Three quarters of Hong Kong employers expect workers to be available outside of regular office hours. This puts Hong Kong as the worst place in APAC for work-life balance, according to the latest research Randstad.
The quarterly Workmonitor Mobility Index Survey revealed that employees in Hong Kong are the most challenged when it comes to ‘switching off’—and it is employers who are most often to blame. The survey found that the vast majority of employees, 77%, feel pressured to respond to work-related calls and e-mails while on holiday. This far-outstrips other countries in APAC: with comparatively lower levels in China, 67%; Malaysia, 60%; and Singapore, 49%.
It comes as the strategy of ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD) to work has been gaining increasingly popularity over the past five years in the city. The survey found that around half of employers now have a BYOD policy in place. While increasing productivity and potentially reducing employer costs, this is increasing staff fears of being constantly chained to the office desk, even when they are on holiday.
This adds to the well-established view that employees in Hong Kong are severely over-worked which does not necessarily translate into high performance. Paul Yu, Director, Randstad Hong Kong confirmed, “Companies need to have a clear mindset that overworking does not result in productivity.”
If business is to remain competitive here, HR has to look beyond the competitive salaries and perks to retain talent. Yu concluded, “To successfully manage a high-performing team, employers need to promote work-life balance, as this produces a more satisfied and productive workforce.”
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
