JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs staffers return to London in droves
Bankers at JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs have returned to their London offices in droves, as the UK continues to inch out of lockdown.
Around 15 per cent of JP Morgan’s staff in the City – some 1,800 people – went into the office last week, up from about 10 per cent at Christmas.
For Goldman Sachs, today represented the first day back at the office for some. The investment bank is expecting attendance to increase in the coming weeks to about 20 per cent of its roughly 6,000 workforce in the capital, a source told Bloomberg.
It is understood neither bank is forcing staff back in.
The UK is gently easing coronavirus restrictions, having been in lockdown for the duration of 2021 so far. Last month the ‘stay at home’ guidance was eased.
People are now allowed to meet friends and family outside in groups of six or as two households, but no further clarity has been given on whether people should continue to be advised to work from home.
Changes are being considered as part of a social distancing review, with alternations expected to come no earlier than 17 June.
There has been much talk about which working models will be adopted post-Covid. Many large City firms like PwC and Linklaters have already said they will grant staff more flexibility to work remotely for part of the week, however, they still consider the office and staff face-to-face time a core part their business.
Others, like Goldman Sachs chief executive David Solomon, have labelled working from home an “aberration”.
JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs declined to comment.