Tag: postCovid

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Work flexibility ‘right here to remain’ in post-Covid world, says director at three Fortune 500 firms

Work flexibility ‘here to stay’ in post-Covid world, says director at three Fortune 500 companies

Companies are monitoring the spread of the delta Covid variant as they adapt return-to-office plans and prioritize giving flexibility to employees, a board member at three Fortune 500 companies told CNBC on Friday.

“I believe there’s going to continue to be hybrid offerings. … Flexibility is here to stay, especially if you want to be competitive for talent,” said Shellye Archambeau, a director at Verizon, Nordstrom and Roper Technologies. She’s also a former CEO of MetricStream, which makes governance, risk management and compliance software.

Archambeau said that business’ reopening concerns are being driven by the highly transmissible delta variant, first discovered in India. It’s now the dominant strain of Covid in the United States and causing cases and deaths to increase again, particularly across largely unvaccinated communities.

“Companies are watching the data very carefully,” Archambeau said. “What I’m seeing is they’re trying to remain flexible, creating the optionality for employees to come back to work but still watching the numbers and how the rates are going.”

Archambeau’s remarks come as major companies try to figure out how to safely return to the office.

Few companies are mandating employees to be fully vaccinated before returning to the office, Archambeau said. Instead, she said companies are strongly encouraging and trying to make it easier for employees to get vaccinated, even making it voluntary to return to the office and encouraging mask-wearing and physical distancing protocols for unvaccinated workers.

According to a survey conducted in April by Arizona State University with support from the Rockefeller Foundation, more than 60% of companies in the U.S. will require proof of vaccination from their employees while 44% will require all employees to get vaccinated and 31% will encourage vaccinations.

Archambeau, a strategic advisor to the president of ASU, said that peer pressure will soon begin to play a bigger role in pushing employees to get vaccinated.

More employees may also return to the office when children get vaccinated, allowing them to continually go to school, participate in in-person activities and rely on child-care services.

“I think as time goes through, companies are absolutely strongly encouraging employees to be vaccinated,” Archambeau said. “The way in which they’ll be able to work, the kinds of roles they’ll be able to play, I think, in time will be affected by whether they’re vaccinated or not. … People will want to be vaccinated in order to actually do well within the company.”

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Health

Research Finds Many Submit-Covid Sufferers Are Experiencing New Medical Issues

Study Finds Many Post-Covid Patients Are Experiencing New Medical Problems

The report “shows the point that Covid can affect almost any organ system for a long time,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, director of research and development for the VA St. Louis Health Care System, who was not involved in the new study.

“Some of these manifestations are chronic diseases that last a lifetime and will scar some individuals and families forever,” added Dr. Al-Aly, the author of a major study of persistent symptoms in Covid patients published in April in the Veterans Affairs Department, added.

In the new study, the most common problem for which patients sought medical help was pain – including inflammation of the nerves and pain related to nerves and muscles – which was reported by more than 5 percent of patients, or nearly 100,000 people, more than a fifth of those who have reported post-Covid issues. Difficulty breathing, including shortness of breath, suffered in 3.5 percent of post-Covid patients.

Nearly 3 percent of patients sought treatment for symptoms marked with diagnostic codes of malaise and fatigue, a broad category that could include problems like brain fog and fatigue that worsen after physical or mental activity – effects beyond that of many people with long Covid were reported.

Other new problems for patients, especially adults in their 40s and 50s, included high cholesterol, which was diagnosed in 3 percent of all post-Covid patients, and high blood pressure, which was diagnosed in 2.4 percent, the report said . Dr. Al-Aly said that such health conditions, which are generally not viewed as an aftereffect of the virus, “make it increasingly clear that post-Covid or long-term Covid have a metabolic signature characterized by disorders in the metabolic machinery”.

Relatively few deaths – 594 – occurred 30 days or more after Covid, and most were among people hospitalized for their coronavirus infection, the report said.

The study, like many with electronic records, only looked at some aspects of the post-Covid landscape. It didn’t say when the patients’ symptoms appeared or how long the problems lasted, and it didn’t accurately assess when patients sought help from doctors after an infection, only that it lasted 30 days or more.

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Business

Newell Manufacturers CEO Ravi Saligram says residence will stay the hub post-Covid

Newell Brands CEO Ravi Saligram says home will remain the hub post-Covid

Even if students return to school and workers return to the office, changes in consumer spending will survive the pandemic.

“The house has become the center,” Ravi Saligram, CEO of Newell Brands, told CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” on Monday.

As companies become more flexible and their employees work remotely in a post-pandemic world, Saligram expects the increase in sales to continue longer than this year.

“We believe some of these trends are going to continue and we’re pretty innovative,” he said. “We believe that we will continue to grow in the future.”

The owner of brands like Papermate, Rubbermaid and Sharpie reported better-than-expected earnings and sales on Friday that rose 21% year over year to $ 2.29 billion.

