© Provided by The Canadian PressTORONTO — National Bank is the latest financial institution to delay its plans to have more employees return to the office as concerns increase about the highly transmissible Omicron variant of COVID-19. Bank spokesman Jean-François Cadieux said Wednesday that the bank has asked employees to avoid the office as it closely monitors the evolving situation. Over the longer term, the bank plans to stick to a strategy of opening gradually and voluntarily, said Cadieux. "Based on the Government of Ontario’s latest guidance, Scotiabank is pausing its plans to begin a phased and gradual return to office," Scotiabank spokeswoman Kate Simandl said in an email. The bank plans a staggered return to the office when it does eventually go ahead, with the majority of head office employees working in a hybrid model, she said.

Source: CBC News December 15, 2021 20:26 UTC