OCTOBER 21, 2021 will be the last day that this list will be updated.
MOST RECENT UPDATE: October 21, 2021 at 8:02 AM EST. Updated Apple’s vaccine guidance to their employees.
NOTE: If you are using this information for your own blog, website, or other purposes, please credit www.brianheger.com as the original source.
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As Covid-19 cases surge due to the more contagious Delta variant, firms are reevaluating their return to office plans. Two immediate questions they are asking are:
- Return to Office Date. Do we adjust the timing for bringing workers back to the office?
- Vaccination Mandate. Do we mandate vaccinations and/or masks for workers who return?
Given that firms have taken various positions on these topics, I have summarized an initial list of how 20 organizations are responding. I continue to add to this list, which now includes 149 firms based on 141 references.
- An overall summary is provided of select themes across the collective organizations.
- Table 1 lists each organization in alphabetical order.
- One column summarizes each firms’ return to office date and the other indicates its status on vaccine and mask mandates. An N/A in either column indicates information is unavailable.
- You can use the ‘Search’ box at the top of the table to see if a firm is on the list.
- Chart 1 provides a visual depiction of the length of the return to office delays for firms that have reported this information.
- References are provided at the end of this post with hyperlinks to source articles.
Since organizations might change their views as new information about the Delta variant becomes available, the information contained here is subject to change. While I will try to keep the information updated, I encourage you to use this reference as a starting point for your own research.
I hope you find this information useful as you help your organizations navigate these decisions. Please share this post with your network and social media channels so they can benefit from this information.
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SUMMARY
Return to Office Timing
- Many organizations are pushing back their return to office plans by 1-2 months (from September to October or November).
- A new 48-page Cushman & Wakefield report notes that, as of September 2021, approximately 40% of all global office workers have returned to the office. Most office workers globally are expected to return to the office in the first quarter of 2022.
- A sample of firms returning to their office workers back in 2022, including Airbnb, Apple, Amazon, Amex, Asana, Capital One, Charles Schwab & Co, CNN, Expedia, Facebook, Ford Motors, Google, Havas, Indeed, Liberty Mutual, Nike, Lyft, Roblox, Starbucks, Target, Uber, Under Armour, ViacomCBS, Wells Fargo, and World Bank.
- Goldman Sachs & JPMorgan are among the companies that brought workers back in the summer and have not announced any changes to these plans.
- AIG, Bank of America, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank (US), Mastercard, IBM, and UPS (office workers) are staying with their plan of returning workers to the office in early September.
- For organizations delaying their return but have not announced a specific date (e.g., BNY Mellon, The Hartford, U.S. Bank), they will provide employees at least a month’s notice before the return.
Vaccination and Mask Mandates
- More firms than not are mandating vaccinations for workers to return to the office.
- Firms that have clearly stated they are NOT mandating vaccines include Amazon, LinkedIn, Spotify, and Wells Fargo.
- Although firms such as AT&T, Walmart, Lyft, Uber, and UPS are mandating vaccination for corporate and office workers, they are encouraging it for front-line workers.
- Workers with valid medical or religious reasons not to be vaccinated will be addressed individually for accommodation, according to Amtrak, Bridgewater Associates, BNY Mellon, Eli Lilly, Facebook, Google, and Moderna
- Some firms, such as Centene and Pfizer, will require employees to submit to weekly Covid testing if they choose not to get vaccinated.
- A segment of firms, including AT&T and The Hartford, require workers to wear masks regardless of their vaccination status.
Incentives for Getting Vaccinated
- A few firms are providing incentives for workers to get vaccinated, including ALDI (hourly employees receive four hours of paid time off for both doses of the vaccine), Alaska Airlines said employees who share proof of vaccination by Oct. 15 will receive a $200 bonus; Dollar General is giving its front-line workers a one-time payment equivalent of four hours of regular pay after receiving a completed COVID-19 vaccination, Kroger ( $100 bonus + frontline workers receive an additional $100 store credit and 1,000 fuel points for use at its Fuel Centers, Merrill Lynch ($200 for branch employees).Southwest Airlines (16 hours of pay), Tyson Foods ($200 for frontline workers), Walmart ($150—was previously $75—for store associates and warehouse workers), Vanguard ($1000 for U.S. employees), and Intel ($250 for all employees, and hourly employees get an additional $100 food voucher).
- While not an incentive for getting vaccinated, Charles Schwab & Co. announced it is giving employees a five percent pay raise in September to recognize their efforts during the pandemic. The increase applies to more than 90 percent of Schwab’s 32,500 employees. Schwab’s Executive Council and employees participating in the company’s incentive compensation plans will not receive an increase.
- Similarly, BJ’s Wholesale Club is giving club and distribution center workers one-time appreciation bonuses ($300 for full-time and $150 for part-time) for their continued extra efforts during the pandemic.
Penalizing Employees Who Remain Unvaccinated
- Alaska Airlines said unvaccinated employees will have to use their own sick time if they contract or are exposed to Covid.
- American Airlines and Southwest Airlines now require their workers to be fully vaccinated to remain employed.
- Delta Airlines will charge employees using the company’s health insurance $200 a month if they refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The average Delta employee hospitalized for COVID-19 has cost the company $50,000. Several industries — like manufacturing and distribution – are weighing similar moves.
