(Reuters) – American Express Co has postponed a full return of employees to its offices in the United States until at least Oct. 11 due to the rapid spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters on Tuesday.
The memo, sent by Chief Executive Officer Steve Squeri to all U.S. colleagues, said AmEx will continue to monitor the U.S. situation closely and is prepared to delay a return to office further if trends deem it necessary.
Offices will remain open for employees who want to come in or are unable to work effectively from home, the memo said. Squeri also stressed on the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
Major businesses worldwide that were looking at various hybrid and other models to bring their staff back to the office, have lately been delaying their return-to-office dates due to the Delta variant.
Earlier in the day, Citigroup Inc mandated vaccinations for its U.S. employees returning to its New York headquarters and offices in some other cities.
(Reporting by Sohini Podder in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)
