Aussie companies stuck in Omicron 'yo-yo' hell
The Omicron wave is threatening to sink Australian businesses ambushed by staff shortages, a crippled supply line and a major downturn in trade.
"Business is at an all-time low," catering company owner Steve Sidd said, estimating his revenues had been slashed by 60 per cent.
"Our wage bill is still enormous although we don't have customers."
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Sydney cafe workers serve customers during the coronavirus pandemic. Louise Kennerley / SMH
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Mr Sidd said HQ Group, which operates 50 dining spaces throughout New South Wales, is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"Although we are struggling with a shortage of staff we've also got no patrons, so we are really struggling at the moment."
Until the Omicron wave hit Sydney in mid-December, Mr Sidd said his business was "humming along".
But even then, despite employing 350 workers, he was still "crying out" for another 120 staff. He had tried to use all kinds of perks to find new workers, including bonuses, transport and meal allowances and four-day working weeks.
With so many workers now sick or isolating, it was incredibly difficult to build a roster, he said.
"We are really struggling at the moment."
Ben Gullo, the owner of Reliable Food Distributors, said he was experiencing many of the same issues.
"I've actually been on the tools myself. I'm trying to run a business and then one day I'm on a forklift," he said.
"It's a yo-yo at the moment.
"We don't know what to do."
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Retail stores across Australia, but particularly in New South Wales and Victoria, have faced tough trading conditions amid multiple lockdowns during the pandemic. Bloomberg
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Mr Gullo said he had "lost count of the thousands of dollars of perishable stock" his company had to throw away or donate to charity because coronavirus had ravaged his customer base and the supply line.
"We don't even know what to order from week-to-week, and that's if we can get the supply.
"The supply chain is just stretched to the max at the moment, so it's just really, really hard being in business right now."
Mr Sidd said his business had been forced into making reactive decisions, instead of careful planning, because of Omicron.
Despite the plunge in trade, he was desperately trying to hold on to staff because he did not want to get caught short when coronavirus restrictions end.
"We can't plan," he said.
"We don't know what the future holds."
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