- United Airlines is requiring employees to be vaccinated starting Sept. 27 or face termination. Similarly, America Airlines is requiring proof of vaccination by Nov. 24, 2021. Those who fail to comply will be terminated.
- CNN terminated three employees who came into the office unvaccinated. The company continues to allow employees to come into the office if they wish to do so, provided they are vaccinated.
- UPS said that unvaccinated office employees whose positions require going into the office stand to lose their jobs if they don’t get vaccinated.
- IBM has informed its U.S. workers they must be vaccinated by the Dec. 8 deadline imposed on U.S companies that are federal contractors; the firm stopped short of terminating employees that don’t comply; instead of losing their job, unvaccinated workers won’t get paid after Dec. 8 until they are vaccinated.
New Employee Vaccine Requirements and Job Postings Indicating Vaccine Requirement
- FIrms such as Amtrak, Molson Coors, and Tyson Foods stated new employees must be vaccinated before they start work.
- According to an Aug 16th The Wall Street Journal article, the job search site Indeed reports that the share of job postings stating that a new hire must be vaccinated has nearly doubled over the past month. Although the total number remains low—at roughly 1,200 postings per million, it is up from about 600 in early July.
- Job boards for sharing open roles at companies that do not require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 have been popping up online as vaccine mandates are becoming more common, according to MSN Business Insider. These boards are being utilized by people looking for work that won’t require them to be vaccinated.
Table 1. Breakdown of Return to Office and Vaccine-Mask Mandate by Organization
Please credit www.brianheger.com if sharing or reusing this information for your own purposes, blog, etc.
| Organization | Status on Return to Office Date | Status on Requiring Vaccination and/or Mask |
|---|---|---|
| AbbVie | N/A | Has given employees two options: get vaccinated and discontinue wearing masks, or keep following anti-coronavirus measures and undergo weekly on-site Covid-19 testing. |
| Airbnb | Employees do not have to return to the office until September 2022. | Has not yet announced a vaccination policy. |
| Alaska Airlines | N/A | Unvaccinated employees must test regularly for Covid-19. Unvaccinated employees will have to use their own sick time if they contract or are exposed to Covid. Alaska said employees who share proof of vaccination by Oct. 15 will receive a $200 bonus. Unvaccinated staff must also attend “a vaccine education program.” |
| AIG | Is staying with its Sept. 14 as its global return-to-office date. | Said that local regulations will continue to guide how employees return to offices, including mask use, official capacity, and social distancing. |
| ALDI | N/A | Is offering its hourly employees up to four hours of paid time off for both doses of the vaccine. Salaried workers will get their hours adjusted to accommodate vaccination appointments. |
| Amazon | UPDATE 10/15: Announced it will let company managers decide when corporate employees need to return to the office, if at all. This announcement is a shift from its previous decisions that office workers should resume working from offices in January. | Will not mandate employee vaccination. Will require unvaccinated employees to wear masks in the office. |
| American Airlines | Is planning a flexible schedule for office-based workers full-time, probably starting in the fall. | UPDATED 10/7: Informed its U.S.-based employees they "must submit proof of full vaccination as soon as possible — no later than Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021. Those who fail to comply will be terminated. Previously, the company was incentivizing vaccinations with time off and extra pay. |
| American Express | UPDATED on 9/9: Has again delayed a return to the office for its U.S. employees, setting Jan. 24 as the target date at the earliest. AmEx had previously moved its return from Sept 13 to Oct 11. | Is encouraging vaccinations at this time. |
| Amtrak | Delayed its return to worksites to Nov 1 from Sept 13. | Requires workers to be fully vaccinated by Nov 1. All new hires as of Oct 4 will be required to be fully vaccinated and that the mandate would apply to all its employees by Nov 1. Employees with “a valid medical reason that prohibits vaccination or testing can request a reasonable accommodation. |
| Anthem | N/A | Will not allow employees to enter their offices without being vaccinated. |
| Apple | UPDATED on 8/20: While Apple announced a few weeks ago it was delaying its return to office by one month and returning in Oct, it has now decided to delay its return until January at the earliest. The company cited a surge in coronavirus infections as the reason for the new return date. The delayed office return applies to its international workforce, including those based in the UK. Apple will still give employees one month's notice before they are required to return. | UPDATED 10/21: Apple announced that corporate employees who are unvaccinated or who have not shared their vaccination status with Apple will need to undergo a COVID-19 test each day they come into the office. Apple corporate employees that have been vaccinated will need to do a rapid test once per week. |
| Aramark | Has moved it Sept opening to Oct. 18. | N/A |
| Asana | UPDATE 9/29: Has delayed the Sept opening of its new San Francisco headquarters until February or later. The firm is also going back on its plans to require employees in the office four days a week and instead will add more flexibility. | N/A |
| AT&T | N/A | Will require management employees to be vaccinated before entering a work location and plans to begin talks with its union partners to jointly align on a path forward for union-represented employees. Pushing for employees to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 11. Requires face coverings for its employees, regardless of vaccination status. |
| Bank of America | Expects the majority of its employees to return to the office after Labor Day. | Is encouraging employees to get vaccinated and to inform the bank if they do. Employees in the office have to wear masks, unless they’re at their desks. |
