LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Humana is pushing back the date again for employees to return to offices in Louisville.
The company announced Thursday that its workforce will now return on Jan. 14, 2022. Humana has now delayed the date twice. The most recent return was supposed to have been on Oct. 18.
In a release, Humana says employees have expressed concern over the alarming rise of infections from the COVID-19 Delta variant, so it made the decision to delay people coming back to the office. Humana also says the delay will allow more time for employees to get a COVID vaccine.
"Employees who will, at any point in the future, work outside of their home on behalf of Humana will need to be fully vaccinated or receive an approved exemption by January 14, 2022," according to the statement.
Humana has more than 12,000 employees in Louisville, and it is the largest occupant of downtown office space. When employees do return to the office, it would be a big boost for restaurants and other services in the central business district.
Officials with Louisville Forward says more than half of downtown employees have returned to the office.
"Obviously it's not the way we were pre-pandemic, but I would say over 50%," the director of Louisville Forward Rebecca Fleischaker said. "I feel like there are a lot of people downtown. I don't know how companies are staggering their offices so I don't know if the same people are in their office every day."
Fleischaker says around 30 new businesses have opened or plan to open soon in downtown Louisville, which is more than double the amount that closed since the pandemic began in March 2020.
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