From vaccine mandates to mask requirements, banks are being forced to make difficult decisions in response to fast-changing conditions. Here's a look at where 14 large and midsize companies have landed — at least for now.

Compensation needs to be competitive, of course, but employees also need to feel appreciated. In a challenging labor market, here’s how banks can retain their best workers and keep them motivated.

PNC Financial Services Group said it will raise its hourly minimum wage to $18 an hour from $15, joining the ranks of firms increasing pay amid labor shortages.

The more stringent safety measures, announced to staff on Tuesday, signal escalating caution at Goldman, which greeted the return of employees in June with live music and food trucks.

An opponent of affirmative action is challenging the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval of a rule to get more women and minorities on the boards of companies trading on Nasdaq.

The new standards give some 300 listed banks up to five years to meet targets for including women and minorities on their boards, or explain why they aren't doing so. State officials and investors had already pushed banks about the need to rethink their approaches to recruiting directors.

The Boston-based firm plans to close its two midtown Manhattan offices, the company said. Its New York-based staff will work remotely or from buildings in New Jersey and Connecticut.

M&T in New York, which is seeking regulatory approval to buy People’s United Financial, recently disclosed plans for around 1,000 layoffs. The backlash — focused on job cuts in the seller’s hometown of Bridgeport — has been stronger than in other recent deals.

CoinFund, a blockchain-focused investment firm, hired Christopher Perkins from Citigroup as managing partner and president to help bridge the gap to the traditional finance sector.

In the short term, the Biden administration is asking the industry to help previously unbanked households access their funds. Longer term, some banks see a real opportunity in advising their customers on what to do with the large cash influx.