| Bank of Montreal | Pushed back plans from Oct to Nov to bring back employees in its investment and corporate banking division. | Is requiring their North American employees to be vaccinated by Oct. 31. |
| Best Buy | Expects most of its corporate employees to return to the office in early 2022. However, a “small number of teams” are being asked to return to the corporate campus in Nov., ahead of the holiday season. | All workers returning to the office for the holiday season are required to be vaccinated against Covid-19. |
| BlackRock | UPDATED on 10/3: Had initially pushed back its return from Sept to Oct. 1, but has announced that it will require more than half of its employees to work from the office for three days a week on average starting November. | All individuals entering its U.S. offices will need to be fully vaccinated, and all employees and contractual workers will be required to be tested once a week.status. |
| Boeing | N/A | Is encouraging employees to get vaccination but is not mandating it. |
| BNY Mellon | Is planning to begin a hybrid system on Sept. 6 that will allow the majority of the company’s roughly 48,000 employees worldwide to work a mix of days in the office and days at home. Will provide employees with at least 30 days’ notice on its eventual full return date. | Workers returning to the office will be required to be vaccinated. There will be reasonable accommodations for medical reasons or religious beliefs. |
| Bridgewater Associates | Will reopen its offices in mid-Oct. at the earliest. | Requires that employees who work in its office be vaccinated except for those who cannot because of religious or medical reasons. |
| Bristol-Myers | All fully vaccinated, office-based employees are expected to resume working on-site on Oct. 11. | Will require all its employees working in the United States and Puerto Rico to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus effective Nov. 1. |
| Campbell Soup | Has delayed the reopening of its operations to mid-October from mid-September. Allows employees to work at four of its locations around the nation, but office capacity is capped at 25% occupancy to enable social distancing. | Must wear mask. |
| Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) | Will begin a phased return to the office in Sept. for a small segment of the firm, and then stagger various groups throughout Oct. into the first quarter of next year. | N/A |
| Capital One | UPDATED on 10/10: Has now delayed its plans for U.S. employees returning to in-person work until sometime in 2022. The firm previously delayed its Sept full return to Nov 2. Employees will be provided 30 days advance notice before any decision to fully reopen U.S. offices is made. | Will require full vaccination for associates coming to the office . Associates reporting to the offices will be required to upload proof of vaccination. Unvaccinated associates should continue working from home. This policy will apply to the initial reopening period, which will now extend through at least the first quarter of 2022. |
| Centene | Delayed its back-to-office date to Oct 18 from Sept. 13. | Will require all employees to show proof of vaccination as soon as possible. Employees who do not provide proof will have to undergo regular COVID-19 tests and wear masks at all times while in the company offices. |
| Charles Schwab & Co. | Delaying its full return from Sept. until Jan 2022. Announced it is increasing employee pay by 5% as a way to reward employees for their contributions and their relentless commitment. | Employees are not yet required to get the vaccine but are encouraged to get it and make the decision that is right for them. |
| Chevron | Postponing its Sept return to no sooner than October for employees to its headquarters in San Ramon, California and its largest office in Houston. | N/A |
| Cigna | N/A | Employees returning to in-person work must be vaccinated by Oct. 17. Those who are not vaccinated must alternatively present a negative COVID-19 test every two weeks. |
| Cisco | Nothing communicated yet and is only allowing “critical workers” to come in to the office. It is pursuing a fully hybrid approach where it will let individual employees and their managers decide how and where each staffer will work. | Requiring the limited number of employees working in its offices in August to be fully vaccinated. Will likely extend this guidance into the fall as its offices reopen more broadly. |
| Citigroup | Expects employees in its New York headquarters and office in some cities (Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and D.C.) to start returning to the office for at least two days a week starting Sept. 13. | Will require staff that are at work to wear masks regardless of vaccination status. Employees can take the mask off when at their desks or while eating if they are socially distant. |
| Citizens Financial Group Inc. | Began asking employees at its corporate locations to come into the office two days a week. | Employees in the office are required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status. |
| Clifford Chance | Has again moved its return date, but this time to Jan 10, 2022. The law firm had originally planned to return to the office on Sept 13, with up to two remote days each week for both attorneys and business professionals, but moved it to Oct. 25 | All employees are required to be vaccinated. |
| Coca-Cola | Will delay their return to the office to no earlier than mid-October. | U.S. workers will be required to show proof of being fully vaccinated before being allowed back in its offices. |
| Comcast | Has moved its Sept. 6 return to Oct. 18. | N/A |
| Convene | N/A | All employees either prove they are fully vaccinated by Oct. 4 or provide a medical or religious exemption. Convene employees who can’t get vaccinated will be allowed to work remotely if their job can be done that way. |
| CNN | UPDATE: 9/21. CNN announced back in August that the firm's Sept. 7 return to office date was being delayed to mid-October. They have just announced they are again delaying the full return to office date to Jan 10. | Is requiring employees to get vaccinated to come into the office. |
| Credit Suisse | Has postponed its full return to the office from Sept 7 to Oct 18 in the US. | Only vaccinated staff will be permitted in the office. |
