Morgan Stanley tells staff to wear masks, limit big meetings

Bloomberg

Morgan Stanley told employees who have to be in the office through the first two weeks of January to wear face coverings when not at their desks and limit large
in-person meetings.
“This guidance applies to all locations (even those where everyone is fully vaccinated),” the New York-based bank said in a memo to staffers this week. “Masking is always encouraged for anyone who is at increased risk or who has a household member who is unvaccinated or at increased risk.”
A Morgan Stanley representative declined to comment.
A surge in Covid-19 increases worldwide amid the rise of the highly contagious omicron variant has led
Wall Street firms and other companies to rethink their return-to-office plans. Citigroup Inc last week told staffers in the New York metropolitan area they could work from home again through the holidays if they are able.
Earlier this month, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. asked its employees to work remotely and get a vaccine booster by the end of January, and Chief Executive
Officer Rich Handler self-quarantined after testing positive for Covid-19 himself.
Morgan Stanley has also had recent outbreaks at its New York offices, people familiar with the matter said last week. The bank, where workers typically sit in an open-office format, has required employees be vaccinated but didn’t have a mask mandate at the time.