Moderator, Ji-Ye Hwang, Senior Consultant Hewitt Associates, began the discussion by talking about various surveys which have been conducted and the definition of the balance between work and personal life.
DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU
Anny Tse of Deloittes gave a comprehensive description of the range of incentives her company has implemented in its attempt to find the best balance. Featured were Social and Community Activities such as blood donation, Health Related including a piece of fruit for each employee each day, Corporate Discounts on a range of products and services and even Concierge Services
Underpinning the program are Deloittes' flexible working arrangements and the provision of professional personal counseling.
STANDARD CHARTERED BANK
Standard Chartered's Fern Ngai pointed out that although the bank has won many awards in this area and has a wide-ranging program in place, they did not feel they had completely beaten the problem.
Ms Ngai spoke of the health implications of poor work/life balance and how the bank addresses this intensely via programs such as Well-Being Week, Paternity leave, Volunteering Leave, Community Work Programs and Learning Opportunities.
VF ASIA LIMITED
After beginning by giving the audience a chuckle when he said his wife was very skeptical about his qualifications for talking about work/life balance, Managing Director Thomas Nelson gave some very important insights into how his company works on this problem.
VF Asia has a very wide product assortment in clothing and leisure equipment. The company is experiencing very rapid growth.
Mr Nelson spoke of the importance of Employee Opinion Surveys, Training, using Metrics to measure factors and the importance of Having Fun.
In fact, Mr Nelson's suggested three-step employee approach to the work day was highly insightful:
- Choose your attitude
- Make a difference
- Have fun
"PRESENTEEISM"
Fern Ngai, from Standard Chartered touched on the problem of "Presenteeism" in her presentation. This is the dilemma, somewhat peculariar to Hong Kong, of employees spending far too long at work.
Standard Chartered has introduced "Project 1900" - an effort to get employees out of the office by 7PM. Mr Nelson said he handled this problem partly by ensuring he left the office at 6PM to take away the incentive to stay as long as the boss does, which is part of the thinking that drives employees into the habit of long hours presenteeism.
ChiLab Managing Director Bruce Stinson asked a question of the panel on this issue and one other. He pointed out the research which has shown that Hong Kong workers are working longer hours than over 60 other countries surveyed, while productivity in Hong Kong ranked in the high twenties among the same countries. And he also put it to the panel that the emergence of Generation Y in the Hong Kong workforce would make a big difference.
The panel gave detailed responses which Thoman Nelson saying that his company had found the US work force, operating at eight hours per day, much more productive than the Hong Kong work force, usually present much longer each day.
Fern Ngai commented on the significant difference in attitude being seen in Generation Y job seekers who are basically interviewing the company for the position, to see if it fits their ideals, rather than the other way around. This new generation does not have the drive, nor do they see the necessity, to secure a long-term secure position. They hav e a totally different agenda which will certainly place even more pressure on corporate efforts to get the work/life balance correct as we move forward.
In closing the host and AmCham HR Director thanked the panel before holding up his Blackberry and indicating the "Off" button as the key to work/life balance!