The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
What will be the costs of Covid-19?
Astaggering 76.8% of employers believe the coronavirus outbreak will have a negative impact on their business, with a further 55.1% admitting they were worried about it spreading throughout their workplace.
That’s according to a new report from leading independent jobs board Cv-library. The survey of 250 UK businesses sought to understand the impact of Covid-19 on organisations across the UK.
It found that 91.6% of companies are taking a proactive approach to reducing the spread of coronavirus, including promoting best practice for hygiene (87%), enabling employees to work from home (73.4%), reducing business travel (54.1%) and cancelling events (33.8%).
Alongside this, two-thirds (62.2%) of UK employers believe the coronavirus outbreak will have a negative impact on their hiring efforts.
Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of Cv-library, said: “We already know that the outbreak of Covid-19 is having a profound effect on UK businesses; no matter how big or small they are. In particular, consumer-facing industries such as aviation, hospitality and retail (excluding supermarkets) have been the worst affected as the government has asked that these businesses close until further notice.
“While many organisations are taking measures to mitigate its impact, the sad truth is that the worst is still yet to come and we’re currently hanging on the government’s every word until we know what to do next.
“At the same time, a lot of businesses have put their hiring plans on hold until there’s more clarity in the market. With global stock markets plummeting, companies are nervous about investing in their recruitment plans and this is having a knock-on effect on the industry as a whole. For now, all we can do is sit tight and do what us Brits do best: keep calm and carry on.”
Worryingly, one in 10 (9.2%) companies say they wouldn’t know how to handle an employee being diagnosed with Covid-19, while 11.1% don’t know their company’s policy around long-term sick leave. Despite this, 79.7% said they think employees should be paid during self-isolation, even if they aren’t unwell.
However, it’s not all bad news. A 2019 survey from Cv-library found that 84.2% of Scottish professionals prefer working at home, with three-quarters (75%) saying that they work harder at home than they do at the office.
Hopefully, this means organisations operating remotely will maintain a high level of productivity and business output.
Lee said: “There is no doubt the coronavirus will have a significant financial impact on businesses across the country. However, we hope that the extensive financial support package offered by the chancellor will help businesses to make ends meet in the coming months.
“With any luck, the stricter social distancing measures implemented by Boris Johnson and Nicola Sturgeon will help contain the virus and enable companies across the country to return to business as normal.”