J.P. Morgan employees in Manhattan who have not gotten vaccinated against the Wuhan coronavirus will be required to work from home, Reuters reported Tuesday.
In a company memo sent to employees, obtained by Reuters, it said that unvaccinated staff should get vaccinated and the vaccinated should get a booster shot. Reportedly, over 90 percent of J.P. Morgan’s Manhattan-based employees are vaccinated against COVID-19, and the minority of unvaccinated employees were permitted to work in-person given they were tested twice a week.
"We continue to agree with health authorities that being vaccinated against COVID-19 is the best way to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe - especially as we face the winter months and a new variant - so please consider getting vaccinated if you aren't already, and getting your booster if you are," the memo stated.
This week, New York instated a mask mandate for indoor public spaces unless the business requires proof of vaccination. In the memo, J.P. Morgan described the mandate as “unfair” and said it would “slow the progress” toward normalcy.
"It seems unfair to require our vaccinated employees to wear masks all day at their desks, and would be a step that would slow the progress we've already made toward business normalcy," the memo stated. Vaccinated staff will only be required to wear masks while entering and exiting lobbies, riding elevators, and at the cafes when they are not actively eating.
“U.S. financial firms have been more proactive than other industries in encouraging employees to return to offices. But the recent surge in cases has caused some to rethink their strategies. Many companies are struggling with COVID precautions, given they can often prove divisive,” Reuter’s report states.“Some are reluctant to ask staff to return to offices when measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing – which undermine the benefits of congregating in person – are still in place.”