How brands and agencies react to COVID-19’s disruptive wavelength
The rise of the Covid-19 variants is causing brands and agencies to once again reassess Ad plans and back to-office policies, while also considering mask and vaccine mandates both in the office and at retail establishments.
Amazon offers workers $40 incentives for booster shots
Amazon has decided to give its U.S. hourly employees $40 if they prove they’ve received their COVID booster shots, according to The Information. The incentive applies to the e-commerce giant’s pool of around 750,000 U.S. warehouse workers as it aims to keep those centers staffed during the Omicron surge. Workers will also have the option to receive an unpaid day off upon proving their booster shot. While Amazon is encouraging its hourly employees to return to their workplaces, it has yet to officially call back its corporate employees. Hourly labourers will also face a mask mandate in their facilities, as well as seven instead of 10 days of paid time off should they test positive for COVID, in accordance with recent Centre for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines.
United Airlines Holdings Inc.
United Airlines Holdings Inc. reduced its near-term flight schedule as the airline grapples with the staffing impact of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, with about 3,000 of its workers currently testing positive for COVID-19.“In one day alone at Newark, nearly one-third of our workforce called out sick,” United CEO Scott Kirby wrote recently in a memo to workers. “To those who are out sick or isolating, we wish you a speedy recovery.” Kirby also touted the company’s mandatory vaccination policy and said no vaccinated employees are in the hospital due to the virus.
Ikea slashes sick pay for unvaccinated U.K. workers
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise globally, retailers are starting to make changes to their policies. The latest is Ikea, which will cut sick pay for workers who are unvaccinated in the U.K. beginning this week, the Daily Mail first reported. Such workers for the Swedish furniture chain will receive what amounts to $130 in weekly sick pay, while typical workers receive as much as $610 a week, according to the New York Post. The changes come at a time when retailers are struggling to keep their brick-and-mortar outposts on Monday.
Meta delays office return by nearly two months
Meta, formerly Facebook, Inc., has delayed the return to its U.S. office until March 28, nearly two months after its previous planned date of Jan. 31. The company will also require booster shots from employees who decide to work from the office once it reopens, expanding its current requirement of vaccination against COVID for in-office workers.
Get vaxxed before boarding
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. won a court battle that allows it to require proof of vaccinations for travellers boarding its ships in Florida. Bloomberg News reports that a federal judge in Miami issued a preliminary court injunction saying that a law pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis banning such requirements can’t be enforced while the legal fight is playing out. According to Bloomberg: “The showdown pits DeSantis, a rising Republican star who champions resistance to coronavirus public-health measures, against an industry that has been crippled for 18 months.
Nike Reportedly Plans To Fire All Unvaccinated Employees Who Are Not Exempt In January
Nike will begin firing unvaccinated employees this weekend, per @Oregonian. The company has had a COVID-19 vaccine mandate in place since October and will reportedly terminate employment for those without an exemption on Saturday.
Apple won’t restart in-store classes, reversing an earlier decision
Apple Inc., confronting the rapid spread of Covid-19’s delta variant, will increase testing of both corporate and retail employees and has reversed course on rebooting in-store classes in the U.S. The the iPhone maker informed staff participating in the company’s at-home testing program with Quest Diagnostics Inc. that they will now receive testing kits twice per week instead of weekly. The company told employees in the program that they are expected to get tested on Mondays and Thursdays. Apple also informed staff that it is reversing course on its move to bring back in-person classes at its retail stores in some regions later this month.
CNN closes offices, again, to non-essential employees
CNN president Jeff Zucker announced to all of the news network’s employees over the weekend that the company was returning to many of the same protocols that were in place during previous COVID-19 surges, including shuttering its offices nationwide to all but essential personnel who are required to work in-person to do their jobs. “We are doing this out of an abundance of caution,” Zucker said in a companywide memo, adding that for those workers who’ll remain in the office, masks will be mandatory at almost all times, and that some studios would be restructured to minimize the number of people in any given space.
