The intensifying labor shortage is affecting the Canadian economy, forcing some businesses to slow down their operations, reduce their hours of operation and, in some cases, euthanize farm animals. The situation is the result of a chronic labor shortage, made worse by the rise in new cases of COVID-19, which is forcing many people to self-isolate. School closures have also forced some workers to scramble for childcare and some remain unable to go to work.
These various elements translate into increasing absenteeism, prompting airlines to cancel flights, pharmacies to close earlier and restaurants to simply offer “take out” menus.
At a slaughterhouse near Quebec, the labor shortage has become so severe in recent days that chickens that cannot be processed have been euthanized. The Exceldor cooperative says the increase in COVID-19 infections and the severe staff shortage have forced it to resort to “humanitarian euthanasia”.
She attributes the prolonged shortage of workers at Exceldor to federal delays in processing temporary foreign worker applications. Meanwhile, some provinces have tried to alleviate staffing issues by shortening periods of isolation, allowing people to return to work sooner.
The large number of new cases every day caused by the highly transmissible Omicron variant continue to force many workers to remain confined to their homes, and businesses are struggling to stay open. Moreover, even those that remain open face a planning nightmare, as the increase in unplanned absences – in addition to changing Public Health restrictions – make them difficult to operate.
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“Omicron has resulted in more unplanned absences, not to mention the complications caused by the sudden government restrictions,” Retail Council of Canada spokesperson Michelle Wasylyshen said. An influx of people unable to work and changing public health measures “are disrupting schedules that were often planned weeks in advance,” she added. Some businesses have responded to the disruption by developing new plans for how to operate during the new wave of contaminations, while others must change their hours or shut down altogether.
The Jean Coutu chain of pharmacies indicates on its website that some of its stores may have to change their opening hours to ensure the maintenance of essential services.
Omicron has resulted in more unplanned absences, not to mention complications caused by sudden government restrictions
Marie-Claude Bacon, spokesperson for Metro, Jean Coutu’s parent company, explained that the health and safety of employees and customers has been the company’s priority since the start of the pandemic. “As absenteeism has fluctuated over the past 20 months, we continue to make the necessary staffing adjustments as needed at the store level and [des centres de distribution] to minimize the impact on our business, ”she wrote in an email.