Many big companies are rethinking their plans to reopen their offices and require workers to return in September.
And now some have officially pushed back their reopening dates into October, hoping that the current surge in Covid-19 infections will subside.
BlackRock Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co. have pushed their return-to-office plans back a month to early October, Bloomberg News reported Thursday.
“Wells Fargo, with almost 260,000 employees, will now begin bringing back staffers who have been working remotely starting Oct. 4 rather than Sept. 7., as previously announced,” Bloomberg reported, citing an internal memo Thursday from Chief Operating Officer Scott Powell.
Delays are also being considered at several New York City law firms and other mega-banks. Many have also reversed themselves on mask requirements and now plan to have all workers wear masks in public areas, regardless of vaccination status.
Now that Wells Fargo and BlackRock have delayed reopening, other firms are expected to follow suit. None want to be seen as endangering their workers.
This will be a disappointment to businesses in major cities that cater to office workers. Many were preparing for a return of employees and hoping to see a restoration of sales that have been depressed for a year and a half.