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By Elizabeth Dilts Marshall
NEW YORK, June 16 (Reuters) - Global banks JPMorgan Chase &
Co and Goldman Sachs are delaying plans for workers to return to
U.K. offices after the government extended its COVID-19
restrictions until mid-July due to the rapid spread of the more
infectious Delta variant.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc, which required most U.S.
staff to return to offices this week, told U.K. staff on Tuesday
that working at its London office will remain voluntary for now,
according to a memo seen by Reuters. Social distancing and
mask-wearing is required, while the broader return to office
plans are postponed until July, the bank said.
JPMorgan Chase & Co, which is requiring the majority
of U.S. staff to return next month, notified U.K.-based
employees that its broad return-to-office plans are on hold
until July, according a memo to its staff.
The investment banks had planned to bring more staff back to
offices--on a rotational basis, subject to a 50% occupancy
cap--on some of the quickest timelines.
For both banks, roughly 20-30% of staff had been working in
offices for several months, which allowed them to work out
social distancing and health check protocols.
But the U.K. said delaying full reopening until July 19 will
allow it to get more people fully vaccinated. Currently, about
41 million people have received their first shot and nearly 30
million have had both doses - about 57% of the adult population.
The majority of Goldman Sachs employees have "either had
their first dose (of the vaccine) or expect to receive it before
Monday, 21 June," Richard Gnodde, head of Goldman Sachs
International, wrote in his memo to staff.
Studies on Monday showed the Delta variant doubles the risk
of hospitalization, but two doses of vaccines made by Pfizer and
AstraZeneca offer more than 90% protection against
hospitalization.
(Reporting by Elizabeth Dilts Marshall; editing by Diane Craft)
