Hong Kong, 23 October 2014 – ASIATODAY.COM – Community Business, a not-for-profit focusing on corporate responsibility and a thought leader on diversity and inclusion in Asia, today announced the results of The State of Work-Life Balance in Hong Kong 2014 Survey, sponsored by Hysan Development Company Limited. The survey findings highlight there is a discrepancy between how employees rate their work-life balance and their understanding of the impact that work-life balance makes on their happiness both inside and outside of the workplace. This is contradictory to international theories and evidence.
Commissioned to the Public Opinion Programme, University of Hong Kong, this is the 9th annual benchmark survey. More than 1,000 employees, aged 15 or above, working full-time in Hong Kong, were interviewed through random telephone sampling.
According to the survey, the score given by Hong Kong employees for the extent to which they have achieved their ideal work-life balance is 6.1 out of 10, which has remained fairly static over the past eight years, ranging from 5.7 to 6.2. However, despite these relatively average ratings of satisfaction with work-life balance over these years, it appears that a significant percentage of Hong Kong employees do not recognise the role that work-life balance plays in life’s happiness. 40% of those surveyed believe that work-life balance is not a factor affecting their happiness at work, while 35% believe that work-life balance is not a factor affecting their happiness outside of work.
In spite of this, an average of 30% of employees still admit they would still consider leaving their current job to achieve better work-life balance, making it clear that Hong Kong businesses need to better understand the role work-life balance plays in their ability to attract and retain the best talent. Not surprisingly, Gen Z (43%) and Gen Y (36%) are more willing to quit jobs for higher work-life balance satisfaction, comparing to Gen X (27%) and Baby Boomers (18%).
“Work-life balance is a key link to employee engagement and individuals who are not able to achieve work-life balance are at risk of burnout or demotivation. The mismatch identified by the survey between employees’ rating of their work-life balance and the impact on their work and personal happiness could be explained by employees not feeling comfortable to speak out and to suggest changes to their workplace cultures, and having resigned themselves to accept the status quo of long hours and lack of work flexibility,” says Fern Ngai, Chief Executive of Community Business.
“We believe the hard work ethic and “face-time” culture is still pervasive in many Hong Kong companies. With the exception of a number of game changers, the vast majority of companies appear unwilling to take the bold steps necessary to adapt to the new way of working and to foster a more trusting culture with flexible working options. However, these dynamics must start to change, as today’s baby boomer employees are retiring, and will be replaced by a workforce dominated by the younger generations who are much more committed to achieving their ideal work-life balance. If companies are not thinking strategically about creating a culture that values and supports their employees’ work-life balance, they will risk being uncompetitive in the labour market, and will miss out on the business benefits,” emphasized Mrs. Ngai.
Hong Kong’s culture of long working hours and need for face time (usually demonstrated through the habit of subordinate staff staying later in the working day than their more senior managers as
a mark of respect and devotion, irrespective of whether their workload commitments for the day have been completed) suggests that location and amenities of their workplace may play a significant role in employees’ happiness. Employees may be resigned to the view that it is not possible to change ‘how’ one works so instead focusing on ‘where’ one works may be more achievable. It is no surprise that employees cited a work location that is convenient to commute to and from, a workplace that is equipped with good leisure facilities and an office that is surrounded by a diverse variety of shops, restaurants and entertainment as three factors important to work happiness.
In order to raise the awareness of work-life balance as a critical business issue, Community Business has been engaging the business sector through educational workshops, training sessions and consultancy work. In addition, the annual Work-Life Balance Week campaign which has been running for the past 7 years, brings together companies across Asia to demonstrate their commitment towards work-life balance through various activities and initiatives during the week.
To help companies move forward in their work-life balance journey and for them to understand the business benefits a long-term strategic approach can bring, Community Business introduced more stringent criteria for participation in 2014, requiring companies to have formal written policies on their work-life balance options and on flexible working arrangements, instead of focusing on one-off measures. As a result, 78 companies signed up as participating companies in Work-Life Balance Week 2014, with many other companies showing commitment to implement changes necessary for participation in 2015.
Even with a lower number of participating companies than in previous years, Community Business is l encouraged by the number of companies who are clearly taking a more committed and strategic approach to work-life balance, reaping the benefits that a supportive culture and flexible work programme can have on their bottom line.
For the full list of participating companies, please refer to http://www.communitybusiness.org/WLB/2014/PO14.htm
For more information about the Work-Life Balance Week Campaign, please refer to http://www.communitybusiness.org/focus_areas/WLB.htm#key_initiatives
Key Findings:
Degree of Achieving Work-Life Balance
• The median score given by employees for the extent to which they have achieved their ideal work-life balance is 6.1 out of 10.
• This score has remained static from last year without any significant variation over the past nine years. This would suggest that the state of work-life balance in Hong Kong has not improved.
• However, there have been slight increases in the number of employees who have rated their level of satisfaction with their work-life balance at 7+, since the inception of the survey.
Attraction and Retention of Employees
• When asked whether an employee would consider leaving their job for better work-life balance, nearly 30% of employees said yes.
• This figure has remained fairly consistent over the years.
• Gen Z (43%) and Gen Y (36%) are more willing than Gen X (27%) and Baby Boomers (18%) to leave their job in pursuit of better work-life balance.
Happiness and Work-Life Balance
At work:
• 37% of Hong Kong employees believe that work-life balance is a factor which has a positive impact on their work-place happiness.
• 40% of employees believe work-life balance is not a factor affecting their workplace happiness or feeling of fulfillment.
• Only 20% of employees felt their happiness at work was impacted negatively by their pursuit of a balanced approach to work and life.
Personal happiness:
• 31% of employees in Hong Kong believe that their work-life balance allows them to pursue their own personal goals when outside of work and positively impacts their personal happiness
• 35% of employees believe that work-life balance is not a factor affecting their happiness outside of work.
• Only 22% of employees felt that work-life balance played a negative role in trying to achieve happiness outside of work.
Importance of Workplace Location and Design
• Workplace location and facilities are important to employees in Hong Kong. The top three factors an employee rates as important are:
To be located where there is a diverse variety of shops, restaurants and entertainment at affordable prices / different price points.
A location that is convenient to travel to.
An office that is equipped with good leisure facilities such as a decent pantry, quiet break rooms, with perks like massage chairs.
Observations and the Way Forward
• There is a mismatch between how employees rate their work-life balance and their understanding of the impact that work-life balance makes on their happiness inside and outside work. This is contradictory to international theories and evidence.
• Hong Kong’s culture of long working hours and need for face time (usually demonstrated through the habit of subordinate staff staying later in the working day than their more senior managers as a mark of respect and devotion, irrespective of whether their workload commitments for the day have been completed) suggests that location and amenities of their workplace may play a significant role in employees’ happiness. Employees may be resigned to the view that it is not possible to change ‘how’ one works so instead it is more attainable to focus on ‘where’ one works.
• This demonstrates that ‘work’ in Hong Kong is still being viewed as somewhere you go, as opposed to something you do.
• Hong Kong companies appears to have reached stagnancy when it comes to strategic work-life balance.
• To truly gain the business benefits that come from a more progressive approach to work-life balance, which sees flexibility at the forefront, companies need to move towards a more strategic approach.
The State of Work-Life Balance in Hong Kong 2014 Survey can be downloaded from Community Business’ website at http://www.communitybusiness.org/library/publications.htm
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