Banks Inform Staff To Work From Home

At least two banks have advised their staff to work from home for 14 days if they have conducted personal or business travel to China recently. The measures were meant to safeguard staff and client interests.

Credit Suisse staff who visited the mainland in the last two weeks should discuss with their division manager and HR before returning to work after the 14-day office ban, according to a memo seen by «Bloomberg»(behind paywall).

Any person with fever or flu-like symptoms is required to work from home until a doctor certifies the person is well enough to return while non-essential business travel will also be curbed, the memo added.

The bank has not responded to requests for comment on Monday as it was a public holiday. The Swiss-based bank had more than 45,000 employees worldwide at the end of 2018, according to its website. Hong Kong is its regional hub.

In the memo, the bank said the measures were «to safeguard our staff and clients» after Hong Kong’s decision Saturday to raise its response level to an emergency to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, which is believed to have an incubation period of around 14 days. The bank’s memo added that it would be commencing temperature checks at its main offices at the International Commerce Center tower.

Citibank in Hong Kong said its employees were being asked to report any personal travel to Wuhan or the surrounding area and to work from home for two weeks after returning, according to a spokeswoman. Business travel to the area was restricted earlier, she added.

The coronavirus began spreading in early December in Wuhan, in central China and has since spread around the country and abroad.