New YORK: JPMorgan Chase & Co,(pic) one of Wall Street’s staunchest advocates of returning to Manhattan skyscrapers, is offering employees the option of working from home in the opening weeks of 2022, and Citigroup Inc and Bank of America Corp are encouraging staff to log on remotely, as more financial firms grapple with the latest surge in Covid-19 infections.

       “We are not changing our long-term plans of working in the office,” JPMorgan told staff in a memo.

       “However, with the increase in holiday travel and gatherings, we are allowing for more flexibility during the first two weeks of January to work from home (if your role allows) at your manager’s discretion.”

       Employees are expected to resume their in-office schedules by Feb 1, JPMorgan said.

       Citigroup already was among other major United States banks that had loosened workplace policies in recent weeks, inviting staff across the New York metropolitan area to work remotely over the holidays.

       Now “we are asking that you work from home for the first few weeks of the New Year if you are able to do so,” the bank said in a memo.

       “We will continue to monitor the data and provide an update in January on when we expect to be back in the office.”

       Bank of America has urged employees to work from home the week of Jan 3, according to a person with knowledge of the firm’s policies. Earlier last month, that firm told New York-based employees scheduled to be in the office that they could work from home over the holiday weeks.

       The New York region has been hit hard by this winter’s jump in infections, raising concerns about what will happen at office towers and in schools after families return from gatherings or vacations.

       That’s forced a number of banks to revise staffing strategies in recent weeks, with a number of them easing off mandates to commute to buildings. — Bloomberg