This past week, Uber officials convened on a late-night video conference call to make a tough choice. They debated whether the ride-hailing firm should join the increasing number of businesses that are postponing their return-to-work dates for yet another year. Soon later, they announced that Uber will reopen its offices in their entirety on January 10, a date that had previously been set for October 25.
In the almost 18 months after the epidemic initially prompted businesses to send their staff to work from home, the date on which they intended to return employees to their places of employment has altered several times, according to company officials. It started in January, a full year after the coronavirus was discovered in China for the first time. As tens of millions of people waited in line throughout the United States to get vaccinated, the month of January turned into the month of July.
However, when the vaccination campaign reached its zenith, the extremely infectious Delta form of the coronavirus caused another increase in the number of infections. For many businesses, September has replaced July as the new month of choice.
Now that September is no longer a possibility, it’s anyone’s guess when employees will return to their places of employment in significant numbers.
Mask requirements that have been withdrawn and reinstated; indications that the efficacy of vaccinations, although still robust, may be diminishing; booster doses; and burned-out employees who get vaccinated at different rates are among the additional factors that companies must consider. In addition, there are differences in infection rates throughout the nation, as well as a changing power balance between employers and their workers.
The postponement provides ample time for employees who are reacting to new regulations to get their complete vaccinations. Furthermore, it provides businesses with more time to put up the logistics that go along with vaccination requirements, such as procedures for monitoring vaccination status and, shortly, who has gotten a booster vaccine.
