Shinhan Bank said Sunday that its call center employees will start remote working as part of its preventive measures against the spread of the new coronavirus. 

A total of 150 call center employees working regular hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. will start working from home starting Monday. The list, however excludes those who deal with telecommunications fraud and sign language.

The decision came amid growing concerns over mass transmission of the virus at call centers. Earlier, nearly 102 confirmed cases of the virus were linked to Metanet Mplantform call center in Guro-gu, southwestern Seoul, outsourced by Ace Insurance.  

“If the situation get worse, we will increase the number of employees working from home to 250,” said an official from the bank.

By Choi Jae-hee (cjh@heraldcorp.com)