UnitedHealth Group changed its policies to promote more remote work after the insurer had asked tens of thousands of its employees to continue coming on-site amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
In an email sent to Becker's, UnitedHealth said, "Over the next several days, we will begin enabling employees to voluntarily work from home if they are not serving patients in hospitals or clinics, or if their physical presence is not deemed essential to business operations."
The insurer said it is updating its policies in real time according to guidelines from the CDC and state and local governments.
Previously, the insurer had instructed its employees — half of whom are already remote — to work on-site if they weren't sick, high-risk or facing other obstacles.