AP
People sitting at outdoor tables at a restaurant in Soho, London

From next month, double-jabbed people in England will not have to isolate if a close contact tests positive. But with Covid cases rising and most rules set to end on 19 July, many London business owners fear staff will have to take time off work this summer.

Isolating for Covid-19

Currently, close contacts of people who test positive for Covid-19 have to isolate for up to 10 days.

But UK Hospitality boss, Kate Nicholls, said that testing may replace isolation going forward for people who have been in contact with a Covid patient.

She has asked for “test to release as per international travel” on Twitter.

 

Rise in job vacancies

A recent poll conducted across 400 recruitment companies by KMPG and the Recruitment Employment Confederation (REC) in June also found “substantial increases” in permanent and temporary job vacancies across London.

Recruiters blamed increased hiring, Brexit, pandemic related uncertainty and the furlough scheme.

Hospitality industry incentives

Some London restaurants are launching paid training programmes to help tackle their staff shortages.

The restaurant chain D&D London has just launched a ‘summer school’. It will include commis chef, commis waiter and bar courses designed to help people with little to no experience enter the hospitality industry.

It’s first week-long programme is being held this week at 100 Wardour Street in Soho.

A bartender makes cocktails at a pub in Spitalfields, east London. Source: AP

Overhyping the shortages?

Gerwyn Davies from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development told the BBC there was a danger of overhyping the staff shortages.

Mr Davies said a “perfect storm” is occurring in the hospitality industry “where we’re seeing a demand for labour occur alongside a sharp fall in the stock of EU workers”.

“It’s a question of employers having to work harder to recruit and train their staff rather than having no applicants”, he added.

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