With a strategy now in place regarding the UK’s plan to get people back to work, more than 300 people logged on to see what lessons could be learnt from those who are already back in the office. The discussion was chaired by Robbie Stewart, director in Savills EMEA cross border tenant advisory team, and participants included Peter Chan, COO of Savills China based in Shanghai, John Pritchard, from Savills tenant advisory team in Seoul, South Korea and Adam Evennett, the firm’s head of cross border tenant advisory for APAC, based in Hong Kong.

The webinar focused on the different experiences had across Asia and how individual countries have helped to facilitate its employers getting back to work post Covid-19. Whilst some countries, such as China, have had significant input from Government, others have taken a more laissez faire attitude placing the onus on landlords and property managers to put the correct processes in place.

Measures range from compulsory PPE to mobile phone companies tracking GPS and enabling contact tracing, as well as thermal temperature sensors within office buildings. Other issues such as public transportation, occupational densities and cleaning were also touched upon, with each country taking its own approach to safety procedures.

Robbie Stewart comments: “There is so much we can learn from our colleagues in Asia who have already returned to some semblance of normality. There is significant pressure on businesses to get the transition back into the workplace right, taking into consideration everything from physical alterations to the office to the emotional wellbeing of staff. We are in a privileged position to be able to utilise our global network and their input has been invaluable as we navigate these unchartered waters.”

To listen to the webinar click here

Find out more about Savills Office FiT: impacts of Covid-19 on the global workplace