Half of global companies planning major office redesigns after pandemic - June 28, 2021

The Ohio House passed a controversial bill banning employers from forcing workers to get vaccinations not yet fully approved by the FDA, including COVID-19 vaccines. The city of San Francisco announced this week that city employees are required to get a coronavirus vaccine and must upload proof of vaccination to an online database by July 29. Up to half of the world’s global companies are planning major redesigns to their office spaces as employees return this year, according to some office furniture companies. Many companies said they are looking for new ways to make employees feel safe and excited to return to the office, meaning wider hallways, fewer desks, and improved air circulation. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vetoed legislation that would provide tax relief for purchases of personal protective equipment during the pandemic, prompting backlash from business groups. Whitmer said she supports PPE tax relief but vetoed the legislation because it was a tax credit rather than a grant. An Indiana judge issued an order allowing federal pandemic unemployment benefits to continue in the state until a lawsuit challenging Gov. Eric Holcomb’s decision to end the benefits early makes its way through the court system. U.S. consumer spending was flat in May as incomes dropped for the second month in a row. Supply shortages hurt sales for motor vehicles and household appliances, but the increased demand for services pushed inflation higher. Consumers have largely returned to their pre-pandemic drinking habits, with home consumption down as bar and restaurant sales surge. AB InBev has adjusted its supply chain to produce a more “normal balance” of bottles and draft beer, although more state lawmakers are proposing legislation to permanently allow cocktails to go.