Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
September 25, 2023

Deloitte U.K. CEO Says Employee Has Coronavirus

In an email to staff on March 3, Deloitte U.K. CEO Richard Houston said one of the firm’s London employees who recently vacationed in Asia has been hospitalized after testing positive for coronavirus, the Financial Times reported.

Deloitte said it was “deep cleaning” one floor of its offices in London but hadn’t quarantined its New Street Square office.

The firm said staff could return to work or they could work from home, according to FT:

Mr Houston said: “We’ve just received confirmation that a colleague . . . has tested positive for Covid-19. Following the diagnosis they are now in hospital and receiving good care.” He added that the news was “unsettling” but reassured staff that Deloitte was working with Public Health England on its response.

Fortune reported last week that in an internal email, EY told all employees to skip “not-client-critical” external events of more than 100 people, and the firm is requiring employees to request to attend “client-critical events” of over 100 attendees.

To boot, the company, which employs 284,000 people globally, is requesting employees cancel or postpone (until April) any internal meetings of more than 25 people (from different offices), instead requesting employees conduct meetings via video or other remote meeting channels. Ernst & Young told Fortune that while these details stand as guidelines, the company is asking employees to check with their risk managers regarding particular meetings or events of larger size.

In addition to new meeting and event protocols, EY expanded its travel ban on outward and inward travel until April 1 to or from South Korea, Japan, and areas in Northern Italy. According to the email, employees who have traveled in the aforementioned areas (plus China, Hong Kong, and Macau indefinitely) are being instructed to self-quarantine for 14 days, at least until April 1. Ernst & Young told Fortune in a statement that “The safety and wellbeing of all EY people, clients and communities remains our primary concern,” and that EY is “monitoring this situation closely and will be updating guidance as developments warrant” in accordance with local government and WHO guidelines.

Also, a Redditor posted on r/accounting today that EY has canceled all firm-wide recruiting events as a precautionary measure.

Deloitte employee in London tests positive for coronavirus [Financial Times]
Coronavirus crackdown: How companies like Ernst & Young are going to extremes to avoid infections [Fortune]

Related article:

Grant Thornton Economist Says Coronavirus Is an ‘Economic Pandemic’

Latest Accounting Jobs--Apply Now:

Have something to add to this story? Give us a shout by email, Twitter, or text/call the tipline at 202-505-8885. As always, all tips are anonymous.

Related articles

Deloitte University Is Getting Bigger Because God Forbid KPMG Have the Superior Brainwashing Compound

Dallas Morning News reported yesterday that groundbreaking on a “massive expansion” of the already massive Deloitte University campus in Westlake, Texas will begin in January. Deloitte’s been wanting to expand for a while but was waiting on Tarrant County commissioners to approve more than $5 million in tax breaks. “We certainly appreciate the great corporate […]

Happy and sad funny face ball character in crowd 3d render

EY Survey: Gen Z Is Broke, Anxious, and Extremely Worried About Everything. We Can’t Blame Them

EY put out a press release on the results of its 2023 Gen Z Segmentation study yesterday and it’s not good. Less than a third (31%) of those born between 1997 and 2007 surveyed feel financially secure, more than half (52%) said they are very or extremely worried about not having enough money. Mind you […]