JPMorgan Chase has told UK-based staff that more of them will return to office working starting in June as the country begins to wind down Covid-related restrictions.
The American bank said in a memo that more workers would come to its London and Bournemouth sites from June 21st. The offices will operate at a maximum of 50 per cent of their capacity, with all workers gradually moving to a “consistent schedule” of home and office working, according to a memo.
A vaccination is not required in order to return to the office at this time, the bank said in the memo.
More than two-thirds of all adults in the UK have received at least one dose of a vaccine.
Last month JPMorgan said all employees in the US would be in the office on rotation by early July. It follows Wall Street rival Goldman Sachs, which has said US staff should be prepared by June 14th to work from offices again, while those in the UK should be ready by June 21st, according to an internal memo .
European banks are taking a more flexible approach to working patterns. Société Générale plans to allow its French staff to work from home for up to three days a week, while Barclays chief executive officer Jes Staley said last month his firm will likely avoid a strict mandate on time in the office.
Standard Chartered has abolished individual offices to cultivate hybrid working, and HSBC has made several big changes such as declaring UK call-centre workers can stay home permanently.
A UK government roadmap plans to end all legal limits on social contact on June 21st so long as Covid cases remain in check. In Scotland, where JPMorgan has offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh, the timetable may vary. – Bloomberg