“All eight of our companies have done well and grown. And seven out of eight companies grew double-digit worldwide,” said Saligram.

Newell raised his forecast for this year, citing students returning to school in person as a factor that contributed to his optimistic outlook.

“We had a feeling with our forecasts that we would do better than 2019, and much of it has to do with the continuation of consumer trends,” said Saligram. “A big part of [the positive outlook] is that we believe that most of the students will be back in school. We’re going to have a normal back to school season and that’s a big factor for us. “

Newell estimates that adjusted earnings will be between $ 1.63 and $ 1.73 per share this year. Revenue is expected to grow between $ 9.9 billion and $ 10.1 billion.

Newell Brands shares rose nearly 2% on Monday. The stock is up nearly 29% that year, valued at more than $ 11.7 billion.

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Business

Classes for profitable life post-Covid

Lessons for successful life post-Covid

The role of Matthew McConaughey, which CNBC seems to be most advising, is his role in “The Wolf of Wall Street” as broker and salesman Mark Hanna and his “Fugazi” speech before the Leonardo DiCaprio incarnation of the real “Wolf” Jordan Belfort.

In the movie, “Fugayzi, Fugazi. It’s a Whazy. It’s a Woozie. It’s Fairy Dust” is what counts as a valuable guide. However, the actor has been known to give more down-to-earth advice in real life, whether it be through a graduate speech or through his recent memoir, Greenlights.

McConaughey recently came to CNBC during the @ Work Summit to discuss basic life lessons he learned during the Covid year. He believes this will be important to our culture as more people get back to work and interact with others on a regular basis – with disagreements that are sure to remain a part of life after the pandemic. We should all be ready to gain a better understanding of the opposing views, says McConaughey.

And somewhere between his “wolf” character and a person trying to prepare for a post-pandemic world amid a booming stock market and expanding economy, he told CNBC from his Airstream trailer that in 2021 it would still be okay, Chasing after success – if done right. “I’m for money and I’m for fame, but how we get these things, how we treat others, how we treat ourselves, fills the soul’s account along the way and that’s a long-term ROI that I think CEOs need Double-down on more. ”

Here are some of the better life ideas McConaughey shared with CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla. (And for film buffs, check out the full video above if you want to know how that “Fugazi” speech became a piece of film history.)

1. Don’t go back to what you were before Covid.

As the world enters a post-pandemic reality, the actor and writer says we should all use 2020 to reassess what’s important to us rather than going back to who we were and what we believed before.

“If we turn the page and get our freedoms back into engagement, we’re not going to snap back. Hopefully that last year when we were forced to reevaluate what the hell is important to us in our own lives, Hopefully we will take these re-evaluations out of this year and evolve as people, including individuals, “he told CNBC.

It doesn’t mean instant change, but it means reflection.

“Hey, the first day may not have to be all right for everyone. No! We’re all coming out of our own independent world and reuniting, so let’s sit down. Maybe it has to be the first week back, let’s sit down and talk about what we’ve learned. ”

Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey addresses the University of Houston at TDECU Stadium on May 15, 2015 in Houston, Texas.

Bob Levey / Getty Images

More than ever, it is a radical challenge to come together in the middle. Do you want to be radical? Come to the middle, I dare you!

Taking the time to reflect on how you have changed for the better over the past year will not only help you individually but also help you understand your place in this new world.

“”[2020] was there for a reason, there was hardship for a reason, there was sacrifice for a reason, there was a reason to learn. Let’s turn a page, not necessarily in the same chapter. Let’s turn a page and start a new chapter, “he said.

2. Learn to accept those we may disagree with.

Last year was again marked by increased polarization, for example in relation to politics and vaccines, and the conflicts have created divisions, but rarely growth. McConaughey says it doesn’t have to be that way.

“We can get away [from conflict] I still disagree, but basically, mostly, you and I are connected. You and I can still be connected even if we have opposing views and say we have similar expectations of each other; civil, bourgeois. We don’t do that right now, we illegitimate people and there is no way that can be the way forward. ”

In order to learn to accept conflict as legitimate, we must learn to accept opposing views.

3. Find common ground through facts.

Put simply, Americans must learn to agree on facts.

“We’re mistaken about what facts are. We don’t even argue about the same reality right now. So if we can agree on facts, I think we can build trust. Trust in facts can lead to trust in others, and then trust in us. ”

McConaughey believes that due to distrust of the media and leadership, we have trouble trusting ourselves. Learning to argue from the same facts will help. “If we can agree on facts, I believe we can build trust. Trusting facts can lead to us trusting others and then trusting ourselves.”

