Hong Kong employees put work-life balance before promotions

• 71% of HK employees received pay rises in 2018
• 70% of Hospitality practitioners work over 50 hours a week
• 20% of employees reluctant to receive promotions fearing increased workloads

71% of Hong Kong employees have received pay rises in 2018, with an average salary increase of 5.7%. This growth is relatively high in contrast to the past decade and is more than the 3.9% revealed last year, according to the Jobsdb Job Seeker Salary Report 2018.

While this year’s salary increases and bonuses have improved, many local employees feel that they are overworked. According to the survey 15% of employed respondents need to work more than 50 hours per week (working in the workplace and from home). Among all job functions, the Hospitality / F&B is the hardest hit in terms of long working hours with up to 70% of practitioners working more than 50 hours per week. Building and construction ranks second with 46% and management comes third with 38%.

According to the survey, many of the respondents actively avoid promotions, mainly because they want to maintain a work-life balance. They do not feel that the salary increases reflect the increased workload that is placed upon them, and they do not want to handle increased expectations from their boss. These results indicate that employers should explore ways to establish a fair, healthy work environment and help employees maintain a certain quality of life.