'Miserable consequences' | What does the COVID delay mean for business leaders?

On Monday evening, leaders were likely on tenterhooks and considering the need for revision of working structures as Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation to confirm the extension of current coronavirus restrictions.

The delay of four weeks came about as a result of rising cases of the more transmissible Delta variant within the UK – causing further disruption to industries that are yet to reopen after over a year of mandatory closures, and alterations to timelines for those who were using June 21, 2021, as a signpost to workers that the office was once again a viable working environment.

Speaking to the BBC, the Night Time Industries Association said the delay to the roadmap was a "devastating blow" that would "drive down confidence in the sector to a new low", forcing more workers to leave the industry, whilst Julian Bird, Chief Executive of the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre, said thousands of jobs were "hanging in the balance,” as a result.

Yet, whilst the delay to the England’s easing of restrictions looks set to cause headaches, what does it actually mean for leaders?