Coronavirus prompts Citi CEO to give employees surprise day off

Citigroup said roughly 80% of its global workforce is working remotely

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Citigroup CEO Michael Corbat is giving his employees a special surprise for working "harder than ever" during the coronavirus pandemic. According to an internal memo Tuesday, employees will have an extra day off this Friday, May 22.

"My leadership team and I deeply appreciate how you’ve responded," Corbat wrote. "We want to express our gratitude for all you’ve done by offering you an extra day off on Friday, May 22. Please take the day to relax and enjoy time with your families, and above all, please keep in mind that as important as it is to take care of our clients, we need to take care of ourselves."

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He acknowledged that many employees have been home-schooling children, juggling workloads, taking care of family and even continuing to go into the office.

Employees who are still required to work, such as branch and call center staff, or whose weekends already fall on Friday, can arrange with managers to find another day during the coming week to take off, Corbat said.

"We want to make sure everyone has the chance to take a break," Corbat added. "Thank you again for all you continue to do for our clients, for each other and for our communities. I hope you enjoy the day off—you definitely deserve it."

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Last month, Citigroup said roughly 80 percent of its global workforce is working remotely.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
C CITIGROUP INC. 60.63 -0.33 -0.54%

Citigroup stock closed at $44.43 per share at the end of Tuesday's trading session, down more than 2 percent.

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