More than half of Hong Kong employees, 59%, feel that having the option to work remotely would make them more satisfied at work and favour a week where 70% of time is spent in the office and 30% is spent working away from the workplace.
This is the greatest figure in the region, second only to Malaysia, 64%, suggesting that organisations in Hong Kong are not doing enough to create flexible work options for their employees.
The results, taken from the 2013/14 Randstad World of Work Report, reveal that two thirds of employees do not have remote working options in their current job— a higher figure than China, India or Malaysia, but on par with Singapore. Australian employers, on the other hand, provide the greatest flexible workplace options, such as variable work hours, job-sharing or working from home, with only one in four saying they should do more.
Peter Yu, Director, Randstad, Hong Kong said that the results build a strong case for organisations in Hong Kong to intensify their commitment towards greater workplace flexibility, as many of these employers cite talent attraction and retention as their greatest human capital challenges. He urges organisations to commit time and resources, investing in the right management training, tools and processes to ensure that flexible work achieves the maximum productivity gain.
Commenting on the findings, he said, “To create the right flexible work environment, employers should consult widely among managers, teams and individuals to understand what they want. They can establish a pilot programme in certain functions where remote working makes sense, and measure the potential impact and benefits of more flexible working arrangements.”
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
