The logo of Swiss bank UBS is seen in Zurich, Switzerland October 25, 2018. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
HONG KONG, Jan 6 (Reuters) – Banks in Hong Kong including HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA.L) and UBS Group AG (UBSG.S) are taking steps to reduce the number of people at the workplace after having operated at near full capacity for the past few months, as the city faces a spike in COVID-19 cases.
HSBC, which is one of the biggest employers in Hong Kong with about 30,000 people, will maintain a maximum of 50% staff occupancy in its offices from Friday, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters. A spokesperson for HSBC confirmed the memo’s content.
Bank of America (BAC.N) has encouraged its staff to work from home from Jan. 7-24, according to the U.S. bank’s internal memo seen by Reuters. A bank spokesman confirmed the contents of the memo that was sent on Thursday.
Earlier, UBS said in a memo to staff that it would split its 2,500 Hong Kong workforce into two groups, with each returning to the workplace on alternate weeks.
The moves come amid worries of a fifth wave of COVID-19 infections in the Asian financial hub. Hong Kong has announced a two-week ban on some inbound flights, slapped curbs on indoor dining and closed swimming pools, bars and other venues.
The city recorded 38 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday.
Staff at HSBC and UBS have been told to minimise cross floor travel in their offices and not to socialise with members not in their own team, according to the memos.
HSBC, UBS and Bank of America also said staff had to wear masks when not at their desks, according to their memos.
Standard Chartered (STAN.L) divided its 6,000 workforce into teams earlier this week.
Financial institutions in Hong Kong have been operating at almost full capacity for the past few months, unlike most other major centres like New York or London, as the city stuck to a zero-COVID strategy by largely isolating itself from the world.
On Dec. 31, a streak of three months without community cases ended with the first local transmission of the Omicron variant.Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Hong Kong; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Kim Coghill
This article was originally published by Reuters.
Ghada Ashour, who grew up in Gaza, becomes fifth scholar selected for FIA’s flagship scholarship initiative Dubai, UAE, 8th December, 2025: The FIA’s United Against Online Abuse (UAOA) Campaign has welcomed Ghada Ashour, a 24-year-old student from Palestine, to its flagship scholarship programme, created to empower the next generation of researchers in the fight against online abuse in sport. Ghada grew up in Gaza where she has been studying remotely until gaining her place on the UAOA scholarship, which brought her to Dublin City University (DCU), Ireland. Becoming the fifth scholar to join the scholarship, she was selected based on her interests in social media, and her strong passion for advancing insights in this area for the benefit of everyone participating in sport. Launched in 2023, the programme offers talented students and young professionals from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research on the impact, prevalence, and prevention of online abuse in sport with a focus on developing practical solutions. Funded by the FIA Foundation, the UAOA scholars have been selected to undertake invaluable research at DCU based on their project proposals, dedication to achieving positive social change, and their unique perspectives approaching this issue. Ghada’s thesis, which will be printed in English and translated into Arabic, will focus specifically on the …
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