Goldman Sachs offers office perks as it ramps up return to work
Goldman Sachs is laying on perks for staff members that return to work in its London offices as the US bank looks to bring workers gradually back to the City.
The lender is offering perks including protective gear, free food and use of an on-site nursery for all employees who choose to return to its Square Mile bases.
It has also increased the amount staff members are allowed to spend on bicycles through the government’s cycle to work scheme in a bid to ease fears about commuting.
Financial News reported that senior members of staff have been issued an “invitation” to get back to the office as part of a push to get back to normal.
A spokesperson for Goldman Sachs denied that any invitation had been issued and said returning to the office was still an “individual choice” for staff.
Roughly 15 per cent of staff are already said to be back in the office after a gradual return to work kicked off in June.
“We continue to take a people first approach and stay consistent with UK government guidelines,” the spokesperson said.
“Our people are encouraged to adopt an approach that works for them and their own personal circumstances.”
It comes amid calls for businesses to pump life back into the City after months of home working during the coronavirus pandemic.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called for people to return to their workplaces in recent weeks in a bid to reboot the economy.
However, Downing Street has stopped short of issuing a call for all Londoners to return to work, instead stating that it was up to employers to decide their own policies.
US banks have led the charge on returning to work, with JP Morgan kicking off a gradual return to work for its staff — albeit with greater flexibility over working from home.
It comes after the head of the CBI warned city centres were at risk of turning into “ghost towns” if the government did not do more to encourage people back to work.
Writing in the Daily Mail, Dame Carolyn Fairbairn said the return of office workers was as important as the return of school pupils.