Masks at the Office? U.S. Employers Take on Role of Covid Czars

For millions of employees returning to the office after a long work-from-home hiatus, one of the biggest changes will be getting most of their pandemic orders from a new Covid-19 czar -- their employer.

The decision by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to relax masking and social-distancing guidelines for vaccinated Americans has compelled employers to quickly determine how it should apply in their workplaces. JPMorgan Chase & Co., Southwest Airlines Co. and Walmart Inc. are telling vaccinated U.S. office workers they can drop the masks.

Others, such as Citigroup Inc., are keeping the mask requirement. M&T ...