Call to beat ‘delta blues’
WOOLWORTHS chief executive Brad Banducci has made a personal plea for the nation to beat “the delta blues together”, as he reflected on the impact on mental health of prolonged lockdowns.
In the latest departure by a CEO from a strict business script, Mr Banducci also underlined the impact of Covid-19 on his staff, with 3300 workers currently in isolation, and the pressure that was putting on the business.
In his CEO letter, under the
heading “beating the delta blues together”, Mr Banducci said he had read a lot of customer feedback and “the sense of frustration due to delta is palpable”.
“Our slow-cooking and scratch-baking adventures from last year have turned into meal shortcuts, and we’re seeing growth in chilled and frozen food categories that make life a little easier.
“We also understand that the current challenges are having an impact on our collective mental health, so it is more important than ever to look out for each other and ourselves.”
While the number of Woolworths staff in isolation had led to some empty shelves in supermarkets, Mr Banducci was quick to dismiss concerns of a return to last year’s panic shopping, which he referred to as the “toilet paper wars”.
Rather, Woolworths was seeing pressure on its distribution centres, as 500 of those team members were in isolation. However as staff tested negative, they were starting to return to work.
Mr Banducci also said the pivot to online shopping was continuing, with more than 330,000 people shopping online with Woolworths for the first time since July, making it hard to give customers their preferred delivery timeslot.
Mr Banducci isn’t alone in corporate Australia in having issued personal messages, instead of just operational updates.
In a recent blog, Telstra chief executive Andy Penn said he was detecting a “loss of hope” as Covid-19 lockdowns dragged on.
“I am seeing a loss of hope with my friends and my family – a loss of optimism, an erosion of confidence,” said Mr Penn.
“A few months ago, and shortly after her 60th wedding anniversary, I lost my mum in the UK. Like many others, I had to farewell her over Zoom thousands of miles away and I have not been able to get back since to give my dad the hug we both so desperately need.”
National Australia Bank boss Ross Mcewan, in a message titled “hope for the future”, reflected on the impact of lockdowns on colleagues, their families and NAB customers.
“It is hard, but we must remind ourselves it is not forever. The national cabinet plan gives us hope, with restrictions to ease when we hit 70-80 per cent of eligible Australians vaccinated,” he said.