The latest statistics on the state of Work-Life Balance in Hong Kong make sad reading for Hong Kong employees. According to a Survey conducted by Community Business, nearly three-quarters of employees in Hong Kong spend less than two hours per day on personal or private activities and nearly 50% say they have no time for their partner and family.
There has been much speculation over the past several months as to what impact the recession will have on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and many have predicted that companies will devote less time, attention and resources to it. Yet, given the current economic climate, responsible business practice is more important now than ever with the credit crisis resulting in a loss of trust in large businesses—especially in the financial sector. Simultaneously, with an increased threat of redundancies and the need to achieve more with less, there is unprecedented pressure on staff. While businesses must prioritise during a recession, CSR policies and practices should be seen as fundamental to the way companies operate—not an afterthought. Companies that are able to restore consumer confidence and build workplaces that engage and motivate staff are the ones that will be best positioned to ride the storm.
Even before the economic downturn there was growing concern about the intensification of work in Hong Kong with the majority of people working in stressful environments, characterised by long hours and heavy workloads. Annual surveys repeatedly show that employees in Hong Kong spend little time on their personal life and that poor work-life balance is impacting their health and productivity.
Snapshot HR
Key Statistics from the State of Work-Life Balance in Hong Kong Survey 2008:
- 49 hours per week—the average number of working hours in Hong Kong. This figure is 22% higher than recommended by International Labour Organisation (ILO).
- 2 hours per day—the small amount of time 73% of employees spend per day on personal or private activities.
- 60% of employees—the percentage of the workforce who say they are suffering from prolonged fatigue and extreme tiredness due to poor work-life balance.·
- 49%—the percentage of employees who say they have no time for their partner and family.
- 38%—the percentage of employees who report that their productivity and work quality has reduced dramatically due to long working hours. This represents a 5% rise since last year.
Source: Community Business
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
