|
Stay Ahead: Insights from APCO |
|
APCO is tracking Americans’ attitudes and behaviors related to COVID-19. The latest installment looks at Americans’ outlook on the recovery phase of the pandemic: |
|
| "The onset of a global pandemic brought rapid shifts to every industry, but few had to adjust to impose novel employee safety protections while remaining operational. Hospitals and health providers obviously faced similar considerations.
We often say that true leadership means bringing others along toward a common goal. As economies reopen and people get back to work en masse, it is the practices of these sectors that should translate into tried and proven methods for employee safety." |
|
"We must recognize that everyone’s situation is different. We’ve all experienced these last couple of months from our individual perspectives, and sometimes the global nature of this pandemic makes it seem like we are experiencing it the same way.
While some of us may be working from home, our spouses or partners may be going to work every day under tough situations. We may be living in households marked by loss, both of life and employment. We may be living alone in small quarters without much human contact. But there are incredibly easy ways employers can support their workforce in ways that meet the needs on an individualized level." | |
|
APCO Webinars
APCO Worldwide continues to host webinars on the impact of the global pandemic from different industry and regional perspectives. This week, APCO colleagues hosted panel discussions on the road to recovery for the tourism sector in the Middle East and the changing relationship between technology, governments and citizens in the post-pandemic era.
Missed these webinars? You can access all our webinar recordings and other resources at APCO’s Coronavirus Hub.
|
|
ITALY: THE RECOVERY DEBATE |
|
APCO colleagues are sharing on-the-ground insights and analysis on the impact of COVID-19 in markets around the world. Today’s dispatch is from APCO's Milan office, highlighting Italy’s ongoing debate on the post-pandemic recovery. For more information, please contact Matteo Martone.Italy was seriously hit by COVID-19 before most other Western countries, reaching the peak in daily new infections in late March and finally lifting limitations on movement between regions in early June. During this time, concerns over the health emergency in the worst affected northern areas of Lombardy, Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna were accompanied by worries about the lockdown’s impact on an already struggling economy. According to the OECD’s latest outlook, Italy’s GDP is projected to fall by 11.3 -14% in 2020 before recovering by 5.3-7.7% in 2021, depending on whether there is another outbreak occurs later this year. The Italian government has tackled the economic consequences of the pandemic with several emergency packages, from measures to support workers’ incomes, to specific incentives to boost demand, to tools to boost liquidity by guaranteeing loans, deferring tax payments and offering tax credits. In this next phase, the focus of the political debate will still be on the economy, with a recovery plan expected to be discussed in the one-week-long “ estates general,” where the government will meet business associations, trade unions, EU leaders and other stakeholders. The outcome of this recovery plan will be critical for not only the national government facing strong public pressure but also for several industries that are crucial for the Italian economy. In particular, small and medium-sized businesses and large corporations in the tourism, services, industrial manufacturing, infrastructure and construction industries, as well as “Made in Italy” champions and small retailers are in need of a strong economic boost, reduced red tape and incentives to encourage digitization to keep up with the growing global competition. |
|
Some Positive NewsWe are foregoing our regular positive news section to recognize the ongoing protests around the world on systemic racism, which emphasize the need for change and to make our collective voices heard. Read APCO’s statement on the situation here. More Tips from Around the Water Cooler- Ordinary office elevator now coronavirus risk-multiplying bottleneck. Expert tips: Stay in your corner, face the walls, carry toothpicks, Chicago Tribune
- Coronavirus vaccine tracker, The New York Times
- Research: How socioeconomic status impacts the way we network, Harvard Business Review
- Widespread mask-wearing could prevent COVID-19 second waves: Study, Reuters
- Quarantine has changed us — and it’s not all bad, Vox
APCO is opening up the virtual water cooler for submissions from our readers - please share your article suggestions with us here. |
|
Quotables
“People of color right now are more likely to be infected, and we’re more likely to die. What we’re seeing here is the direct result of racism. That’s the thing that is slapping us in the face. Actually, it’s lashing us like whips.”
- Camara Phyllis Jones, Former President, American Public Health Association
“By the end of 2021, the loss of incomes exceeds that of any previous recession over the last 100 years outside wartime, with dire and long-lasting consequences for people, firms and governments."
- Laurence Boone, Chief Economist, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
|
|
| The APCO team is working with clients globally to manage this crisis, and we stand ready to support your needs. For more resources from APCO, including our latest research, information on how we can help or to contact us, visit apcoworldwide.com/coronavirus. |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
