US: 46.5M Cases - 761.8K Dead - 36.4M Recovered
Worldwide: 245.9M Cases - 4.9M Dead - 222.8M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
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Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 321  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 498
*Red indicates change in total deaths

U.S. COVID Cases by Region

The End of the Delta Wave
Covid cases are dropping in the U.S. Is the delta wave over?

Even though it looks like the peak of the initial delta wave has been reached, there is an inherent unpredictability to the pandemic that is humbling.

The delta variant of Covid-19 appears to be loosening its firm chokehold on the United States. Since Sept. 1, daily new cases have dropped by 50 percent. Hospitalizations and deaths, which lag behind new infections, are also decreasing.

While there are some exceptions to the overall national Covid decline in hot spots like Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho and West Virginia, some experts have opined that — based on rising numbers of immunity from vaccinations and natural infections — this may have been the country’s last major pandemic wave. Quite simply, the super-transmissible delta variant, which is responsible for more than 99 percent of the country’s caseload and is the dominant strain just about everywhere in the world, is running out of immune systems that remain untrained to combat it.

But what seems like the end of the pandemic may only be a respite. The ascendancy of delta during a summer that once promised Covid freedom shows the vagaries of the virus and its unending virulence. As delta recedes in certain areas, it emerges in others. And with only 50 percent of the world’s population vaccinated, the potential for threatening new variants remains ever present. nbcnews.com

NYPD Union Loses Big to Stop Vax Mandate
Judge denies NYPD union's bid to halt COVID vaccine mandate
A Staten Island judge denied a police union's request to temporarily halt the implementation of the city's vaccine mandate that is set to take effect November 1.

The Police Benevolent Association, New York City's largest police union, had argued in their request for a temporary restraining order on Monday that the policy does not make clear potential exceptions for medical or religious reasons, and does not give unvaccinated officers sufficient time to apply for such exemptions, as those appeals must have been submitted by Wednesday — one week after the mandate was announced.

Additionally, they noted that the department's "Vax or Test" program has been effective in ensuring public health while simultaneously providing privacy to individual medical decisions.

"Today's ruling sets the city up for a real crisis. The haphazard rollout of this mandate has created chaos in the NYPD," PBA President Patrick J. Lynch said in a statement. "City Hall has given no reason that a vaccine mandate with a weekly testing option is no longer enough to protect police officers and the public, especially while the number of COVID-19 cases continues to fall."

The union plans on filing an immediate appeal to the ruling. The NYPD could not immediately be reached for comment. cbsnews.com

Mandate's Impact on First Responders
Vax mandate could force FDNY companies to close, as NYPD faces street cop shortage
The FDNY is preparing to shutter as many as 20 percent of all Big Apple fire companies — and take an equal portion of its ambulances off the streets — ahead of the impending deadline for all city workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

On Wednesday, the FDNY said that just 65 percent of its firefighters, fire officers and EMS workers had been vaccinated despite Mayor Bill de Blasio’s order that all city workers receive at least one dose or face suspension without pay on Monday.

“The Department must manage the unfortunate fact that a portion of our workforce has refused to comply with a vaccine mandate for all city employees,” Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said in a statement later Wednesday.

“We will use all means at our disposal, including mandatory overtime, mutual aid from other EMS providers and significant changes to the schedules of our members,” Nigro continued. “We will ensure the continuity of operations and safety of all those we have sworn oaths to serve.” nypost.com

The Beginning of Mass Vaccine Resignations?
Some 5% of unvaccinated adults quit their jobs over Covid vaccine mandates, survey shows

One-quarter of workers surveyed by KFF in October said their employer has required them to get vaccinated, up from 9% in June and 19% last month.

Five percent of unvaccinated adults say they have left a job due to a vaccine mandate, according to a survey released Thursday by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

This early read on whether workers will actually quit their jobs over mandates comes as more employers are requiring shots. One-quarter of workers surveyed by KFF in October said their employer has required them to get vaccinated, up from 9% in June and 19% last month.