| CVS Health | Most of its office sites will reopen on Sept. 7. | Is requiring vaccination requirements for employees who interact with patients or fellow office workers. Roles that require vaccination include office workers, pharmacists, nurses, and care managers. Deadlines for vaccination range from Oct. 31 to Nov. 30 based on position. Requirements for other positions are still under deliberation. |
| Delta Airlines | N/A | Encouraging, but not requiring that staff is vaccinated. However, requires new hires to be vaccinated. Announced it will charge employees using the company’s health insurance $200 a month if they refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine. |
| Deutsche Bank | Informed its U.S. bankers that they expect them to return in Sept. after Labor Day. The bank said it is following a regional approach to the pandemic and return to the office, reflecting the different situations in individual countries. | No restrictions on employees who are vaccinated and have shared their vaccine status with the company. Unvaccinated employees and employees who don't share their vaccination status, however, are required to answer a set of questions about any symptoms and travel and must wear masks and get tested several times per week at the office. |
| Dell | Will delay its Sept. 7 reopening of its U.S.-based offices. Has not announced a new target date and will wait for more information until a decision is made. | Employees who are working onsite must wear masks when mobile even if they are fully vaccinated. The firm did not say if they are mandating the vaccine, but they are highly encouraging employees to get vaccinated. |
| Discovery | Is reopening its U.S. offices Sept. 7, and on Oct. 4 will launch a hybrid model that has workers coming in thee days a week. | N/A |
| Disney | UPDATED on 9/20: Disney informed all U.S.-based employees early this week that the current plan is to reopen all U.S. offices sometime in January. No specific date was given. | The company had made vaccination a condition of continued employment |
| Dollar General | N/A | Is providing its frontline, hourly store team members with a one-time payment equivalent of four hours of regular pay after receiving a completed COVID-19 vaccination. For its salaried team members, the retailer provides additional labor hours to compensate for their time away from the store. |
| DoorDash | Not requiring corporate employees to return to the offices until January. | Anyone who voluntarily wishes to come back must first show proof of vaccination. |
| Duke Energy | Had planned to bring the majority of its office employees back to the office in phases starting in September. Now plans to start that process in Oct., but did not specify a date. | N/A |
| Edelman | Will make U.S. offices "available and accessible" as of Sept 13, but with no pressure to return. | Requires vaccinations, wearing of masks, social distancing and limiting building occupancy to 60%. |
| Expedia | Is moving its broad return to the office on a hybrid basis to January 2022. | Employees and visitors who come into its U.S. offices need to be vaccinated. |
| Eli Lilly | Returned workers in July. | Will require employees in the US and Puerto Rico to get vaccination effective Nov. 15. Will consider medical or religious accommodations on an individual basis. |
| ExxonMobil | N/A | All unvaccinated individuals have been required since Aug. 18 to wear a face-covering in indoor locations when 6 feet of social distance cannot be maintained. The company is also asking vaccinated individuals to "exercise their best judgment and consider wearing a face covering when in crowded areas for extended periods of time." |
| UPDATE: Facebook was originally thinking it would have about 50% office capacity in the U.S. by early September, with a full return by October. However, announced on Aug 12 it will delay its plan to return U.S. employees to their office until January 2022. | Will require anyone coming to work at any of its U.S. campuses to be vaccinated. How the policy is implemented will depend on local conditions and regulations. They will have a process for those who cannot be vaccinated for medical or other reasons and will be evaluating their approach in other regions as the situation evolves. | |
| Fidelity | N/A | Encouraging, but not requiring employees to get vaccinated. |
| Ford Motors | UPDATE on 8/25: Ford is pushing back its return-to-work date for salaried employees to next 2022. It announced it is introducing a short-term remote work option for some salaried employees whose jobs are not dependent on being on-site. This new remote option will allow those employees to work from anywhere they want for up to 30 days a year with supervisor approval. | At this time, only requiring employees who partake in international business travel to be vaccinated. Strongly encouraging all team members who are medically able to be vaccinated.” The United Auto Workers labor union has reinstated a mask mandate at all of its facilities nationwide. |
| Genentech Inc. | N/A | Will require vaccination for those that return to the office, with limited exceptions for medical and religious reasons. |
| General Motors | N/A | Has not required vaccination, but is requiring all U.S. salaried workers to report their vaccination status. The requirement to disclose vaccination status doesn’t apply to GM’s 46,000 U.S. factory workers, who the United Auto Workers represent. Such a requirement would likely be subject to negotiation with the union. |
| Genworth | Pushing back reopening its offices from Sept. 7 until at least October. | Will require employees to be fully vaccinated to work in its offices. |
| Gilead Sciences | N/A | Will require its employees and contractors to be fully vaccinated by October 1. For those employees with religious beliefs or medical conditions that prevent them from getting vaccinated, they will offer an appropriate accommodations review process. Where it is not possible or practical to mandate vaccination, the company will strongly recommend that employees get vaccinated. |
| Goldman Sachs | Returned workers to the office in early June. | UPDATED on Aug 25: Will require employees and visitors entering its offices to be fully vaccinated starting Sept. 7. It is also instituting a mask requirement for all common areas. Vaccinations are available at many of the company’s on-site health centers, and employees get a half-day of paid time off for each dose. Employees who aren’t fully vaccinated by Sept. 7 must work from home. |
