Soaring Omicron sick day absences force businesses to shorten hours and cut production

Ontario’s chief medical officer predicts worker shortages of between 20 and 30 per cent of the workforce in the coming weeks across all sectors.

Thestar.com
Jan. 5, 2022
Rosa Saba

As Omicron cases continue to hit new highs, businesses across Ontario are dealing with yet another blow: worker absences are on the rise as employees call in sick or take time off to look after their kids, forcing businesses to shorten hours and scale back production of certain goods.

Giancarlo Trimarchi, president of independent grocery chain Vince’s Market, said absences picked up quickly right before Christmas, due to either positive cases or close contacts. Between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, around 18 per cent of his staff were unable to work, he said, a number that has since dipped slightly.

To mitigate the labour shortage, Trimarchi said the stores have closed certain departments, such as the deli counter, early and relied heavily on seasonal staff. The grocery chain came close to closing a department for an entire day at a couple of locations last week, he said, but the company is committed to doing whatever is necessary to stay open.

“We might have to adjust a little bit,” said Trimarchi.

At a press conference Monday, Chief Medical Officer of Health Kieran Moore predicted worker shortages numbering between 20 and 30 per cent of the workforce in the coming weeks across all sectors in the province due to Omicron. A variety of industries, including grocery and manufacturing, are already reporting rates of worker absence ranging from six to 20 per cent.

Dennis Darby, CEO of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, said even though many manufacturers are just starting back up after the holidays, he is already hearing about a higher rate of worker absences. Anecdotally, it’s between six and nine per cent, he said.

“Nobody’s surprised that we’re seeing absences,” he said.

While COVID-19 symptoms or isolation after a close contact are both common reasons, the continued closure of in-person schooling, which caught many working parents off-guard, is another, said Darby. Many people who work in manufacturing can’t work from home, he said, so they’re being forced to miss work to look after their kids.

Manufacturers may have to scale back production to help mitigate worker absences, as they have during past pandemic disruptions, said Darby. Meanwhile, employers are trying to secure more rapid tests and other protective equipment for workers.

“I think we’re going to have to continue to use (tests) and I think that’s going to be really important,” said Darby.

Nitin Mohan, a physician epidemiologist and partner at ETIO Public Health Consultants, thinks Moore’s 20 to 30 per cent prediction is a “conservative estimate.”

Many essential workers in sectors such as grocery and manufacturing will be at risk, he said, continuing to highlight the need for more effective paid sick leave. Healthcare will be among the workforces most affected, not just by illness but also by burnout, Mohan added.

Trimarchi said his biggest concern right now is his dwindling supply of rapid tests, which he has been giving to close contacts of anyone in the store who tests positive.

“It makes me feel uneasy, because the rapid test is the one thing we have,” he said.

Mohan thinks rapid tests, despite having a lower level of accuracy than PCR tests, are still beneficial when used properly because they provide some level of insight. However, they should be part of a layered approach, combined with PCR testing when available, as well as protective equipment such as KN95 masks, HEPA air filters and symptom monitoring. Rapid tests aren’t the gold standard, he said, and cautioned those with symptoms to continue isolating even if they have a negative rapid test until they’re able to obtain a PCR test, if one is available (they are currently restricted to certain higher-risk groups).

According to Gary Sands, senior vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG), Moore’s prediction is so far holding true in his sector.

On average, the association’s members are seeing around 20 per cent of their entire workforce either testing positive or having to isolate due to close contact, said Sands.

The fact the wave accelerated over the holidays meant most grocers had some extra seasonal staff to help fill in the gaps, he said. But with Omicron cases continuing to rise, Sands said the government needs to prioritize rapid testing in essential businesses and organizations, including grocery stores, and has to find a more efficient and effective way to distribute those tests.

“We have to find another way to ... prioritize who’s getting rapid kits and how we’re getting them to those essential services,” said Sands.

Airlines, too, are continuing to see the effects of Omicron, with daily cancelled or consolidated flights; according to a WestJet spokesperson, the airline currently has 362 active cases of COVID-19 among its employees. At Porter Airlines, too, COVID-19 infections among staff have resulted in some cancelled flights, a spokesperson said.

In the restaurant sector, the closure of indoor dining may offset the number of workers who were getting COVID-19 or having to isolate, said Paul Bognar, president and chief operating officer of restaurant operations group Service Inspired Restaurants, which owns and operates franchises including Jack Astor’s, Scaddabush and Canyon Creek.

Before the latest closure, Bognar said his company was already seeing around 20 per cent of its workforce absent due to COVID-19. He said they did what they could to schedule around it.

Now, he has almost the opposite problem: trying to figure out how to keep as many people employed as possible.

Bognar said the company has been providing rapid tests to employees to help prevent workplace spread of the virus.

“We were lucky enough to secure some prior to this lockdown and we’re scrambling to bring in more,” he said.

Mohan said businesses need access to more rapid tests as quickly as possible.

“Rapid tests, when used appropriately, can provide a ton of benefit,” he said. “In an ideal world, I would love to see small businesses have access to them not only to keep them open but to keep their employees safe and customers safe.”

Michelle Wasylyshen, spokesperson for the Retail Council of Canada, said the organization anticipates further staffing problems as Omicron continues, but added the new shortened isolation time could help mitigate the issue.