Many changes were taking place across the globe, especially with COVID-19 changing the way the world was communicating and interacting with one another. Since the virus did not have a cure and people did not know enough about it when it initially came out, the mortality rate relating to the virus was high in most countries, around the world. In April and May, there were 147,785 deaths in the UK, according to the Statistical Bureau. Furthermore, with the spread of the virus as fast and prevalent as it was, the only way to reduce it was limiting human interaction.
The Government immediately hopping onto the opportunity implemented new rules that forced people to stay indoors. Companies were not allowed to entertain the same number of employees within their premises as they were in the past. The changes meant that companies that could implement new rules relating to remote working were doing just that. Many industries like construction, hospitality, mechanical work among others who could not take the plunge, were waiting for things to get better before they could start working again. Other companies toyed with the idea of creating sustainable systems and automated tasks, but with the pandemic, they had to start making those changes immediately.
Additionally, there were massive travel restrictions with a ban on a large number of flights from all countries, that they were preventing from entering the UK. These changes also meant that there were challenges for the businesses and companies working within the country. Companies conducting business around trade and travel were finding it quite challenging to get through the process. The country, along with many other countries, went through a national lockdown as well. People were not allowed to leave their home unless they were working on essential services. Businesses that handled a lot of their work in person were forced to shut shop, or they had to work on the down-low with a small number of people to reduce the spread of the virus.
When questioned about the changes, most companies mentioned that they noticed a significant decrease in productivity. The same report was sent to the people working within the company, and they mentioned finding it difficult to focus on their work since they had so much going on in their respective homes.
There were a large number of people across the UK who were losing their jobs since companies could not meet their deadlines with the largest chunk of the population at home. Furthermore, with the unemployment rate steadily rising, people were not sure about the future, which meant they did not want to spend their money unnecessarily. The Government started paying the salaries of about 4.5 million people in the UK through the furlough scheme. They were sending money to companies who were using it to pay 80% of their employees salaries, with the company paying the difference. Even with such schemes, companies could not make their ends meet, and a large number of them went under. There were close to 2.5 million people without jobs through the pandemic while there were many who were looking for work and another group altogether who were not interested in getting the work until they noticed the markets stabilising again. No one wanted a job where their company could shut soon after they were hired.
The unemployment rate in the UK was staying steady at 3.9% for the longest time but suddenly started rising, after a constant slump of 5 months. There were some predictions that it would reach the double digits by the end of the year, the UK came up with various ways of befitting the economy, and it currently stands at 4.9%.
To assist in bettering the economy, other than assisting with the furlough scheme, companies had to also do enough to sustain themselves, so the Government started giving them opportunities. A majority of the companies were allowed to open their doors, to cater to small numbers of people. The people who wanted to work with these businesses had to follow the rules of wearing their face masks, maintaining the right social distance, using hand sanitisers, and so on. Unfortunately, the country started seeing an increase in the number of cases again, which meant that the Government had to decide on another lockdown, which was not something they wanted.
Since the start of the pandemic, the UK has seen more than 2.3 million cases of COVID, with about 72,000 deaths caused because of the virus.
With all the changes that were taking place, companies were also dealing with their version of a new normal. They were going through the communication process, whether with their clients or internal teams, through virtual platforms or over the phone. Since most people were not allowed to leave their house for the sake of protecting those close to them, they were working with their phone on audio and or video calls and keeping everyone safe. 80% of the companies in the UK started working remotely, which made remote and virtual coordination a lot easier.
With HR teams working on the same rules, employers were unsure about the people they were bringing in, so they started getting through background checks. Many background checks were going around the UK, and depending on the job description and position that an individual is applying for, they would need a specific one. Some are coordinated with various agencies, while others are coordinated through the police department.
Just after announcing a cure and the world working toward getting better, the UK learned that they had a new deadlier strain of the virus and the country that was slowly opening up, found all the other countries shutting their borders on the UK again. After a year of going through the pandemic, it seems like the UK has a better handle on the virus this time around since they immediately went into implementing new rules and taking necessary measures.