| UPDATE on Aug 31: Google has once again pushed back its return to the office for most workers until Jan 10. This is the second time in little over a month that Google has delayed return plans. It recently moved if return from from Sept 1 to Oct 18. | All workers returning to the company's US campuses must be vaccinated, except for those with medical exceptions or other "protected reasons." The policy would roll out in the United States in the coming weeks and in other regions in the following months as vaccines become more widely available. | |
| Hasbro Inc. | Has delayed its return from Sept 7. to mid-October. | Will now require U.S. employees to be fully vaccinated before coming in to work. |
| Hachette Book Group | Informed employees that no one will be required to return to its various offices until 2022, after pushing back its plans to return in September. Offices will remain open in specific locations if employees wish to use the office. | Requiring vaccination for employees who use the office. |
| Havas | Is requiring all of its U.S. employees to be back in to the office on a hybrid model starting November 1. Employees will be mandated to work from the office three days a week and allowed to work remotely two days per week. | N/A |
| Hess | N/A | Its U.S. operations employees working in the Gulf of Mexico will be required to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 1 in order to enter offshore facilities. |
| The Hartford | Is delaying its planned Oct. 4 return. Has not mentioned a new return date, but will notify employees at least 30 days before the start of the company’s broader return. | It's “strongly encouraging” employees to get vaccinated before returning to the office. Is requiring masks for all employees working indoors, in an office or meeting with customers or others. The policy applies to all employees regardless of whether or not they’ve been vaccinated. |
| Hewlett Packard | UPDATED 8/26: Has moved its Sept return to Nov 1. | Requiring all team members, contractors, and visitors to be fully vaccinated as a condition of entering their sites and attending business events where legally permitted. Will ask employees to show proof of vaccination. |
| Highmark | Will push back its return from Sept to Oct. 4 for many office employees. | Announced that they "expect" employees to get vaccinated by Sept. 30. |
| H&R Block | Was scheduled to bring back employees in early Sept. However, the date is now open-ended due to a spike in COVID-19 cases. | N/A |
| Hugo Boss | Corporate employees are expected back in the office three days a week starting Aug. 30. | No report other than masks are optional. |
| Humana | UPDATED 9/16: Announced that it is delaying its reopening for a second now and will now return to the office after Jan. 14, 2022. Humana originally postponed its office reopening date from Sept. 7 to Oct. 18. | Will require full vaccination for associates and select contractors. Employees must be fully vaccinated or receive an approved exemption by Jan. 14, 2022. |
| IBM | Staying with reopening of Sept. 7 for many of its U.S. offices. | UPDATED on 10/10: Informed its U.S. workers they must be vaccinated by the Dec. 8 deadline imposed on firms that are U.S. federal contractors. The firm stopped short of terminating employees that don’t comply; instead of losing their job, unvaccinated workers won’t get paid after Dec. 8 until they are vaccinated. |
| Indeed | Postponing its full return from Sept 7 to Jan 3, 2022. | For now, even those who are fully vaccinated must wear masks. |
| Intel | N/A | Not requiring vaccination; will give employees up to $250 as a thank-you for getting vaccinated, and hourly employees will get an additional $100 food voucher. Those who are already vaccinated can still claim the incentive. As of now, Intel isn't requiring proof of vaccination for its employees. Will allow employees to take up to 4 hours of paid time off for each vaccination appointment. Vaccinated employees will also be able to resume “business travel and attendance at external events and conferences on behalf on Intel” starting Oct. 1. |
| Jeffries | Pushing back their return-to-office plans to October 4. | Will only allow employees and visitors who have been vaccinated into its offices. After Labor Day, Sept. 6 this year, any employees who are not vaccinated will be asked to work remotely. |
| Johnson & Johnson | N/A | Will require all U.S.-based employees and contractors to be fully vaccinated effective Oct. 4. Individuals with medical conditions or other reasons not to be vaccinated will be able to seek accommodations. |
| JPMorgan | Called most of its staff back to the office in July and as of now, they are staying with this plan. | Will require all employees, vaccinated or not, to wear masks at its offices nationwide. Vaccinated employees will be able to attend larger gatherings of 25 employees or more, whereas unvaccinated employees will not. |
| Kroger | N/A | Will offer employees a $100 bonus once they can show proof of vaccination. Employees who can’t get the vaccination for medical or religious reasons can earn the $100 bonus by completing an educational course. It will be giving all of its essential and frontline workers an additional $100 store credit and 1,000 fuel points for use at its Fuel Centers. Face coverings are still required for employees who are not vaccinated or who work in in-store pharmacies and clinics |
| Lazard | Starting on Oct 11, Lazard bankers will work remotely every Monday and Friday. | N/A |
| Liberty Mutual | Has delayed most U.S. employees’ return to the office to 2022 after previously making plans for workers to come back this fall. Employees can still voluntarily come into most of Liberty Mutual’s U.S. offices, including its if they adhere to safety protocols. | N/A |
| Will allow most employees to opt for full-time remote work as offices gradually reopen. | As of now, does not now require workers that return to work to be vaccinated. | |
