About Community Business Community Business Is A Unique Membership Based

About Community Business
Community Business is a unique membership based non-profit organisation whose mission is to lead, inspire and
support businesses to improve their positive impact on people and communities. Community Business provides training,
facilitation and advice to some of the world’s leading companies in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its major
areas of focus include: CSR strategy, corporate community investment, diversity and inclusion and work-life balance.
Founded in 2003 and based in Hong Kong, Community Business currently works with a number of organisations, small,
medium and large, committed to CSR. For more information, visit www.communitybusiness.org
Acknowledgements
Community Business is grateful to the Community Business Leadership Team and its Work-Life Balance Survey
Taskforce for their continued support of this research which has been conducted on an annual basis since 2006. In
particular Community Business would like to thank the sponsors of this 2009 Survey for their financial support including:
Baker & McKenzie, Cisco, Coca-Cola, Crown Worldwide Group, KPMG, Microsoft Hong Kong Limited, MTR Corporation,
The Prudential Assurance Company Limited, Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, Thomson Reuters and
Time Technology.
Community Business would also like to acknowledge the Public Opinion Programme at the University of Hong Kong for
their continued partnership in this research - for providing strategic advice on the methodology (ensuring consistency of
approach whilst also reflecting the changing economic environment), as well as for conducting the Survey itself.
Thank you to Sandy Chan for assisting in the design and the production of this Summary Report and to Kate Vernon for
reviewing and editing.
Contact Us
Email: info@communitybusiness.org
Tel: (852) 2152 1889
URL: www.communitybusiness.org
Disclaimer
All information in this document is provided for general information only and is not in the nature of advice. Community
Business Limited (CBL) reserves the right to make alterations to any of its documents without prior notice. Reproduction
and dissemination of this document is permitted provided that the document is unaltered and ownership is acknowledged.
Expressed permission is required from the Board of Directors of CBL for use of this document (in whole or part) if such
use will generate income for the licensee. This report reflects the views of CBL on work-life balance based on the survey
results set out in this document. This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the member companies of CBL, the
member companies of the Community Business Leadership Team or the sponsors of this report.
© Community Business Limited 2009

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The State of Work-Life Balance in Hong Kong
2009 Survey
Contents Page
1. Executive Summary 2
2. Findings at a Glance 4
3. Background 6
4. Methodology 7
5. Demographics 8
6. Overview of Key Findings 10
7. Appendices 22
• Appendix I: Interview Questions
• Appendix II: Graphs of Significant Demographic Variables
www.communitybusiness.org
2009 Survey
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Impact of the Economic Downturn

The current economic downturn poses some challenging questions with respect to work-life balance. When companies
are struggling to survive and remain profitable is work-life balance still relevant? Given other priorities in the workplace is
taking steps to ensure the wellbeing of staff still important? It is precisely these types of questions that, “The State of Work-
Life Balance in Hong Kong Survey 2009,” (2009 Survey) has sought to examine, directing questions at employees in Hong
Kong to understand what impact, if any, the economic downturn is having on their perceptions and experiences of work-life
balance.
The results of the 2009 Survey indicate overwhelmingly that work-life balance continues to be relevant to employees in
Hong Kong and they present a compelling business case for why companies should take the issue seriously. In response
to a direct question, the majority of Hong Kong employees (67.7%) say it is important for their employers to address work-
life balance during the current economic crisis. Further, findings show that there is no significant change in employees’
expectations with regard to work-life balance. For instance, Hong Kong employees’ ideal work-life ratio remains the same
in 2009 as in 2008 at 62:38 – indicating that regardless of the current economic conditions, employees are not willing to
sacrifice their personal time for work. In addition, about 30% of employees would consider leaving their current employer
for a better work-life balance – another illustration that even in the current climate of market uncertainty, work-life balance
remains a priority for employees. This view is most prevalent (47.8%) amongst younger workers (age 15 to 29).
Working Hours
As this study has shown consistently over the past four years, employees in Hong Kong work long hours and spend little
time on their personal lives. According to the 2009 Survey, employees are working essentially the same number of hours this
year as last year (48.4 hours per week in 2009 versus 48.8 in 2008). This is 21% higher than the 40 hours recommended by
the International Labour Organisation. The fact that Hong Kong has a challenge with long working hours is backed by other
research that shows that employees in Hong Kong work more hours than those in all other cities in Asia except Seoul.1 The
long work week for Hong Kong employees leaves them little time for their personal lives, with most spending less than two
hours per day on personal activities.
Work-Life Balance Ratios and Measures

