By Davide Barbuscia

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – BNP Paribas is moving back the date of its return to office for U.S. workers by almost a month to February 2, due to Omicron variant. This was disclosed by an executive from France’s biggest bank to Reuters.

Wall Street firms were among the first to encourage staff to return to offices, but a winter wave of COVID infections driven by Omicron has forced many to rethink https://www.reuters.com/business/corporate-america-revamps-back-to-office-plans-omicron-threat-2022-01-11 their plans and review their vaccination policies.

After Omicron’s events, we decided to go back to more conservative ways. According to Kevin Abraszek (head of HR Change and Transformation at BNP Paribas New York), we have only people who are essential for the business.

“Initially we stated that we would continue that policy until February 7, but we later extended it to February 7. However, we have recently extended this to February 7, he stated.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:) recently delayed https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-goldman-sachs-idCNL4N2TT38R its return-to-office date from Jan. 18 to Feb. 1.

Citigroup (NYSE:) said this month U.S. employees who had not been vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 14 would be placed on unpaid leave and fired https://reut.rs/3AiL3jk at the end of the month unless they were granted an exemption and accommodation.

BNP Paribas has nearly 14,000 employees in America. They will expect U.S. staff to return at least one day per week to their office, as is its previous policy, just before Omicron.

Abraszek explained that COVID vaccination was required to enter the office. But, Abraszek indicated that the bank would allow employees to remain at home if they haven’t been vaccinated.

He said, “I believe we’re going continue to look at this decision and that policy during the early part of next year.”

Abraszek stated that the bank will gradually increase its capacity to 50 percent once workers return.

He said that the average deviation was between 25% and 30% as of late last year. We’ll likely reach this level, then we hope that, over the course the spring and into the summer that it will be closer to 50%.