| Lionsgate | Pushing its return-to-work date for employees at its Santa Monica HQ from a previously announced Sept. 7 date to Oct. 4. | All employees returning to the office will be required to be fully vaccinated. That policy applies to full-time, part-time and temporary employees as well as independent contractors and visitors. |
| Lyft | Postponed the date for employees to return to most of its offices by six months. Most of its US offices will now reopen on February 2, 2022. | Mandated vaccinations for employees returning to office. |
| ManpowerGroup | Office opening with hybrid model set for Oct 4. | Requires that all employees who are assigned to its headquarters office be vaccinated, as a condition of employment, except for those who cannot because of religious or medical reasons. |
| Mastercard | Currently plans to bring most of its office-based U.S. workers back to the office in September on a hybrid schedule that sees them in the workplace at least two days a week. As the situation improves, they will move to three or more days a week in the office. | Is encouraging workers to get vaccinated. |
| McDonald's | Informed its corporate workforce that it is pushing back the reopening of its offices by more than a month, from Sept. 7 to Oct 11. | Those workers will be required to be fully vaccinated by Sept. 27. They will be able to request an exemption for medical or religious reasons. The vaccine requirement does not apply to workers in McDonald’s company-owned or franchised restaurants. |
| Merrill Lynch | Has only brought vaccinated workers back to the office. | There is no vaccine mandate across the company, but the company is incentivizing branch employees who return to the workplace and who are vaccinated with $200. To be eligible for the payment, branch employees are expected to be in the office a minimum of 8 times between early October and mid-November. |
| MGM Resorts International | N/A | Has asked salaried employees who are not exclusively working from home to get vaccinated by Oct. 15. All new hires who are not exclusively working from home must also get vaccinated, starting Aug. 30. Unvaccinated employees at the chain’s Las Vegas properties will continue to be subject to regular testing and required to pay either a $15 co-pay for on-site or obtain a test from elsewhere and report the results. |
| Microsoft | UPDATE on 9/9. Microsoft announced it is delaying its return to the office once again. It originally moved its full reopening from Sept. 7 to Oct 4, but announced it is putting the plans on hold indefinitely. While it hasn't determined a new return to work date, it will provide employees with it 30-day notice to make preparations. | Will require proof of vaccination of all employees, vendors and any guests returning to its offices in person. Will also lay out accommodations for workers with medical conditions, or who have a religious reason for not being vaccinated. |
| Moderna | N/A | Will require vaccination for all its employees in the U.S. starting on Oct. 1. It will make religious or medical exemptions on an individual basis. |
| Molson Coors | Has delayed is return to office to Oct. 12. | Requiring employees to get vaccinated. The new rule applies to all non-union U.S. corporate employees, including field sales employees, contingent workers, contractors and vendor/agency partners working on site in their offices. Mandate does not include employees in breweries, distribution centers and manufacturing facilities. Will also require all U.S. new hires to be vaccinated as a condition of employment and they must present proof of being fully vaccinated to security before they will be allowed to enter. |
| Morgan Stanley | N/A | Banning all unvaccinated staff and clients from entering its headquarters. All employees who work in buildings with a "large employee presence" were required to confirm their vaccination status by July 1. |
| Morningstar | N/A | Encouraging workers to make use of vaccines as they are available to them; however, does not require vaccination for office access. |
| New York Times | Staffers were to work from their bureaus three times per week beginning Sept. 7, but that return to the office is indefinitely postponed. The company’s offices will be open for employees who want to go in voluntarily. | Workers will be required to show proof of vaccination. |
| Netflix | Employees have not fully returned to their offices, but they can currently opt to work there. No date has yet been set for an official return to the office. | Mandating that employees and visitors to its offices be vaccinated. Requiring vaccines for the casts of all its US productions, as well as the people who come in contact with them. |
| NBCUniversal | Has moved its return from after Labor Day to Oct. 18 at the earliest. | Will require its US employees to be fully vaccinated. The company will also require those employees to provide details of their vaccination status. |
| Nike | UPDATE on 10/7: Has moved its return to Jan 10. Nike previously moved its return from Sept. to Nov. | Is requiring office-based U.S. employees to be vaccinated against. |
| Novartis | N/A | Expects everyone on its campus to either be fully vaccinated or have tested negative for Covid-19 within the last two weeks before each visit. |
| Perella Weinberg | Has informed its bankers to be back in the office most weekdays starting Nov. 1, with some flexibility in when and where they work. “Monday to Friday, bankers are expected to work in the office on more days than not.” | Unvaccinated employees in the U.S. were told to stay remote until further notice. |
| Perkins Coie LLP | Is delaying its official return to its U.S. offices from Oct. to Jan. 3, 2022. | Is requiring lawyers and staff to be vaccinated to access its offices. The firm is mandating all employees and visitors wear masks when on the premises. |
| PNC | Began a voluntary return in mid-June and planned a full return sometime in the fall. A new full return is targeted for November. Branch employees have continued to come to work throughout the pandemic. | Must wear masks in the office and branch. |
| Pfizer | N/A | Will require all its employees and contractors in the U.S. to be fully vaccinated, or undergo weekly testing. Colleagues who have medical conditions or religious objections will be able to seek accommodations. Strongly encouraging employees outside the U.S. to be vaccinated in their own countries. |
