Goldman Sachs has delayed a mandatory return to the office by an additional two weeks for its US employees as the Omicron variant continues to surge across the country.
In a Thursday memo, the Wall Street giant encouraged employees to work from home until Feb. 1. That’s pushed back from a return date of Jan. 18 that Goldman had targeted on Jan. 2.
A spokesperson confirmed to The Post that Goldman was pushing back its return-to-office plans, noting that the new date coincides with the Feb. 1 date by which all Goldman employees must be boosted. The bank has also implemented bi-weekly testing.
Offices will remain open in the meantime, but employees will be encouraged to not show up for in-person work. If they do, safety protocols will be in place including a mask requirement, the company said.
Even as Goldman discourages staff from going into the office, The Post has spoken with Goldman employees who are continuing to clock in at the office.
Goldman had been among the more aggressive big banks when it comes to back-to-work policies, originally bringing back workers to US offices last June.
When the bank announced its Jan. 18 return-to-office target, a spokeswoman had emphasized the company is eager to have its employees working in person.
Just this October, CEO David Solomon was beating the back-to-work drum at a Los Angeles conference, saying an in-person culture is critical for the way the bank does business.
But Omicron, which has been rising rapidly across the US, has changed the calculus of returning to the office — or remaining there: The variant is thought to be more contagious than past strains, though most people who get sick don’t seem to have illnesses that are severe, according to initial reports.