4. Be a meet-you-in-the-middle centrist.

McConaughey dared the American people:

“We have a misnomer for centricity. We need to remember that unity is not unity. I’m meeting you in the middle of the centrist. That has always been called, ‘Oh, that’s the gray area of ​​compromise, that is you ‘perceived. ” It is about nothing. ‘More than ever, coming together in the middle is a radical challenge. Do you want to be radical? Come to the middle, I dare you! ”

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Business

Submit-Covid journey increase might be ‘sky’s-the-limit’

Long-haul Covid symptoms should be a 'wake-up call' for young people, Texas Children's doctor says

CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Wednesday he expected a wild rebound in the journey from the Covid pandemic, a development that would have a significant impact on companies operating in the industry and the U.S. economy at large.

“It’s going to be booming here in this country and I don’t think people are ready for it,” Cramer said in Squawk on the Street. “When I talk to the drug companies they think it’s going to be a boom. Transportation companies think it’s going to be a boom. This could be a situation where the sky is on the limit.”

The hospitality and travel industries were one of the greatest challenges during the coronavirus crisis as various business restrictions and health concerns kept people at home – or instead they dropped flights and opted for alternative vacations like an RV trip.

However, optimism is growing as Covid vaccinations become more widespread. For example, on Tuesday President Joe Biden said the US is now on track to have enough doses for every American adult by the end of May. That’s about two months earlier than the government predicted.

As of Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that approximately 78.6 million vaccine doses had been administered in the US, of which approximately 26.1 million were second doses from Pfizer and Moderna’s shot. The Food and Drug Administration also recently granted individual approval for a single vaccine from Johnson & Johnson.

Stocks of hard-hit travel companies like cruise line Royal Caribbean and airlines have rallied in recent months in hopes that vaccinations would fuel demand. The US Global Jets ETF, which is tracking the airline, is up over 50% since Oct. 1.

Cramer said the month-long rally in battered travel stocks reflected investors’ strong belief in a strong rebound, suggesting that interest in the stocks may come from more than just retailers.

There is reason to be optimistic about a rebound in travel, according to the CEO of Royal Caribbean, whose shares are up about 45% since October 1. The cruise operator is seeing very encouraging early booking data, CEO Richard Fain told CNBC last week.

“Some of the things we thought [were] will not happen. They are better than we thought, “said Fain, specifically pointing out the ages of the people who book trips.” We really thought older people were more careful. It turns out they want to get out of the house too. “

While staying closer to home with road trips was popular during the pandemic, Cramer expects people to want to travel “anywhere” as soon as they are comfortable after vaccination. “I think they’re going to do a different way,” Cramer said. That could have a positive effect on the stock.

“This is one where you can have a lot of hosts who are ready and a lot of guests. It’s going to be a good game,” said the hosts of “Mad Money”. “Have you ever seen the leverage on this model? It doesn’t cost Airbnb more to have hosts, but they still get the power. I want to be in this business.”

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Business

Etsy CEO Josh Silverman on the corporate’s post-Covid development

Etsy CEO Josh Silverman on the company's post-Covid growth

Josh Silverman, Etsy CEO, told CNBC on Friday that no one knows what will happen to the coronavirus pandemic this year, but he hopes the company will “outperform e-commerce as a whole”.

“Neither of us have a crystal ball,” Silverman said on Squawk Box, the day after the online market posted much better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings and sales.

Etsy was a big beneficiary of the stay-at-home economy during Covid.

“If I look at 2020, e-commerce has grown at a crazy rate. E-commerce has grown over 40% year-over-year, and yet Etsy has grown 2.5 times the e-commerce rate” , he said.

“I don’t know what ecommerce will do in 2021,” he admitted, but added, “I hope and believe that Etsy can continue to outperform ecommerce overall.”

Etsy revenue for full year 2020 was $ 1.73 billion, up 111% year over year, while net income increased 264% to $ 349 million. Gross merchandise sales in the company’s marketplace – known for its independent artisans who sell a range of products – rose to $ 10.28 billion last year. That’s an increase of $ 4.97 billion in 2019.

The company declined to issue full-year projections due to the pandemic and instead offered them quarterly. For the current first quarter, Etsy expects sales between 513 and 536 million US dollars, which is significantly better than the 383 million US dollars expected by Wall Street.

In a conference call following the profit on Thursday, Silverman told analysts that Etsy had met its 2023 business goals three years ahead of schedule after the pandemic accelerated online shopping adoption and demand for essentially new product categories in its market like Face masks.

Silverman told CNBC that when looking at Etsy’s position after Covid, he saw two competing forces. On the positive side, millions of people who typically shopped in brick and mortar stores prior to the pandemic have started buying goods online. On the flip side, he said retail will make up a smaller portion of consumer spending as a full economic reopening occurs and more people eat and travel in restaurants again.

“What I don’t know – and what I don’t know that any of us know – is what will happen to overall consumer spending as restrictions wear off,” said Silverman. “What I do know is that if you look long-term, if you look to 2022 and 2023 and beyond, e-commerce just keeps getting bigger and I think we’re getting bigger and bigger.”

Etsy stocks rose 9% just after Friday open. The company’s shares are up nearly 300% in the past 12 months.