: U.S. private equity giant banishes staff from the office for 14 days if they use buses or trains, over coronavirus fears

Staff are expected to walk, bike or drive to the company’s offices, including in New York and Washington, D.C. as it looks to control the spread of the coronavirus and avoid staff outbreaks.

Carlyle Group CG, +0.78% said that returning to its 31 offices globally would be “entirely voluntary” and the measures around public transport were to protect its staff. 

“Our global policy, which includes encouraging workers not to use public transportation, is designed to protect the health and well-being of every colleague,” it said. 

“As the situation continues to evolve, we are asking everyone to take an approach that works for their personal situation,” it added.

Offices at many of the world’s biggest financial institutions have been near empty throughout the coronavirus outbreak, and many firms are looking at ways to permanently keep staff working remotely to some extent.

Read: Do you want to work from home post-pandemic? Will you be forced into a pay cut? Read these pros and cons before deciding

The FTSE 100 UKX, -0.82% fund manager Schroders SDR, -0.69% said in August that its staff could work remotely indefinitely while the chairman of big four accountancy PwC said the firm expects a more even split between office and home working moving forward. 

Read: PwC and Schroders expect more staff to work remotely after pandemic passes

They were among financial firms including retail bank RBS announcing extended work from home policies, while social media giants Facebook FB, +0.03% and Twitter TWTR, -0.14% have said many staff could work from home indefinitely. 

Details of the Carlyle Group public transport policy was first reported in the Financial Times newspaper.