Half of young employees would leave job for better work-life balance

30% of employees said they would consider leaving their current job for a better work-life balance (WLB) elsewhere. This finding is even more striking amongst workers aged 29 or less, where nearly half said they would consider leaving. Over 71% of young workers, aged 29 to 39, stress the importance of employers addressing work-life balance during the recent economic contraction, compared to just 54% of employees age 60 or above. This according to a recent WLB survey by Community Business which clearly demonstrates WLB remains a priority for employees, despite the current economic climate.

“In the current economic climate all employers are under pressure to achieve more with less and this can often take its toll on employees…These findings should serve as a wake-up call to employers who have yet to prioritise the work-life balance needs of their employees,” stated Shaun Bernier, Managing Director, Community Business.

Mr Jim Thompson, Chair of the Community Business Leadership Team (CBLT) and Chairman of Crown Worldwide Group remarked, “This research clearly indicates that poor work-life balance, with its negative impact on health and productivity poses a real threat to businesses. At a time when companies rely more than ever on a healthy, engaged and productive workforce, this has major ramifications for companies and the onus is on us as leaders in Hong Kong to take the well-being of our staff seriously.”

HK staff work 21% more than ILO recommendation.

As this study has shown consistently over the past four years, employees in Hong Kong work long hours and spend little time on their personal lives. Employees are working just over 48 hours per week, which is 21% higher than the 40 hours recommended by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

These numbers are backed up by findings from the 2009 Planning and Earnings: a comparison for purchasing power around the globe, published by UBS, which shows Hong Kong employees work more hours than those in all other Asian cities except Seoul.

The long work week leaves Hong Kong workers with little time for their personal lives—most spending less than two hours per day on personal activities.

Large-scale redundancies, mass restructuring and general uncertainties have put huge pressure on remaining staff, and as much as 62% said they suffered prolonged fatigue and extreme tiredness, with 30% getting sick regularly due to heavy workloads.

HR managers need to be aware that subjecting staff to intense work levels and disregarding their personal needs is not sustainable, and poses a huge threat for companies, effecting both morale and corporate reputation.

30% of all employees would leave for better WLB.

The cost to businesses is clear with poor work-life balance leading to absenteeism, poor performance, increased errors or faults and lack of motivation—ultimately impairing productivity and impacting financial performance. Almost one third of employees in Hong Kong would consider leaving their current job for a better work-life balance elsewhere and over 20% would consider leaving Hong Kong for the same reason.

The benefits to promoting WLB include enhanced reputation, attracting and retaining staff, increasing productivity and raising morale. Companies that support work-life balance policies are likely to foster a more positive perception as an employer, thereby leading to better relations with employees, greater loyalty, commitment and motivation—reducing staff turnover and recruitment costs.

71% of Hong Kong employees spend under two hours per day on personal activities.

With staff working such long hours it is no surprise that this comes at a cost to family life. Employees having insufficient time for their personal life and increased pressures at home. This has had a number of negative impacts on both family life and staff health. Key effects on the health of staff members and their families are as follows:

76% encounter problems as a result of poor work life balance;

53% suffer from fatigue;

41% have no time for their partner and family; and

31% suffer from insomnia and poor diet as a result of work pressures.

Employees give employers less than half marks for their WLB efforts.

Despite the economic downturn, employees’ expectations of WLB did not radically change and their current WLB is still far from what they consider ideal. The preferred WLB ratio of employees is 62% work to 38% personal time, however, they reported that their actual WLB ratio is 83% work to 17% personal time. According to Dr Robert Chung, Director of POP, “In the midst of the economic recession, these findings show that the WLB of Hong Kong’s work force has remained relatively unchanged…and that there is ample room for improvement.” Employees continue to score their employers a mere 4.7 out of 10 for their efforts in promoting work-life balance.

Five-day week and more paid annual leave best ways to improve WLB.

Companies are increasingly looking at flexibility to address economic challenges and traditional reactions such as large scale redundancies need to be examined closely as to whether it will be strategically beneficial, or have negative effects on morale, loyalty, commitment and trust between employers and employees. From an employee perspective employers are still not doing enough to promote WLB in the current economic climate.

Flexible working schedules, such as reduced hours or periods of unpaid leave, can be used to redistribute work and reduce salary costs. This also has the advantage of retaining talent and knowledge for a time when business picks up and avoiding the costs of redundancy.

At the same time staff who feel they are valued enough to be retained by the organisation, are likely to reciprocate with increased commitment and effort. Employees think several factors would help them achieve better WLB as follows:

5-day work week, 27%

more paid annual leave, 19%

flexible working times, 11%

option to work from home, 9%

career breaks or unpaid leave, 9%

Lower-income workers struggle most with WLB

Financial security biggest barrier to WLB for HK employees.

Consistent with findings from previous years, staff with lower incomes struggle the most to achieve work-life balance. Employees earning $10,000 or less a month work the longest hours, just over 50 hours per week, and spend 23% less time on personal activities than workers earning over HKD50,000. 88% of Hong Kong employees face challenges in achieving work-life balance. This year, financial security has overtaken long working hours as the most difficult work-life balance challenge employees face on a day-to-day basis. Such findings may indicate the higher level of importance employees place on achieving economic security and the belief that it runs counter to attaining work-life balance during these challenging economic times. Long working hours and increased workload due to company downsizing rank as the second and third key challenges for workers in Hong Kong, respectively.

For companies committed to CSR, WLB is a critical issue. It is not simply about ‘treating employees with respect’ but rather engaging a healthy and productive workforce which will help the company ride out challenging times and emerge even stronger. Employees still very much value work-life balance and companies need to remember that ultimately it is their people—their passion and commitment—who will determine whether the business succeeds or fails. Ensuring that employees are healthy, productive and engaged—is clearly more important than ever. Shaun Bernier, Managing Director, Community Business commented, “The credit crisis has shown that there is a wholesale loss of trust in large businesses—especially in the financial sector. These results indicate companies acknowledge that building workplaces that engage and motivate staff will put them in the best position for them to ride the storm.” Bernier also highlighted the importance of companies continuing to invest in the community. “It is important for companies to remain true to their core values and to continue to demonstrate their commitment to being a socially responsible employer. Whilst companies may need to tighten their belts in terms of corporate giving, there is a lot that companies can do at little or no cost. Activities such as company supported employee volunteering and pro bono work, for example, not only benefit the community but are also a valuable way to boost morale and engage staff.”