Sun Life Financial Inc. is telling employees in Canada, the U.S. and Ireland to keep working remotely until Dec. 31 as part of efforts to curtail the spread of COVID-19, following similar moves by Canada’s biggest banks.

Executives from the Toronto-based life insurer cited the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 coupled with rising cases in many regions and parents grappling with decisions about sending their children back to school.

“Given these factors, we’ve decided that our work-from-home guidance will remain in place for the rest of 2020,” Sun Life said Thursday in a memo to staff.

Sun Life said it expects to give further guidance in mid to late November, and other updates as they become available. The company, which has more than 40,000 staffers around the world, said “a small number of essential employees” have been working in its offices throughout the pandemic.

The move comes after the five biggest Canadian banks made similar announcements over the past three weeks, keeping most of their existing work-from-home employees out of offices until next year.