Initial Rollout of Amex Flex Working Model Set to Begin in March
New York, NY, February 3, 2022 – The following memo was sent today to all U.S.-based American Express colleagues from Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Stephen J. Squeri:
Over the last several weeks, we’ve been pleased to see that COVID-19 cases in many U.S. locations have been on the decline, particularly in New York City, where we’ve seen an 75% decrease in new cases from the average two weeks ago. Given the magnitude and rapid pace of this improvement, along with the vaccine requirements and other protocols we have put in place to make our workplace even safer for colleagues, we are now comfortable moving ahead with our widescale return to our New York offices under Amex Flex, starting with a soft launch on Tuesday, March 1 and full implementation on Tuesday, March 15.
During the soft launch phase in New York, we are encouraging colleagues in hybrid roles to come into the office at least one day a week. The purpose of this phased approach is to give colleagues some time to adjust to the transition of coming in after working virtually for the past two years, as well as to become familiar with some of the new technology and other changes that have been made to support our new way of working. By March 15, we expect Amex Flex to be in full effect, with colleagues in hybrid roles adopting the schedules set initially with their leaders.
After a very long wait, it will be good for many of us to see each other again in person and enjoy the connections, collaboration, and variety in our daily routines. Our real estate, technology and medical teams have been hard at work to create a welcoming and safe environment to greet us, and I am certain our hybrid and on-site colleagues will find a lot to enjoy about the experience.
It will take a little longer to come back in our other U.S. locations because, while COVID case levels are getting better, the pace of improvement is generally behind what we’ve seen in New York. As always, we will make decisions to return on a location-by-location basis. We expect to announce dates in other U.S. locations soon and will inform colleagues at least two weeks in advance.
Vaccination Requirement and Facial Covering Guidance
As previously announced, starting March 1, all medically eligible colleagues must have completed their primary vaccine series and booster shot to work in or visit any of our U.S. offices. According to the CDC, your booster status is considered complete as soon as you receive your booster shot.
Those who do not plan to meet the vaccination requirement, or do not want to disclose their status, should apply for their job to be virtual if they have not already secured a virtual arrangement.
Some colleagues may have completed their primary vaccine series but not yet reached their booster eligibility date. The CDC currently calls for a waiting period of five months after completing a primary series of the Pfizer-BioNTech/Moderna vaccines, or two months after receiving a primary J&J vaccination. Colleagues in this situation can come into the office on March 1, but will need to complete their booster within 30 days of becoming eligible to continue coming in.
As we implement our U.S. vaccine requirement, we will follow all applicable local laws and regulations.
As a reminder, the wearing of facial coverings inside our New York offices remains optional in Amex-only spaces. Masks are still required for Amex colleagues in common spaces shared with other tenants, including the lobby and elevators. Of course, those who feel more comfortable wearing facial coverings at all times or in more situations while at work should feel free to do so.
Much More to Come
For our New York colleagues, we will be sharing much more information about what you can look forward to, and what you need to know, to make the experience of returning to the office as smooth and enjoyable as possible. For our colleagues in other U.S. locations, look out for more specific information on your return dates as soon as we make those decisions.
Many of your senior leaders, including me, have been coming into the office regularly, and we’re really looking forward to seeing many more of you soon. In the meantime, thank you again for your patience and commitment.