Omicron variant's spread forces rethink of January return-to-office dates

Over the summer, executives in wide-ranging industries scrapped their fall plans to bring workers back to offices, instead circling what at the time were distant dates in January by which employees would be expected to return to the workplace en masse. 

Companies are suddenly ditching those plans too, as January approaches and COVID-19 infections surge.

This week, technology companies, banking institutions, ride-sharing corporations and plenty of enterprises in between announced they will yet again delay the elusive return to office. Corporations that already have butts in seats are sending workers home. A number of colleges and universities this week also announced they would revert to virtual learning models, effective immediately.