Iceland is just one of many businesses who is experiencing staff shortages due to workers self-isolating because they either have coronavirus symptoms or have been in contact with someone else who has. Managing Director of the frozen food chain, Richard Walker has suggested the government create different rules for those who have not had a coronavirus vaccine.
Richard revealed one in 10 of Iceland workers are currently self-isolating due to Covid-19.
The frozen food retailer said about 3,300 people were currently at home – that’s 11 percent of its entire workforce.
He added that rates of staff absences in recent days were more than double last year’s peak during the so-called ‘pingdemic’.
Iceland had to close two of its stores on New Year’s Day and move the workers to other stores nearby due to the shortages.
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Another said its absence rate stood at about five percent to six percent.
And while it was expected to rise this week, with some regions worse hit than others, it was still less than half the peak seen at the height of the pindemic last summer.
Waitrose, on the other hand, was asking staff to follow government recommendations on isolation.
A spokeswoman added: “Our absences are tracking in line with the national trend – but all shops are operational.”