| PIMCO | Had initially moved its return from Sept. 7 to Oct. On 9/15 announced it has again postponed its plans to return to the office to Jan. However, employees can begin to return in Oct. on a voluntary basis. | Employees who return to the office must be vaccinated. |
| Porter Airlines | N/A | Workers must be vaccinated or present a negative COVID-19 test. |
| Publicis | Has pushed back any decisions about its return to office to Q421. | N/A |
| Prudential Financial | Delayed its office reopening from September to October at the earliest. | Will mandate vaccine. |
| Putnam Investment Management | Will delay the reopening of its U.S. offices until Oct. 4 from Sept. 7. | Is requiring vaccinations for all employees in U.S. offices. |
| PwC | UPDATED on 10/3: While it is delaying the return of its U.S. offices until at least Nov. 1., PwC is providing workers with the option to work virtually permanently. Those who choose to work virtually would have to come into the office a maximum of three days per month for in-person appointments such as critical team meetings, client visits, and learning sessions. Employees who opt to work virtually full-time from a lower-cost location would see their pay decrease. | As of now, they do not require employees to get vaccinated to return to the office. |
| Raymond James Financial | Has pushed back its Sept. return-to-office date to the middle of Oct. | N/A |
| RBC Wealth Management | Allowing some employees back in office on a voluntary basis on Sept 7 and is expected to undergo a full return on October 4. | Is encouraging vaccines and/or masks, but not requiring them. |
| Reuters | Has again extended its return to the office for staff working in the US until Jan 3. Previously, Reuters extended its return to Oct. 1 | Their U.S. offices will remain open for those colleagues who can and wish to work in the office. Staff who return to work in Reuters offices will be required to wear a mask in common areas and when not able to socially distance from others. Meanwhile, the firm continues to encourage all colleagues to be vaccinated. |
| Roblox | Pushing its return date from mid-Sept to Jan 4, 2022, | N/A |
| Royal Bank of Canada | N/A | U.S. and Canadian staff have to be vaccinated by Oct. 31 to work on the bank's premises. Will ask employees to confirm their vaccination status. |
| Saks Fifth Avenue | Will starts bringing office workers back in Sept. | Mandatory that all employees are required to get vaccinated before they are allowed to return. |
| Salesforce.com | Regardless of whether a local office has reopened, they have extended the option to all of our employees to continue working from home through at least December 31, 2021. | Has put vaccination mandates in place for workers who choose to work at an office, while still allowing workers to work from home. |
| ServiceNow | Delaying its September reopening until January or later. | N/A |
| Seyfarth Shaw | Delayed its firmwide return to offices from Sept. 27 to Oct. 18 in order to accommodate those who need to get vaccinated. | Has toughened its vaccine mandate by dropping a provision that would allow unvaccinated employees to enter its U.S. offices provided they test negative for the virus each week. All employees must be fully vaccinated to come to the office. |
| Shopify | N/A | Employees must get vaccinated. |
| Slack Technologies Inc. | Is extending its office return beyond Sept. 1, but has not announced a more specific date. Is offering its employees the option to work from home permanently. | N/A |
| Sony Music | Has postponed its full reopening indefinitely after having previously set a full return after Labor Day. The company will nevertheless continue its voluntary return through September | Beginning on Sept. 7, all employees who choose to go back must be fully vaccinated. |
| Southwest Airlines | N/A | UPDATED on 10/7. Is requiring workers must be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8 to remain employed. Employees can seek approval to skip the vaccine due to medical or religious reasons. Previously, Southwest was encouraging, but not requiring that staff is vaccinated. |
| Spirit Airlines | N/A | Unlike firms that are federal contractors, Spirit Airlines has provided employees an option to get vaccinated or submit to regular COVID-19 tests. |
| Spotify | No dates announced but taking a phased, city-by-city approach to reopening by tracking local government guidelines. | Is "strongly encouraging" all Spotify employees to get vaccinated while "closely following guidelines of local health officials around the world," though the company is not mandating it. Regardless of vaccination status, all employees will be required to wear masks while working out of the office. |
| Starbucks | Has pushed its back-to-office date to Jan 2022, from Oct. | Encouraging employees to be vaccinated; as of Aug 5, Starbucks retail employees are now also required to wear masks while working, whether they are vaccinated or not. |
| Sun Life Financial | N/A | Vaccines will be mandatory for those returning to the office. |
| T. Rowe Price | Has extended its return from Sept 13. to Oct. 18. | Encouraged to get vaccinated based on CDC and government regulations, but not required to do so. |
| Target | Shifting its full office opening plan for headquarter employees from September to sometime in 2022. | Will mandate masks for team members and encourage them to get vaccinated. Provides frontline team members to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The company is providing up to four hours of pay (two hours for each vaccine dose) to its hourly team members. Also provides free Lyft rides (up to $15 each way) to get to and from their appointments if needed. |
| Tata Consultancy Services | Has has requested employees to plan to get back to their office by November 15. The firm is employing a 25/25 model, which indicates that no more than 25%of the company's employees will need to work from the office at any given point, and an employee will not need to spend more than 25% of their time in office. | N/A |
| Texas Instruments | N/A | Is requiring U.S. employees to get vaccinated. |
| TJX | Moving its return from Sept 7 to sometime in Nov. | Vaccinations are required by Nov 1. |
