Blackstone Returns to US Offices, JPMorgan Chase to UK Offices Next Month
By Celia Young May 11, 2021 1:56 pm
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Scratch those summer work-from-home plans, because it’s back to the office for two more companies.
Blackstone Group wants its fully vaccinated workers to return to the office full-time on June 7. Across the Atlantic, JPMorgan Chase told U.K-based staff to return to its London and Bournemouth sites after June 21, according to a memo obtained by Commercial Observer.
Starting with the state-side return, Blackstone announced its plans internally early on Monday, Bloomberg first reported. It becomes yet another in the growing list of companies calling employees back to the office as the number of people vaccinated grows. JPMorgan Chase previously called its U.S. employees back to the office for a May 17 return date — though vaccinations are not a requirement.
JPMorgan told its U.K. staff that its London and Bournemouth sites would operate at 50 percent capacity, with all employees in England returning on a consistent home and office work schedule, according to the memo. As is with the company’s U.S. return to work, vaccinations are not a requirement to return.
The company’s Glasgow and Edinburgh offices will return to work in accordance with the Scottish government’s guidance, according to the memo.
Spokespeople for Blackstone and JPMorgan did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Other European banks have taken a more flexible approach to the return to the office, like Barclays (BCS), whose CEO has said will avoid a strict rule on time in the office, and Societe Generale SA, which plans to allow French staff to work remotely up to three days a week, according to Bloomberg.
Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Morgan Stanley have been inviting U.S. workers back to the office as well, in a list expected to grow as vaccination numbers rise. The return to the office, however, has not been homogenous. Twitter said it would allow its staff to work from home permanently last year. Spotify and Salesforce have also announced permanent remote work policies.
