HR Awards
Best Work-Life Integration
HKBN
LIFE-work Priority
“At HKBN, we truly mean LIFE-work priority rather than work-life balance, i.e. for us there is no balance, rather we clearly prioritise LIFE over work.”
At HKBN, when they say LIFE-work Priority, they truly mean LIFE-work priority rather than work-life balance, that is at HKBN there is no ‘balance’ only prioritisation of LIFE over work.
Adapting to a changing workplace under COVID-19, HKBN empowered its Talents to choose when, where, and how they work. In March 2021, they piloted a new hybrid mode, giving Talents the flexibility to work from home at least one day per week, when possible. In August 2021, later making this their “4+1 Hybrid Work Mode” for balancing the benefits of team collaboration with individual flexibility.
Echoing the Life-work Priority principle, HKBN always encourages its Talents to live a healthier, active and more rewarding life. The organisation has continued to organise various activities and talks to improve wellness levels in four core areas: physical health, mental health, financial health and social health. Besides, employees get comprehensive leave benefits including half-days off on Friday once-a-month, half-day leave during important festive occasions, 17 days’ public holiday entitlement, examination leave—not only for Talents’ development but also to help Talents’ children study, volunteer leave, family care leave, birthday leave, anniversary leave, bonus leave, adoption leave, upgraded maternity leave, paternity leave, and grandparenthood leave. For Talents who need more vacation leave, HKBN also offers a bonus leave scheme, allowing them to use one day’s pay to redeem for two days’ leave, up to 10 days a year. Overall, the company’s entitlement policies provide the equivalent of about 39 additional days off annually for each Talent.
With the flexible working arrangement and HKBN’s comprehensive leave benefits, Talents can freely allocate their time to family and personal development. HKBN is happy to see that Talents judge themselves based on a long-term sustainable pursuit of ‘purpose + profit’ rather than the number of hours worked. ‘Work to LIVE, not live to work’ is no longer just a slogan but a ‘phenomenon’ in HKBN.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
