Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan pushed hard for a 5-day-a-week return to office. Why they’re now letting employees work from home

Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are allowing employees to work remotely on World Cup game days this summer, a notable shift from their previous strict five-day-a-week return-to-office policies. This decision, confirmed by internal memos seen by the Financial Times, is attributed to the anticipated influx of hundreds of thousands of fans in host cities like New York City, which are expected to cause significant commute disruptions. The flexibility extends to all JPMorgan employees across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, the three North American countries hosting the tournament. Goldman Sachs is encouraging employees to discuss commute challenges with their managers, while JPMorgan is informing affected workers about making alternative work arrangements. Citigroup is also encouraging employees on hybrid schedules to communicate with managers about potential commute disruptions. The World Cup tournament spans three and a half weeks, concluding on July 19, and features 100 games across 16 host cities in North America, including 11 in the United States. An estimated 5 billion people globally are expected to watch the event.