Wells Fargo sets March 14 return-to-office date after delays

Wells Fargo sets March 14 return-to-office date after delays
The bank is allowing some fully vaccinated staff to voluntarily return, as well as resume business meetings, travel, and client visits.
FEB 10, 2022
By  Bloomberg

Wells Fargo & Co. is planning to bring employees back to the office in mid-March, after the firm’s return plans were repeatedly upended last year due to Covid-19 surges.

Most groups, including customer-facing employees and those in enterprise functions, will return under a “hybrid flexible model” beginning March 14 regardless of vaccination status, according to a memo Wednesday from Chief Operating Officer Scott Powell. Operations and contact-center employees will start their return following staff employees.

“When we start returning to the office it’s going to be a lot of flexibility, way more flexibility than we had before the pandemic,” Powell said in an interview, adding that in most cases that means three days a week in the office. “We will adapt the model as we go forward, as we know more.”

Wells Fargo, which had 249,435 employees at the end of last year, originally set a September return for staff working from home. That plan was delayed multiple times, first by the delta variant and then the omicron variant, and in December the firm postponed return-to-office indefinitely. As of Wednesday, the bank is allowing some fully vaccinated staff to voluntarily return, as well as resume business meetings, travel, and client visits, according to the memo.

The San Francisco-based bank is encouraging vaccines without requiring them so far. Fully vaccinated employees can choose not to wear a mask, subject to local restrictions, while unvaccinated staff are subject to testing requirements and must wear a mask at all times. Employees in customer-facing retail locations are required to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status.

The Great Wealth Transfer keeps getting greater

Latest News

Northern Trust names new West Region president for wealth
Northern Trust names new West Region president for wealth

The new regional leader brings nearly 25 years of experience as the firm seeks to tap a complex and evolving market.

Capital Group extends retirement plan services further with a focus on advisors
Capital Group extends retirement plan services further with a focus on advisors

The latest updates to its recordkeeping platform, including a solution originally developed for one large 20,000-advisor client, take aim at the small to medium-sized business space.

Supreme Court slaps down challenge to IRS summons for Coinbase user data
Supreme Court slaps down challenge to IRS summons for Coinbase user data

Crypto investor argues the federal agency's probe, upheld by a federal appeals court, would "strip millions of Americans of meaningful privacy protections."

Houston-based RIA Americana Partners adds $1B+ with former Morgan Stanley director
Houston-based RIA Americana Partners adds $1B+ with former Morgan Stanley director

Meanwhile in Chicago, the wirehouse also lost another $454 million team as a group of defectors moved to Wells Fargo.

Edward Jones to bring overlay management in-house with Natixis deal
Edward Jones to bring overlay management in-house with Natixis deal

The broker-dealer giant's latest acquisition agreement extends its push towards offering enhanced financial planning and investment management.

SPONSORED How advisors can build for high-net-worth complexity

Orion's Tom Wilson on delivering coordinated, high-touch service in a world where returns alone no longer set you apart.

SPONSORED RILAs bring stability, growth during volatile markets

Barely a decade old, registered index-linked annuities have quickly surged in popularity, thanks to their unique blend of protection and growth potential—an appealing option for investors looking to chart a steadier course through today's choppy market waters, says Myles Lambert, Brighthouse Financial.