The Securities and Exchange Commission is encouraging employees in its Washington headquarters to work remotely due to a potential COVID-19 case.
"Late Monday afternoon, the SEC was informed that a Washington, D.C., headquarters employee was treated for respiratory symptoms on Monday," an SEC spokeswoman said in an emailed statement. "The employee was informed by a physician that the employee may have the coronavirus and was referred for testing."
Among other precautions, the SEC is encouraging its Washington-based employees to telecommute "until further guidance," the statement said.
"Even with increased telework, the SEC remains able and committed to fully executing its mission on behalf of investors, including monitoring market function and working closely with other regulators and market participants," the statement concluded.
The SEC has roughly 4,500 employees nationwide, according to a June 2019 news release from Chairman Jay Clayton. It is the first federal agency to encourage employees to work remotely because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Earlier this month, the Office of Personnel Management encouraged federal agencies to take steps to prepare all telework-ready employees to effectively work remotely should the conditions from the coronavirus warrant office closures.
