UPDATED 7:30 a.m. | State Farm late Thursday issued an updated statement clarifying how it plans to allow most employees to work from home.
Earlier in the day, State Farm announced it was instructing employees to work from home if they're able. State Farm employees who are not equipped to work from home were urged to speak to their leaders about paid administrative leave.
In the updated statement, State Farm provided clarity around work-from-home technology options:
"While today every employee does not have the ability to work from home, and may continue to work in one of our facilities, we are working quickly on tools to make it possible for most employees to work from home. We are prioritizing tools for employees who are customer-facing. If an employee or a family member are at higher risk or a member of a special population as defined by the Centers for Disease Control, they can visit with their leadership about options, including paid administrative leave."
The company with roughly 15,000 employees in central Illinois is also extending business travel restrictions through April.
State Farm is also closing its operations center in DuPont, Wash., for two weeks. Washington state has seen among the most cases of COVID-19.
"We know COVID-19 is top of mind, and we are committed to the well-being of our employees and the communities where we live and work," the company said late Thursday. "We ask for patience from our State Farm customers as they may experience increased hold times while our team works to serve them in multiple ways."
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