Gao Yingyan L, a student of No.4 Primary School in Wanli District, attends an online class at home in Nanchang City, east China's Jiangxi Province, February 10. Xinhua/Peng Zhaozhi via Getty Images

For weeks, students and workers in greater China have been studying and working remotely.

Now, as coronavirus spreads into more countries around the world, companies in other countries are looking into doing the same.

America's largest bank, JPMorgan Chase, is bracing for the coronavirus outbreak by asking thousands of its employees to work from home for a day to test contingency plans, a person familiar with the matter told CNN Business.

Most Google staff at its European headquarters in Dublin have been told to work from home after a worker reported flu-like symptoms, Irish public broadcaster RTE reports. That person has not tested positive for coronavirus. There are over 8,000 employees at the Dublin office, according to Google.

Pros and cons: As some teachers in Asia have found, working from home can be a bit of a nightmare. But in other sectors, this unexpected experiment has been so well received that employers are considering adopting it as a more permanent measure. For those who advocate more flexible working options, the past few weeks mark a possible step toward widespread -- and long-awaited -- reform.

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