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No such thing as work-life balance in HK

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  1. #1

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    No such thing as work-life balance in HK

    I mentioned something similar in an earlier thread, but a recent news article confirms my suspicion, HK has no such thing as work-life balance:

    Over 60 per cent of workers in Hong Kong feel work-life balance has worsened in the last 10 years, according to a recent survey.With respect to the perceived value of work-life balance, the survey found that of respondents who felt it was not valued, 36 per cent worked for mainland Chinese companies and 32 per cent for local companies.In contrast, only 19 per cent of respondents employed by international companies felt their employers did not value work-life balance.
    Ngai said the discrepancy reflected different working cultures.
    Separate research conducted by recruitment firm Randstad this year found Hongkongers had the worst work-life balance among working people in the Asia-Pacific region.

    What balance? Hong Kong survey shows most working people in city think work-life balance is getting worse | South China Morning Post

    Interestingly, the survey seems to confirm the stereotype of local employers as exploitative scrooges who does not care about employee well-being so long as they can squeeze out an extra buck or two. Disappointing, as I actually worked for a local employer, and maybe he isn't the norm, but he was by no means the money-grubbing, harsh and unreasonable boss that other local employers are reputably known to be

    Was I just lucky? What do you think?

    Last edited by Cho-man; 28-10-2015 at 04:48 PM.

  2. #2

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cho-man:
    Was I just lucky? What do you think?
    You probably were lucky

    I have seen a lot of Local Bosses or Manager of departments that for some reason always work late and off course their staff cant be seen leaving earlier than their own boss so they stick around regardless if they have any work or not. Each time I have seen this we usually joke the Boss must not want to go home to face his wife LOL
    Cho-man likes this.

  3. #3

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    I've been called out in the past by a western manager for leaving work "on time" even though I'm dealing with crap at home . He said that it looked bad and set a bad example. Didn't make one bit of difference that I was efficient during working hours and that I dealt with stuff from home.

    Although notionally I work for an "international" company, it is very much locally managed with "local" attitudes.

    wtbhotia, Cho-man and Hurtmesome like this.

  4. #4

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    Why should you work less in this city? Go to Sai Kung on a weekend and spend hours in queues around crowds. It's not like you can finish work at 5:00 and go for a stroll in a beautiful park or take a longer bicycle ride home. I actually have noticed some young admin staff working late, because I think they enjoy the privacy and personal space they get in their little area at work after the office empties out. I'm very grateful, though, that my other half seems to have a reasonable boss and good colleagues (but in his industry it's a given you work until after 7:00 pm).

    Meanwhile in Sweden:
    Sweden introduces six-hour work day | Europe | News | The Independent


  5. #5

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    shri likes this.

  6. #6

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    I find it fantastic.
    Since I work in HK i work much less hours than before in Europe.

    My staff comes at 8:30 if everything goes well and leave at 17:30! thats like paradise here!

    shri likes this.

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Elegiaque:
    Why should you work less in this city? Go to Sai Kung on a weekend and spend hours in queues around crowds. It's not like you can finish work at 5:00 and go for a stroll in a beautiful park or take a longer bicycle ride home. I actually have noticed some young admin staff working late, because I think they enjoy the privacy and personal space they get in their little area at work after the office empties out. I'm very grateful, though, that my other half seems to have a reasonable boss and good colleagues (but in his industry it's a given you work until after 7:00 pm).

    Meanwhile in Sweden:
    Sweden introduces six-hour work day | Europe | News | The Independent
    Never mind just Sweden, but the whole of Scandinavia is supposedly this worker paradise. Is it really?

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cho-man:
    Never mind just Sweden, but the whole of Scandinavia is supposedly this worker paradise. Is it really?
    It is! But also look at whole picture. The taxes there are even worse then Netherlands. Still, for white collar it's paradise!

  9. #9

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    I think Sweden has bigger problems in order to keep people happy right now.


  10. #10

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    So, let me ask you, do you have work-life balance in HK? If not, why not? If so, why?


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