Trust building

Visible intent

Before the emergence of COVID-19, work from home had not caught on in Hong Kong, primarily because of the small size of the living units in the city. Now, after a year of working from home, the tables have turned and employees need assurance that they are well-protected against health hazards in the workplace before they could be persuaded to return.

Convincing staff members that the office is a safe space will entail continuing social distancing practices, says Peter Basmajian of Richards Basmajian, an interior design firm. He advocates reconsidering planning and managing parameters for both new and existing premises.

"Temperature taking points, frequency of hand sanitizing stations, and spacing of workstations with screens between staff are all within the realm of planning and design," Basmajian states.