| Toronto-Dominion Bank | UPDATED on 9/16: Toronto-Dominion Bank said a broad return of workers to its offices has been delayed until at least next year. | All employees will be asked to register their vaccination status by Sept. 30. By Nov. 1, the bank will introduce additional protocols for workers who haven’t done so or aren’t fully vaccinated, |
| Recently announced it is re-closing its offices in New York and San Francisco that just reopened July 12, with employees permitted to voluntarily return to the office. | Requires proof of vaccination for employees returning to the office. | |
| Travelers Companies | Delaying its mid-September return by at least one month. | N/A |
| Tyson Foods | N/A | Will require U.S. employees to be vaccinated fully this year and will pay frontline works a $200 bonus to do so. Members of its leadership team must be vaccinated by Sept. 2. Office workers face a deadline of Oct. 1 to be vaccinated fully, while plant employees have until Nov. 1. Vaccinations will be a condition of employment for all U.S. workers, and any new employees must be vaccinated before they start work. However, Tyson employees in Newbern, Tennessee, are already protesting this update in policy. |
| Uber | UPDATE on 9/3. Uber had originally postponed its planned return-to-office date from Sept to Oct 25. It just announced that it is again extending its return to Jan 10, 2022 | Will require corporate employees to be vaccinated before returning to the office. Staffers who do come in will be required to wear a mask, regardless of their vaccination status. Will not require drivers or passengers to be vaccinated. |
| Under Armour | Has pushed its Sept. 13 return-to-office until early 2022. | Will require all employees to be fully vaccinated by Dec. 31, 2021 io return to campus in Jan. and engage in company-sponsored travel. |
| United Airlines | N/A | Requiring employees to be vaccinated starting Sept. 17 or face termination. |
| Universal Music Group | September return-to-office date is being pushed back. An updated timeline will be shared at a later date. | N/A |
| UPS | While some UPS headquarters employees have been working in the office throughout much of the pandemic, the company has been planning for a broader return to the office starting Sept. 7. | Is mandating the vaccine for office employees, who have until the end of Sept. to get vaccinated and can continue working remotely until then. Employees who aren’t vaccinated and whose jobs require returning to the office can request an accommodation for religious beliefs or a qualifying disability or medical condition, or they can apply for a job that doesn’t require in-person interaction. Otherwise, unvaccinated employees whose positions require going into the office stand to lose their jobs. UPS is not requiring its front-line workers, who represent the bulk of its workforce, to get vaccinated at this time. |
| US Bank | Has pushed return from September 7 to sometime in the fourth quarter. Employees will receive 30 days notice of when they are to return. | N/A |
| Vanguard | October is the soonest Vanguard’s U.S. employees will return to their offices. | Is strongly encouraging employees to be vaccinated but is not mandating that they do so. Offering U.S. employees $1,000 to get vaccinated by Oct 1. |
| Verizon | Delaying its return to the office from Sept 7 to Nov. 1. | Has been encouraging employees to wear masks and get vaccinated; is considering whether to make the shots mandatory for all employees but didn’t give a timeframe for when it might address the issue again. |
| ViacomCBS | UPDATED on 10/3: Has again pushed its full return date, this time to Jan 2022. It initially shifted its return from Sept 20 to Oct 18. | Will require employees currently working at U.S. locations “to be fully vaccinated” and wear masks. |
| Walmart | N/A | All its US-based corporate employees must be vaccinated by October 4. Is not asking store associates and warehouse workers to get vaccinated, to whom it is instead offering a $150 incentive for getting vaccinated (it previously offered $75). Reinstated mask mandate for employees working in stores, clubs, distribution facilities, and warehouses. in U.S. counties deemed at high risk of COVID-19 transmission. |
| Walgreens | N/A | Requiring workers in its U.S. support offices to be fully vaccinated by Sept. 30. Those who do not adhere to the new rule will have to undergo Covid testing. Store associates must wear masks, regardless of vaccination status. |
| Warner Music Group | Has delayed its September return to an unspecified “later date” in October, although fully vaccinated employees in the U.S. are currently allowed to return to the office on a voluntary basis. | Employees must be vaccinated to enter WMG buildings, though limited exceptions will be made under certain circumstances in accordance with applicable laws. |
| The Washington Post | Will return to the office on Oct. 18. | Employees will need to show proof of vaccination by mid-September to gain entry to offices as they reopen and as a condition of their employment. Exceptions will be made for those with health-related or religious conflicts. |
| Wells Fargo | UPDATED on 9/29. Has delayed its return-to-office plans for the second time this month, saying it will now start bringing back employees beginning on Jan 10, 2022. It has shifted its date a few times, from Sept. 4 to Oct. 18, to 2022. | Will not require that employees get vaccinated. |
| Whirlpool | Delaying its return to office date for employees from Sept 7 to Nov. 1. | Requiring masks, regardless of vaccination status. |
| World Bank | Delayed plans to from Sept. 7 until Jan 2022. | N/A |
Chart 1. Return to Office Visual of 54 Firms that Have Communicated an Original and New Return Date. www.brianheger.com
Chart Updated on 10/3/21
- 54 firms on the list have communicated their original return date (represented by the beginning of each bar) and newly adjusted return date (indicated by the end of each bar).
- The chart below provides a visual depiction of the length of the delay for each of these firms; the longer the bar, the longer the delay.
- The chart is interactive and allows you to point your cursor over each bar to see the length of the delay (e.g., Coca-Cola is 1 month and 4 days ).
- The chart is scrollable. Click on an area of the chart and use the scroll bar to advance the list.
Please credit www.brianheger.com if sharing or reusing this information for your own purposes, blog, etc.
