Work lifebalancepresentationdraft
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The document discusses work-life balance in Hong Kong. It begins with defining work-life balance as having control over when, where and how work is done, allowing people to be happy both at and outside of work. It then discusses the current work environment in Hong Kong, noting long work hours and overtime are common. Several slides discuss the costs of poor work-life balance for both employees and employers, such as stress, illness, and decreased productivity. The document concludes by suggesting ways to restore work-life balance, such as reducing work hours, introducing flexible work arrangements, and providing employee and family support.
Work lifebalancepresentationdraft
- 1. Slide 1 – Work Life Balance Advocates Good evening Professor Wyn, good evening ladies and gentlemen. My name is David, this is my wife, Dorothy and our good friends – Riva and Vincent. Thank you for staying here so late with us :) We promise to be concise today. Feel free to ask a question at any time or at the end of presentation. Slide 2 – Topics to be presented Tonight, we'll be presenting the positive sides of WL balance. Definition, work env. in HK / WL balance in HK, in hospitality sector / also we will discuss about costs of poor WL balance and restoring WL balance and what can be done to improve it in general – things like flexible working hours, work at home or telecommuting and finally, we will take a look at the future outlook on work life balance in Hong Kong Slide 3 – Definition of WL balance by Work Foundation (research partner of Leicester University) WL balance is when people have control over when, where and how they work. It is achieved when people can have a happy life at as well as outside of work, and it is accepted and respected as a norm, to the mutual benefit of the individual, business and society. Slide 4 – Work environment in HK HK is a very busy and vibrant city - it’s a bless - and a curse. Bless, because there are so many opportunities, this city never sleeps, is always hectic - like on caffeine, compared to Europe or most of USA. And curse - because of the same - sometimes we have to adapt to function at different time zones (like +8 hours USA or -6 hours for Europe) - a real headache if we have to be responsive in all three zones and quite fortunate if we don’t have to worry about the other time zones :). Working overtime here is a norm, I think. EX VRT Slide 4 – continued Experiment - Let’s do a little experiment - I will need your help voting. Please raise your hand if you currently work in Hong Kong or have worked here in the past Please raise your hand if you ever worked OT Please raise your hand if you work OT regularly Slide 5 – Dilemma If you want to be good and achieve success, you must dedicate a lot, accept much less time for out-of-work activities, family life, fitness, hobbies, etc. - at the risk of a burnout at work. Do you know what is the main hobby of Hong Kong people? Sleeping :) True story, I heard that in my YMCA classroom on one Saturday last year - from my Primary one students.VERTE Slide 5 Dilemma 2 continued (I was doing my extra job as English teacher and they were there, on a Saturday afternoon, learning English grammar :) The rat race starts very early and even young kids, on top of school & homework, they have additional classes all the time, just to catch up with their peers and sometimes it’s on all days of the week, including Sundays - practically zero family time. Most likely because their parents work a lot too and only see their kids when they are asleep..VRT Slice 5 Dilemma 3 continued We cannot change the working hours in the city, but we should think how to both focus on work and have a healthy home life - the solution might be to try and more spend quality time with the family, talking, sharing, playing or taking a family trip - understandably that will be difficult when we are very tired after work - nevertheless, we should keep trying, so we can live longer and enjoy our life while we can. Slide 6 – HK Businesses According to a survey, conducted by Community Business organization in HK, among more than 1,000 hospitality employees last year - almost 90% hoped that their family priorities would be addressed by their bosses. Also, more than 80% hope for improving their working environment and making it more family friendly. Slide 7 – HK Businesses 2 continued It may seem like a high cost at first, as it would require hiring more staff, so the costs of running the business would increase. However, this would result in more happy and less stressed employees, who would then inflict positive effect on the customer - so the companies would have a competitive advantage (until others follow their footsteps). Slide 7 HK Businesses 3 continued It might result with employees who are not tired, irritated, overworked, overstressed and exhausted at the workplace. And who have time for a family life, hobbies and other activities. The work on the weekends and public holidays (unavoidable for hospitality industry) should be perceived and presented as an advantage, as the days off would be on non peak days. Slide 8 – WL balance outlook in HK Almost three out of four people can afford less than two hours of time during the day for personal activities. More than half of working population in HK is suffering from chronic fatigue and extreme tiredness due to poor work-life balance. Almost half of the employees have no time for partner or family
- 2. Slide 9 – Costs of poor WL balance Companies all over the world are driven by profit and the need to control costs - perhaps now, more than ever. Let us consider the cost implications of poor work life balance. For employees, the personal costs are obvious. VRT Slide 9 – Costs of poor WL balance 2 continued Committing too much work can lead to stress, physical illness, depression and even mental illness. It can also lead to damaged personal and family relationships. In a recent research, as much as 62% respondents said they suffered prolonged fatigue and extreme tiredness, nearly 50% said they did not have time for their partner and family and 30% said they get sick regularly due to heavy workload. VRT Slide 9 Costs of poor WL balance 2 continued When we consider the above - the cost to business becomes clear. The negative effects of poor work life balance may lead to absenteeism, poor performance, increased errors or faults or simply a lack of motivation or engagement - all of which ultimately impair productivity and impact financial performance. Slide 10 – Benefits of WL balance for companies Enhance reputation • Socially responsible employer: companies that treat their employees with respect and ensure a favourable working environment are respected by the wider community. • Employer of choice: potential employees want to work for companies that have attractive work-life balance policies and are more likely to show loyalty to companies that provide these. Slide 10 Benefits of WL balance 2 continued Attract and retain staff • More and more employees – and not just the younger generation (Gen.Y), but mature workers too, are looking for work-life balance. Research shows that increasingly such benefits are valued as much as, or more highly than financial remuneration. • Companies that offer work-life balance options are better able to retain staff who might otherwise consider leaving if the environment is too stressful or inflexible. Slide 10 – Benefits of WL balance 3 continued • Alarmingly, 33% of employees in a 2013 survey said they would consider leaving their current job for better work-life balance elsewhere, whilst over 20% in the 2007 survey said they would consider leaving Hong Kong for the same reason. Increase productivity • Employees who are less overworked and stressed produce a higher quality of work and make fewer mistakes. Slide 10 – Benefits of WL balance 4 continued • Employees who are encouraged to consider their personal wellbeing take less time off due to sickness and poor health. Raise morale • Work arrangements that respect the individual needs of employees and give a greater degree of control over when and how work is done leads to raised morale and increased loyalty. • Work-life balance initiatives that facilitate social interaction between employees boost morale and team spirit. Slide 10 – Benefits of WL balance 5 continued Manage costs • Flexible work arrangements (such as home working) can reduce office overheads, save office space and cut down on travel costs. • A healthier, less stressed work-force means less costs associated with health-care and absenteeism. • Recruitment and training costs can be reduced through improved staff retention. Slide 11 – Restoring WL balance I could talk a lot about that, but I can see that we are running low on time, so, very quickly – what are the best ways to restore WL balance. Would it be reducing working time? Introducing more flexible working arrangements and leave options? Perhaps also employee and family support should be provided by the company – it would be a responsible behaviour, especially from bigger companies, MNC. Slide 11 – Restoring WL balance continued We should also look after our well-being, we do not live only to work, we should enjoy life as well, while we can. Also, good health is a blessing and we should take care of it while it lasts. We should remember to integrate with family and friends. Community is also important. And now, Riva will tell us more about flexible working hours and work at home … Thank you.