scott Olson via Getty Images
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COVID-19

The vaccine mandate is on hold, but some employers are encouraging booster shots

by Lily Jamali
Dec 6, 2021
A majority of small business owners in one survey said vaccination is essential to economic recovery.
A woman receives a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine in Michigan. Some businesses are requiring vaccination despite the halted federal mandate.
Emily Elconin via Getty Images
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COVID-19

Report to the office. No, don't. OK, come now. Actually, wait.

by Matt Levin
Dec 3, 2021
Delta, omicron — they are messing with return-to-office plans.
Google is among the companies to announce return-to-office plans, then delay them because of the spread of coronavirus variants.
Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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Success of the ski season may turn on the omicron variant

by Savannah Peters
Dec 3, 2021
The ski industry is facing a labor shortage as it starts to navigate its third pandemic season.
Signage requiring face coverings is displayed at a ski resort in Alberta, Canada on Nov. 28.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
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Workplace Culture

Omicron worries could keep some workers out of labor force

by Meghan McCarty Carino
Dec 2, 2021
There are signs that health concerns, particularly for older Americans, are decreasing interest in being employed or “unretiring.”
Workers over 65 were the fastest-growing segment of the labor force pre-COVID but have retired at an accelerated pace over the last two years.
alvarez via Getty Images
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COVID-19

How omicron may affect China's ports, a key to the global supply chain

by Amanda Peacher
Dec 2, 2021
China's no-tolerance COVID-19 protocols may keep the variant at bay but may slow down shipping again.
If the omicron variant were to cause port shutdowns, they would likely coincide with Lunar New Year closures. Above, workers at a container port in Wuhan, China.
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COVID-19

Omicron's impact on inflation and supply chains is uncertain

by Mitchell Hartman
Dec 1, 2021
Fed Chair Jerome Powell says policymakers are monitoring the impact of the variant and are ready to act to address high inflation.
It might be too early to tell how exactly the new variant will impact global supply chains. Above, a trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Nov. 29.
Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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Dented by the delta variant, consumer confidence now confronts omicron

by Justin Ho
Nov 30, 2021
Confidence ticked down in November, but so far, each wave of COVID seems to have less of an impact on how consumers feel.
Shoppers stroll in a Houston mall on Black Friday. Though consumer confidence may dip if the omicron variant spreads, higher vaccination rates and a strong job market may help.
Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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