Coronavirus exposes flaws in Chinese and Hong Kong firms’ remote-working, business continuity capabilities

Dining room tables have become de facto offices for many in Hong Kong and mainland China recently, as staff are advised to stay home and contain the Covid-19 outbreak.

While employees grapple with how to focus in the unusual comfort of their homes, employers have been forced to try and virtually manage remote workers. Businesses say it has been a huge test in exposing what is needed to make remote working – usually a luxury – productive and efficient.

Some say the crisis could prove a huge opportunity for platforms, such as US-based TransparentBusiness, that facilitate working remotely. It comes as enterprise software companies are growing rapidly, like Slack and Zoom, which both listed in the US last year.

There is a “huge need” for software platforms that could help increase transparency, collaboration and communication when working remotely in situations like the coronavirus outbreak, said Renee McGowan, CEO for Asia at global consultancy Mercer.

To prevent the coronavirus outbreak from spreading further, Chinese authorities had put dozens of cities on a complete lockdown. In Hong Kong, the government has ordered all employees to work from home for the past three weeks, with many private employers following suit. Banks are operating fewer branches while schools remain shut until March 16.