The unofficially named ‘Freedom Day’ is set to be an incredible step forward in terms of trading profitability for many organisations. What should you be doing to ensure you have a workforce ready to take advantage of July 19th and beyond?

What’s happening on July 19th?

Last week the Prime Minister announced that England is now on track to enter step 4 of the official COVID-19 roadmap. This means many restrictions are changing from laws to guidelines, moving the choice to follow them down to the individual’s own discretion and allowing organisations further operational freedom. 

Over 38 million people in England have now received at least the first dose of the vaccine and the UK government is confident in the continuation of the reopening plan. The majority of organisations will be able to run as they were before the introduction of restrictions in 2020 and for some it’s the first time they are able to open their doors in the last 16 months.

Here’s a summary of what to expect on July 19th…

  • All social contact restrictions will be lifted
  • All venues will be able to open, including nightclubs. 
  • Large events, such as music concerts and sporting events can resume without any limits on attendance or social distancing requirements.
  • No table services requirements
  • Life events (weddings etc.) can resume without limits
  • Face masks are no longer required
  • NHS Track and Trace check-in not compulsory 
  • People are no longer told they must work from home if they can

What does this mean for your staffing strategy?

Cities are booming

If trends in history and human nature are anything to go by, you can expect a rise in the population returning to cities. 

It has already been seen taking effect in the big cities overseas. Unacase, tracked over 1,900 people shifting their overnight locations to New York in the first two months of 2021 and have predicted this number will continue to rise as we continue on against the global pandemic. 

With a rise in the local population, city-based organisations are predicted to have a profitable next few months. It’s crucial they seek out enough workers to cope with the busy period.

Big demand, small supply for hospitality staff

The hospitality industry has been largely impacted by the COVID-19 restrictions and is set to have massive success with the lifting of them. 

One of the biggest challenges the industry is currently facing is the staff shortage. 1.3 million EU workers left the country between July 2019 and September 2020 and with an industry largely reliant on migrant workers, there has been a massive hole left in the worker pool. 

Customers making up for lost time

As social creatures, the UK population is on the edge of their seats for Freedom Day. Businesses in all sectors can expect an influx of customers through the door, ready to see loved ones and to experience the world as it was before the pandemic. 

Paul Askew, chef-patron of the Art School restaurant in Liverpool shared with The Guardian “It will be like Christmas on steroids, but we’re not in a position to take advantage.” As he discussed the outlook for step 4. 

In addition to staff shortages, the cases of people with COVID-19 are still rising and organisations are having to close down at short notice or go without staff due to isolation periods. All sectors are affected. 

Supply chains lacking resources

According to The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) “the lifting of restrictions on July 19th – ‘Freedom Day’ – will enable 2,000 more pubs to reopen that have remained shut because they cannot operate under restrictions.” This is adding an immense amount of pressure to all aspects of the supply chains to keep up with demand.

Craig Webb, the general manager at the Cotswolds House Hotel and the Noel Arms in Oxfordshire shared his concerns; “the extra laundry, ordering more beer, getting extra food. The supply chain is not what it was, we’re low on lorry drivers and therefore stock.” 

Manufacturing and industrial organisations need to ensure their talent strategy is stable enough to meet the peak-season level requests. This includes having access to and hiring the right amount of qualified workers for the task, with room for any inevitable absences. 

Find a staffing solution that suits you

Exploring the above points and conducting your own research into the staffing market is going to put you in a strong position for the coming months.

Looking for a one-stop-shop for all your talent strategy needs? Indeed Flex is a market-leading on-demand staffing platform uniting job seekers and employers in the hospitality, industry, retail, care, and facilities management sectors, smoothing the recruitment process of part-time and temporary employees.

You can book in for a call with one of our staffing experts today.