As we continue to serve our clients globally during the coronavirus pandemic, we are excited to share that Crawford’s Shanghai and Beijing offices reopened last week.
This exciting news is a positive reminder for us all that this unprecedented crisis will pass.
With new coronavirus cases having significantly fallen in China after a period of lockdown, businesses are now reopening across the country, albeit with strict new policies in place to restrict the transmission of the virus.
Measures include the mandatory use of face masks and gloves, regular temperature checks and health surveys, limiting the number of employees in offices, and using floor markings, seating plans and other methods to maintain social distancing.
One company, for example, is reportedly providing employees with ‘contactless shields’ in its cafe to stop the virus spreading while they sit and eat. Others have chosen instead to deliver food to employees’ desks.
The guidelines for many workplaces include not having more than 50 percent of employees present at one time, and for employees to stay at least two metres apart. Home working continues to be extensively employed, with employees typically working in offices on rotation.
Technology is also playing a key role, with several companies using health questionnaire apps to flag employees’ health status before they come into work, with a ‘traffic light’ system being used to determine whether it is safe to allow them into offices.
Authorities, such as Beijing’s urban management department, are conducting office checks to ensure adequate safety protocols are in place.
Crawford sees the safety and wellbeing of our employees and their families as paramount and we continue to take every precaution to help reduce the risk of transmission in our offices around the globe.
These are deeply challenging times, but the resumption of business in China gives us room for optimism that life and the economy will return to normality. Check out this video for more on how Crawford’s China teams are getting back to work.
