Multinational Investment Bank Company, Goldman Sachs announced work from home for all but critical employees at its Bengaluru operation on Wednesday due to the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases.
Bengaluru reported 1398 cases of coronavirus on March 24, 2021. As per the reports, nearly 70% of the total 16,886 cases in Karnataka are reported in Bengaluru alone.
“This hasn’t come as a surprise given how coronavirus cases have been rising in the city, specifically in the area where the office is located,” an employee was quoted saying.
“There’s no word on how long the work-from-home will continue but my guess is that we won’t be returning to the office for the next three to four months.”
In a global conference held earlier this month, Goldman Chief Executive David Solomon had expressed his hopes of getting his employees back in the office by this summer.
A spokesperson of the bank in New York, on asking about the Indian move said: “We continue to work on plans to return our people to the office safely, and those plans will vary division by division, country by country, city by city.
“The safety of our people is our most important priority and we will remain flexible as we monitor evolving government guidelines and the uneven global vaccine rollout.”
With an Indian workforce of 7000 employees, the company is involved in various functions including technology, finance, and human resources, while also providing support for business lines such as trading and the consumer banking business, Marcus.
Meanwhile, India reported 53, 476 cases in a span of 24 hours, the highest single-day rise this year. Maharashtra, Punjab, Kerala, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, and Gujarat account for 80.63% of the new COVID-19 infections, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday.