President Joe Biden announced in September a mandate for businesses with 100 or more employees to ensure workers are vaccinated against Covid or tested weekly for the virus. The mandate, which is currently still under review, is estimated to cover roughly two-thirds of the private sector workforce once it’s implemented. The Kaiser survey only asked whether people have quit over a vaccine requirement, not a vaccine requirement with a testing option.

More than a third of unvaccinated workers said they would quit rather than comply with a vaccine or testing mandate, the Kaiser survey shows, a share that jumps to 72% if no testing option is offered. But because the nationwide mandate has yet to be officially implemented by the Labor Department, it remains to be seen what share of workers will quit when a broader swath of the U.S. workforce is covered. cnbc.com

Hybrid & Remote Work Is Not Going Smoothly
Hybrid work 'the most emotionally exhausting' arrangement, workers report

New survey shows hybrid work twice as emotionally exhausting for employees

● HR leaders are not in touch with employees' feelings about work arrangements, a recent study suggests. While the HR leaders surveyed in TinyPulse's Q3 State of Employee Engagement survey felt that hybrid and remote work were nearly equally emotionally exhausting for employees, employees surveyed said hybrid work was much more emotionally exhausting — nearly twice as emotionally exhausting as remote work.

● The survey revealed a number of other findings. HR leaders are more likely to be burned out and less likely to be "flourishing" compared with other employees; HR leaders were nearly twice as likely to say employers kept their promises during the return-to-work shift; and employees who had unfavorable and favorable attitudes toward returning to work both listed "work efficiency" as the primary reason for their feeling, suggesting that employees' experiences of effectiveness in their work environment vary widely.

While only 100 employees were surveyed for the TinyPulse study, the gap in emotional exhaustion reported by hybrid and remote workers — and the difference in how it is perceived by HR — may be a red flag for workplaces and a trend to watch as work policies continue to evolve. hrdive.com

Hundreds of NYPD cops get COVID-19 shot as vaccine deadline looms

Tampa Bay retailers outpacing the nation in COVID recovery, report says

Should I Mix or Match My Booster Shot?

'Striketober' Hits Fast Food Chains
The fast-food model lets corporations escape liability. California might chart a new course
When you pass a McDonald’s you might assume it’s operated by the global mega-corporation. But in many cases, it’s a franchise owned and run as a small business.

This model has been a pathway for entrepreneurs — many of whom are women, immigrants and minorities — to build wealth and become upwardly mobile. But it has also left workers in one of America’s largest industries with little formal recourse for poor wages or unsafe work conditions.

Fast-food workers at stores scattered across California plan to walk off the job Nov. 9 and rally outside McDonald’s locations in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Jose, Oakland and Sacramento in a push to expand legal liability beyond individual franchisees to their corporate franchisers and to protest workplace health and safety conditions.

The protests aim to pressure state lawmakers to support AB 257, a proposed law that would establish a statewide Fast Food Sector Council made up of workers, corporate representatives, franchisees and state officials that would meet every three years to negotiate industry standards on wages, work hours and other conditions for fast-food workers.

The bill would hold fast-food corporations responsible for ensuring their franchisees comply with a variety of employment and public health and safety orders, including those related to unfair business practices, employment discrimination, the California Retail Food Code, as well as new standards issued by the council. The bill would make franchisee violations of employment laws enforceable against franchiser and franchisee equally.

The planned action comes during a burst of protests and strikes this fall, dubbed “Striketober,” as workers push for better workplace conditions and wages. Low-wage workers, having experienced decades of stagnating or declining wages and benefits, are fed up. The COVID-19 pandemic has given many blue-collar workers new frustration and visibility as they continue to operate in grueling, often deadly conditions. latimes.com

Store Safety: #1 Real Reason Workers Aren't Returning?
Study suggests overlooked reason why retail workers aren’t returning
From wage increases and referral bonuses to free tuition, retailers and restaurants are employing creative tactics to lure new talent. But a study from Big Red Rooster, a JLL company, finds that the level of comfort in-store locations may be an underestimated factor in employee retention and attraction.

