After Jean Castex’s announcements to fight against the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic in France, the government has stepped up on the ground to show its mobilization and respond to criticism.
All on deck, whileEmmanuel Macron continues his vacation at Fort Brégançon before presenting his wishes to the French at the end of the week, Jean Castex and its principal ministers are busy doing the after-sales service of the measurements.
A way of trying to cut short some reviews expressed both on the health level, with disappointment at provisions deemed insufficient to lower the pressure on hospitals, but also on the political level where the government’s all-vaccine strategy does not work according to some opponents.
Avoid disorganization in schools and businesses
The Prime Minister first announced a bonus of 100 euros per month for nurses in intensive care. Jean-Michel Blanquer, the Minister of Education, clarified the new double-test protocol to authorize the return of students after detection of a positive case. Labor Minister Élisabeth Borne has promised administrative fines for companies that do not apply telecommuting. The government has also authorized the sale of self-tests in supermarkets.
Their common objective: to give credibility to the government’s choices presented as ” pragmatic “, to analyse our journalist from the political service Valerie Gas. The next step will take place this Friday, December 31 with a decision announced on the duration of the isolation of contact cases. This could be reduced to limit the disorganization of companies.
The fear of an explosion of sick leaves
On Monday, the government announced a reduction in the number of days in isolation when a person is in contact. But there are real cases. With nearly 100,000 contaminations every day, the risk of paralysis of the country is a threat. The health crisis has also boosted the figures for absenteeism at work.
Last year absenteeism increased by 20% compared to 2019. The number of sick leaves in companies is exploding and there is no doubt that the particularly contagious Omicron variant will cause this trend to continue. Business leaders fear the return to school in January. The lack of manpower has already been one of their main concerns for several months. Delays in deliveries may well lengthen. And it costs companies: around 108 billion euros per year according to a recent study. In France, companies actually pay a contribution rate for accidents at work. If the absenteeism rate increases in a company, its contribution rate will also change two or three years later.
Broker Gras Savoye Willis Towers Watson made an estimate. The full cost for a company of 1000 employees with an absenteeism rate of 5% is between 2 and 3 million euros. In recent weeks, it’s unheard of. Work stoppages have increased sevenfold, a situation that could have an impact on the country’s economic growth.