Goldman Sachs Group, one of Wall Street’s staunchest advocates of returning employees to offices, will make COVID-19 vaccination booster shots compulsory as the firm stands by its workplace philosophy through surging infection rates in New York.
Anyone entering offices must get a booster shot by Feb. 1 if they’re eligible for the injections by that date, the investment bank told its U.S. workforce. In the meantime, mandatory testing will double to twice weekly on Jan. 10, the bank said. A company spokeswoman declined to comment on the new measures.
The adjustments contrast with a loosening of return-to-office mandates in corporate America as the omicron variant and holiday gatherings drive a worldwide surge in coronavirus cases. Citigroup told staffers in the New York City metropolitan area this month that they could work from home again through the holidays. Wells Fargo recently postponed its return-to-office plans indefinitely.
Goldman Sachs Chief Executive David Solomon and JPMorgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon were among financial industry leaders who led a push earlier this year to summon employees back to Manhattan skyscrapers. Still, JPMorgan sounded a note of warning a week before Christmas, urging employees to “exercise caution and good judgment” if meeting up and to get tested for COVID-19 before eventually returning to work.