A store location that feels safe and comfortable ranked among the top three elements of a job in a study of frontline workers by Big Red Rooster, a JLL company. Pay and schedule flexibility ranked first and second respectively.

When asked to define what they meant by "safe" and "comfortable," respondents connected feelings of safety to their physical wellbeing, and comfort as an emotional factor.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 16.9 million leisure and hospitality jobs in February 2020, compared to the 13.5 million reported in September 2021—a shortage of 3.4 million workers. chainstoreage.com

Dangers in the Supply Chain
Animations Illustrate Risks to Those Who Work Along the Supply Chain
Ever desirous of finding ways to reduce cargo crime the TT Club has published a series of seven animations to illustrate in graphic form a variety of theft techniques ranging from driver attacks, false authority personnel and inadequate perimeter fencing to theft from moving vehicles.

The illustrations aim to show clearly the potential dangers and make all operatives throughout the supply chain aware of these, no matter their function, location or level of experience. TT Club’s MD of Loss Prevention, Mike Yarwood explained why the Club felt this was important, saying:

“Supply chain security is a vital consideration for all actors in the global supply chain, regardless of where they are operating or the nature of their contractual obligations. Cargo loss through theft or criminal damage has always been a concern but the current stresses and strains on supply chains across the world make security an even higher priority for operators and cargo owners alike." handyshippingguide.com

Trade Group Calls on Biden to Help Bring Down Cost of Shipping
Companies to U.S. Shipping Regulator: Enough Probes, Start Enforcing
A U.S. trade group representing companies selling luggage, backpacks and other travel products has written President Joe Biden asking that regulations on shipping and other fees be strictly enforced to help bring down the cost of shipping.

The Travel Goods Association, whose companies do some $1 billion in U.S. sales annually, asked for "immediate action – aggressive enforcement, leadership to bring the full gamut (of) stakeholders to the table, provide immediate relief, and more."

They said shipping costs are now eight to 10 times higher than what they paid last fall and that they "are now witnessing rates that exceed the value of product being shipped within the container." money.usnews.com

Retail Wage Wars
Costco raised its minimum wage to $17 an hour
Costco this week raised its starting wage for hourly store workers in the United States for the second time this year as businesses hike pay to draw and retain workers amid a labor shortage.

Costco told employees last week that it would increase its minimum wage from $16 an hour to $17 starting on Monday. Costco has around 180,000 US employees, and 90% of them work hourly. Costco's new starting wage puts the chain— which has among the lowest turnover rates in the retail industry— $2 per hour above Amazon, Target and other top retailers' minimum wage, and $5 an hour above Walmart's.

Costco's latest pay bump comes as many retailers, restaurants and other service sector employers raise pay, offer signing bonuses and sweeten their benefits packages in response to struggles hiring workers. cnn.com

Starbucks to hike U.S. employee pay to attract workers during labor crunch

Shell acquires 248 fuel and convenience store locations in Texas
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Associate Director, Warehouse AP job posted for GOAT in Los Angeles, CA
As a leader within the Asset Protection and Security department, the incumbent will be closely partnering with Operations, Retail Asset Protection, Inventory Control, and Workplace Services on a consistent basis; Overall responsibility for the prevention, detection, and resolution of inventory shrinkage, internal theft, and external crime in all GOAT operated and 3PL warehouse locations. GOAT is the global platform for the greatest products from the past, present, and future. The company offers styles across various time periods on its digital platforms and in its retail locations, while delivering products to over 30 million members across 170 countries. jobs.lever.co

Corporate Risk Manager job posted for Loomis
Central (Denver, Kansas City, Oklahoma, Little Rock & Calif.)
Summary of Role and Responsibilities: A proactive approach to preventing losses/injuries, whether to our employees, third parties, or customer's valuables. They include but are not limited to cash in transit, auto losses, or injuries.  Read more here