Letters | As coronavirus makes staff work from home, beware the risks to social and company bonds
- Social interaction at work is often impromptu, and working remotely reduces the opportunities for such interaction. Over time, this will weaken relationships
Working from home means fewer chances of face-to-face contact, which can provide important information about social relationships. Social interaction at work is often impromptu, but working from home removes the possibility of such spontaneous social events. Over time, the relationship between employees could suffer.
The connection between employees and their organisation may also suffer, with opportunities for employees to participate in issues affecting their work unit or the company dramatically reduced, hurting their chances of having a say in the company.
Dr Chak Fu Lam, associate professor of management, programme leader (BBA Global Business), City University of Hong Kong
Ways for Jockey Club to resume full service
Due to the limited number of betting branches opened, punters had to travel a fair distance and stand in long queues to get their service. The Hong Kong Jockey Club had previously closed all of its betting branches to avoid mass gatherings during the coronavirus outbreak. Now they had allowed it to happen. Why did they not reopen all the betting branches to ease the congestion on March 2? Why open only some?
If services are restricted to ticket redemption and telephone betting account deposits, there is not much sense in reopening the betting branches twice a week now, as tickets have mostly been redeemed and deposits can be made in other ways.
Why not fully resume services? Telephone betting lines require no contact between staff and punters. In betting branches, if only the placing of bets and depositing of money are allowed, shut off all TV and other broadcasts to discourage betting on-site, and there will be no gatherings.
C.K. Li, Ma Tau Wei