U.K. Develops Plans to Help Businesses From Covid Absences: FT

(Bloomberg) -- The U.K. government will develop contingency plans to help companies and supply chains avoid disruptions from staff absences due to Covid-19, the Financial Times reported, citing the Cabinet Office.

The government has identified a range of staff-support measures, including former teachers for schools and volunteers in the public sector, the newspaper said. It has asked private businesses to test the plans against a worst-case scenario of as much as 25% in workforce absences, according to the report.  

U.K. Cabinet Office Minister Steve Barclay will lead regular meetings to monitor the impact of the omicron variant on workforces and company operations, the FT reported. 

As people return to work following the Christmas break, the high transmissibility levels of omicron mean business and public services “will face disruption in the coming weeks, particularly from higher than normal staff absence,” the newspaper cited Barclay as saying.

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