Unless employers in Hong Kong start to actually ‘do’, rather than just ‘say’, something about work-life balance, they will not only find it impossible to recruit quality talent, but will also suffer decreased profits as a result. Who is to blame? Apparently, not HR.
Who invented the workplace culture in Hong Kong? Why is it so often considered embarrassing to leave the office on time–let alone early for fear of being branded lazy and not committed to the job? Whoever it was doesn’t really matter, what matters is who is going to put things right. Most in HR are well aware that when staff go home on time, they have more time with their families and friends and this makes them happier, respect the company more, have more loyalty towards the company and be more productive when they get back to the office the next day. Furthermore, profits go up, hiring and onboarding costs go down–everyone’s happy. Obvious it may be, but unfortunately this is still not the reality in many Hong Kong companies. Research just conducted by Community Business paints a sorry picture of worklife balance (WLB) in Hong Kong.
Employees say WLB critical
Seven out of ten employees in Hong Kong consider work-life balance to be a critical factor affecting motivation, productivity and attraction and retention of talent. Organisations failing to address shortcomings in their current policies risk alienating staff over WLB. A recent survey commissioned by Community Business pinpointed the pivotal role that WLB plays in engagement and retention of Hong Kong’s employees. The survey found that for almost a quarter of employees WLB is more important than remuneration. For just under 22% it is instrumental in their decision to join, stay with or leave a firm. Moreover, more than a quarter of employees stated it was directly linked to their motivation and productivity while at work.
Face time
Community Business contends that many companies in Hong Kong are fearful of addressing work-life issues as this may damage their competitiveness because it means that people will work less. Such companies, however, fail to realise that WLB is in fact a tool for enhancing productivity and the reputation of the business. Nearly 31% of employees say WLB is not talked about in their company with 18% feeling that if they raise concerns about WLB they will struggle to get ahead. The culture of ‘face time’ continues to plague the Hong Kong workplace, where employees have to be ‘seen to be doing work’ with over 21% of employees stating that most people do not leave work before their bosses/supervisors do. Just under 12% of employees said they feel the longer they stay in the office the more committed they are perceived to be.
Mobile phobia
Four in ten employees think that the use of mobile technologies has had a negative impact on their overall worklife balance as they feel they are unable to truly ‘switch off’ when they should be resting at home or on holiday. Some feel that they are expected to respond to work related communication at any time of day. Technology, however, is a double-edged sword and when applied correctly can provide flexibility. In this respect, there are a minority of employees, 15%, who state that mobile technology has had a positive impact on their work-life balance enabling them to work more flexibly—both in terms of time and location—and leave the office earlier.
EVP mismatch
36% of employees say the most effective work-life initiative is flexitime; however, the most commonly available work-life initiative provided by employers is career breaks or unpaid/part-paid leave. There is an obvious need for companies to examine the needs of their workforce and identify what work-life initiatives will provide the best results. The results demonstrate that flexibility in when, where and how employees work is a solution for increasing an organisation’s competitiveness and its ability to attract the best talent.
Robin Bishop, COO, Community Business explained, “This year’s research shows that there is a clear mismatch between work-life initiatives provided by employers and those desired by employees. Implementing flexibility in working time and location will be the solution to the ‘face time’ culture in the Hong Kong workplace. Technology will play a key role to this end, but instilling boundaries and guidelines on expectations created by technology will be critical. Senior business leaders must take the lead to engage employees in a two-way dialogue to generate better understanding of the business case for WLB and establish mutual responsibility for it.”
Shouldering responsibility
Over half of employees think that senior business leaders should take primary responsibility for improving work-life balance in their organisations, meaning that whether they like it or not, senior business leaders need to better understand the impact of poor work-life balance on the business and take on the responsibility to establish accountability for better work-life balance in every employee. HR’s role is to make sure the C-suite realise and give real credence to the critical importance of WLB, its effect on productivity and talent retention and the dramatic impact it has on the bottom line. With the wheels put in motion, we should then be able to start turning around the pitiful working culture that pervades in so many organisations throughout Hong Kong.
Employee perspective on WLB at a glance
- 72% see work-life balance as a critical factor affecting productivity, engagement, and attraction and retention of talent
- 26% say WLB is among the top three factors affecting their motivation and productivity at work
- 24% say WLB is more important than money when they choose to join, stay with or leave a company
- 22% say WLB is among the top three factors they consider when they choose to join, stay with or leave a company
- 31% say WLB is not talked about in their company
- 18% feel that they cannot raise concerns about WLB if they want to get ahead in their company
- 21% see that most people do not leave work before their bosses/supervisors do
- 12% feel that the longer they stay in the office the more committed
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