Grammy Awards postponed indefinitely
The Grammy Awards, originally scheduled for Jan. 31, have been indefinitely postponed due to rising COVID cases. Although last year’s ceremony was scaled down, this year’s broadcast would have resembled a pre-pandemic production with a full audience at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Fox axes ‘Toast & Roast’ NYE special
In light of the “recent velocity of the spread of Omicron cases,” Fox has made the call to cancel “Fox’s New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2022,” an annual live telecast that was slated to occur in New York’s Times Square this year. A statement from the network said that the current COVID-19 situation renders it impossible to produce a special that “meets our standards,” making Fox the first such media company to alter its New Year’s broadcast plans. Replacement programming for the Dec. 31 festivities is to be announced in the coming days, the statement added.
Broadway closes multiple shows
Hugely popular Broadway shows have refunded tickets for the safety of audiences and as positive cases are reported within their casts. “Hamilton” and “Aladdin,” two of Broadway’s biggest earners, have pulled performances through at least Dec.r 26 and “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” was off until Dec. 28. Shows like “Jagged Little Pill” and the off-Broadway show “Trevor” have announced permanent closure because of COVID cases and “The Rockette’s Christmas Spectacular” announced that it would end its holiday run early.
Advertising Week issues vaccination mandate
Advertising Week New York has gone hybrid. The event, which runs from Oct. 18-21, 2021 at Hudson Yards, announced specific health protocols in place for the in-person portions of the week. Most notably, all attendees, including speakers and staff, were required to show proof of vaccination. More specific details around its on-site safety protocols were emailed to ticket and press pass holders ahead of the event, including updates on the event’s website.
ANA expected to mandate vaccinations at ‘Masters of Marketing’
The Association of National Advertisers is expected to require vaccinations for in-person attendance at its biggest event of the year, “Masters of Marketing,” slated for Oct. 8-9 in Orlando at the Rosen Shingle Creek resort. The event will be made available virtually. An email sent recently publicizing the event included a link to safety protocols that states vaccinations would not be required. But now the trade group is leaning toward requiring vaccinations, according to a representative, who noted that final plans are still being formulated. The decision comes as Florida continues to deal with a wave of COVID cases that have overwhelmed healthcare facilities.
3AF and Ad Council team up on vaccination campaign
The Asian American Advertising Federation and the Ad Council have teamed up on a vaccination awareness campaign targeting Asian Americans. Ads will run in English, Korean, Filipino/Tagalog, Hindi, Cantonese and Mandarin. The spots direct viewers to information about vaccines including eligibility, efficacy, safety and where to get vaccinated. Media placements include Crossings TV, The Filipino Channel, The Filipino Press, iTalkBB, On Demand Korea, Sky Link TV, KTSF-TV and Zee TV.“At 3AF, we believe in the power of Asian American media. They are a critical conduit to our Asian American community. After all, they know best how to reach their viewers, listeners, subscribers, and readers,” Indrajit Majumdar, 3AF President, said in a statement.
McDonald’s sets new vax rules for corporate staff
McDonald’s Corp. postponed its office reopening date by about a month, to Oct. 11,last year, requiring U.S. corporate employees to be vaccinated before they return, and required that masks be worn while in the office,
Google may pay remote workers less, per report
Some workers at Google with longer commutes who choose to work from home permanently post COVID-19 may receive pay cuts, according to a recent report from Reuters. The report found that the digital giant’s pay calculator looks at home residence, and could slant salary accordingly if that home is located in a less expensive area. One example the report offered was that of an employee working from home in Stamford, CT, who would receive 15% less than a colleague working from home in New York City. Reuters cited a sociology professor concerned about how the pay cuts may affect families.
Citigroup tells metro workers to get vaccinated
Citigroup announced that starting Sept. 13, all staffers in the New York Tri-State area, Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, are expected to return to the office at least two days a week, and must be vaccinated.
“Given the increased number of employees returning to these buildings, and the Delta variant in the U.S., we are taking this approach to ensure a safe workplace,” Sara Wechter, Citi’s head of human resources, wrote in a LinkedIn post. “These are our plans as of today, and I assure you if the facts change, we will too,” Wechter’s post read. “For our colleagues working at our branches, we strongly encourage them to get vaccinated and will require rapid testing and wearing of masks for all colleagues,” she continued.
The coronavirus pandemic has reached almost every country in the world. Its spread has left national economies and businesses counting the costs, as governments struggle with new lockdown measures to tackle the spread of the virus. Despite the development of new vaccines, many are still wondering what recovery could look like.
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