Asset management firm Fidelity Investments on Monday said it has paused voluntary return-to-office plans for employees in New England, in a further sign that rising COVID-19 cases and the new Omicron variant are forcing corporate America to rethink its return to business as usual.
The family-controlled company, headquartered in Boston, paused pilot return-to-office programs at its offices in Boston, Smithfield, Rhode Island, and Merrimack, New Hampshire "due to rising COVID risk scores," spokesman Michael Aalto said.
U.S. financial firms have been more proactive than other industries in encouraging employees to return to offices, but those plans have come under renewed scrutiny as cases have ticked up and the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has spread swiftly.staff home and canceled client parties and all but essential travel after the firm experienced nearly 40 new COVID-19 cases.
While the Delta variant is still dominant in the United States, Omicron has been detected in many U.S. states, including New York, and has been reported in more than 60 countries.“The private acknowledgement is that return to work plans set for January need another look," said Neal Mills, chief medical officer for professional services firm Aon, who advises corporations on their return-to-work plans.
"The discussion they are having in board rooms right now is do we push back to second quarter or push ahead because this is what we live with now," Mills said, adding that none of his clients expect staff to be in the office five days a week.
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