Update on Return to Office Around the World

The following email was sent today to all Goldman Sachs employees globally.

As September begins, we hope you were able to take time off over the course of the past few months to rest and recharge. While global in its scale, the impact of the pandemic is also extremely personal in nature, and it remains important for all of us to prioritize our well-being and that of our families so as to remain resilient in what continues to be a challenging and fast-changing environment.

As we enter the last stretch of 2020, we thought it would be helpful to share with you an overview of our strategy to gradually return to the office (RTO). While each country and city – and by extension, each of our offices – is at a different stage, a number of communities are making headway in managing the pandemic, and we have welcomed colleagues back in these locations. That includes most of our offices in Asia Pacific and EMEA, and select offices in the Americas. For some of our other offices, such as Bengaluru, we continue to assess external conditions for community readiness.

We are now preparing to implement the next phase of our RTO plan for many of our locations around the world, where appropriate. Over the coming days and weeks, colleagues in those offices will hear from their divisional, business and/or local leadership about what to expect for the months ahead, including team rotations in the office where possible, with the goal of giving everyone who can do so an opportunity to come in to their office. For each location, as we further open and scale to capacity, we continue to closely manage the number of people in our buildings on any given day on a cross-divisional basis. And, we continue to strictly adhere to our health and safety protocols and to community guidance as it evolves to sustain a safe working environment.

Importantly, this rotational approach will not look the same for everyone, as we each navigate unique personal responsibilities – for example, planning around adjusted school schedules, managing personal and family health conditions, and not being comfortable commuting to the office during peak hours, among many other considerations. Consistent with our people-first approach, we understand that you may be unable to return to the office according to your division’s or office’s RTO framework due to personal responsibilities or concerns. You should discuss arrangements with your manager, or Wellness as it relates to health issues, and we will accommodate people who need greater flexibility.

As we look ahead, the future remains uncertain, requiring us to stay nimble and pivot as needed. Against that backdrop, we are encouraged by the fact that at Goldman Sachs, we operate as one firm – with all of our people across divisions and regions working together to serve our clients and support our communities. We are proud that our unique culture continues to define our organization as we adapt how we work to the changing landscape, and we remain grateful for your commitment as we progress on this journey together

David M. Solomon
John E. Waldron
Stephen M. Scherr