Critical industry groups held crisis meetings with the federal government on Tuesday night amid fears Omicron-induced staff shortages could cripple the economy, as Scott Morrison seeks a national deal to loosen isolation requirements for more workforces. Going into the meeting, industry leaders warned that staff shortages could leave ports disrupted, airports facing closures and farmers confronting the prospect of losing their harvest as fruit and vegetables remain unpicked. A lack of rapid antigen tests was also identified as a major problem that would undermine any national agreement on a uniform set of rules relaxing isolation requirements across a broader range of sectors. Peak agriculture bodies told The Australian the unfolding ­supply chain crisis would escalate when Covid-19 spread further into the regions, exacerbating food shortages and disrupting harvests across Queensland for up to six weeks. Australian Airports Association chief executive James Goodwin said a loss of critical staff due to…

Up to 400,000 foreign students will be able to work extra hours under a temporary relaxation of visa rules to ease crippling labour shortages, amplified by the isolation of thousands of workers in response to COVID-19. As the omicron wave disrupts commerce, fuel stations warned motorists could suffer a repeat of UK petrol shortages, unless rules on virus-related isolation and foreign student visa holders were loosened to alleviate staff absentee rates of up to 40 per cent. Foreign students will have their 40-hour-a-fortnight working cap lifted in affected sectors, under a plan Prime Minister Scott Morrison will take to state and territory leaders at a national cabinet meeting on Thursday. Isolation rules for close contacts in trucking, aviation and logistics are set to be eased, moving the sectors in line with lighter rules already flagged for food and grocery distribution workers who are asymptomatic and rapid test negative. Some 20 per cent…

Authority Magazine Simply put, people. Of course, you’re not a great company if you’re not profitable and growing at the end of the day, but there are a lot of profitable companies where people are unhappy and miserable. Having a great team of people who are happy to come to work, who love the business, typically helps define great companies. I believe when your employees are passionate about what they do, your company will rise above. Aspart of my series about “How To Take Your Company From Good To Great,” I had the pleasure of interviewing Kevin Smartt. Kevin Smartt has served as CEO of Kwik Chek for more than 20 years, recently leading the rebrand to Texas Born (TXB). As a family of customer service-oriented convenience stores and quick food operations, the company offers 46 locations across Texas and Oklahoma. Smartt is the 2021 chairman for the National Association of…

Orders in NYC will come from “DashMart,” a warehouse that hires employees instead of gig workers. ALEXANDRIA, Va.—DoorDash has announced 10- to 15-minute deliveries to customers in New York City, according to Fast Company. DoorDash says it will deliver from “DashMart,” a warehouse in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood that will stock more than 2,000 grocery items, household goods and prepared foods. DoorDash said that more DashMart locations will be coming over the next few months in New York and other cities. The fast deliveries from DashMart will be available through DashCorps, a new DoorDash company that hires full- and part-time employees, which is different than DoorDash’s traditional business model that relies on gig workers. DashCorps employees will reportedly earn $15 an hour plus tips and can qualify for benefits, reports Fast Company. Other delivery startups that offer fast delivery credit their use of employees rather than gig workers for their ability to…

Roadside retail will play an important role in encouraging consumers to switch from ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) to EV by integrating EV charging into their forecourt offer and developing comprehensive and compelling retail propositions that satisfy the needs of EV drivers. That’s according to Caroline Myall, Head of Research at Shopworks, the shopper research, retail design and category management specialist, who has recently conducted an in depth study into the behaviours, attitudes and needs of EV drivers in the UK. Shopworks’ research found that there are two main barriers to mass EV adoption in the UK, initial vehicle affordability and range anxiety. Affordability will be addressed in time, as EV production costs reduce, and new lower cost models are gradually launched by manufacturers.  However, range anxiety or the fear of running out of power on a journey and not being able to find a charging point to top up the…

New laws will ensure young people will never legally purchase cigarettes, with the age of a ban on sales rising each year, Associate Health Minister Ayesha Verrall says. Watch the announcement here: New Zealand would be the first country in the world to take such a step. Dr Verrall, who previously worked as an infectious diseases expert, announced the government’s Smokefree 2025 Action Plan after public consultation this year on proposals to meet the government’s goal of making New Zealand smokefree by 2025. The plan noted about a third of submissions during the consultation – 33.0 percent – were made by those with a link to the tobacco industry. She said the sale and supply of cigarettes to people aged 14 would be outlawed from the time the law came into effect, with the age rising each year. “People aged 14 when the law comes into effect will never be able to…