Work-life balance ratios, both ideal (62:38 in 2009 and 2008) and actual (83:17 in 2009 and 84:16 in 2008), have shown little
or no change - and in fact have remained quite consistent each year that we have conducted the Survey. The discrepancy
between the two ratios remains wide. At the same time, the extent to which employees feel they have attained their ideal
work-life balance has remained static at 5.7, whilst employees continue to give their employers a score of only 4.7 out
of 10 for their efforts in promoting work-life balance. These findings, which also have been consistent over the history of
the Survey, point to the fact that employers sadly seem to have made little progress and need to do more to address the
challenge of poor work-life balance in their organisations.
Demographical Observations
Each year we highlight variations in findings according to different variables such as gender, industry and income. This year
we have also analysed the findings by age. This has revealed some interesting trends.
1
Prices and Earnings – A comparison for purchasing power around the globe 2009 Edition (UBS August 2009).
2009 Survey
Younger employees, including Generations X and Y2, seem more concerned about work-life balance than older employees.
For instance, 70.7% of workers age 15 to 29 and 74.3% of employees age 30 to 39 say it is important for their employer to
address work-life balance during the current economic downturn, compared to 54.4% of employees age 60 or above. These
younger employees also report working fewer hours each week than those age 40 and above. As previously mentioned,
nearly half of respondents age 29 and younger (47.8%) would consider leaving their current employers for better work-life
balance – well above the overall average (30.1%).
Consistent with findings from previous years, those with lower incomes struggle the most to achieve work-life balance.
Employees earning $10,000 or less a month work the longest hours (50.1 hours per week) and spend significantly less time
on personal activities (9.1 hours per week versus 11.8 hours for workers earning HK$50,001 or above). It is perhaps not
surprising then that lower income employees also give their employers the lower scores in terms of their efforts to promote
work-life balance.
Barriers to Achieving Work-Life Balance

About 88% of Hong Kong employees face challenges in achieving work-life balance. This year, financial security has
overtaken long working hours as the most difficult work-life balance challenge employees face and was also the highest
ranking challenge in 2007. This finding may indicate the higher level of importance employees place on achieving economic
security and the belief that it runs counter to attaining work-life balance during these challenging economic times. Long
working hours and increased workload due to company downsizing rank as the second and third key challenges for workers
in Hong Kong, closely followed by leader’s attitude, which continues to be an issue that Hong Kong employees struggle
with.
The Impact of Poor Work-Life Balance on Employees and Businesses

Poor work-life balance continues to take a toll on employees and businesses, both directly and indirectly. Three-quarters
of employees suffer from problems related to health and family due to poor work-life balance. More than half of the
respondents (53.4%) report prolonged fatigue, sleepiness and extreme tiredness, whilst 40.8% cite not having time for their
partner and family and 31.0% report suffering from insomnia and poor diet. Interestingly, problems resulting from poor work-
life balance are most prevalent amongst the youngest employees (age 15 to 29) with almost 83% citing related issues. In
the current economic environment, we might expect employees to say that their work productivity and quality has declined
due to heavy workloads. Certainly high-levels of stress and fatigue are likely to lead to poorer performance and higher
absentee rates. Companies should be looking at such metrics as an indicator of the negative impact that poor work-life
balance could be having on the productivity of their business.
Initiatives Employers Can Provide to Address Work-Life Balance

Once again, employees cite a 5-day work week and more paid annual leave as the top two most important work
arrangements that will help them achieve a better work-life balance. This illustrates that despite the current economic
climate, more personal time is still a high priority for employees. In addition, this suggests that employers can go a long way
to addressing work-life balance by implementing a 5-day work week.
Flexible working and options to work from home rank marginally higher this year than career breaks/unpaid leave. It
is possible that employees view career breaks and unpaid leave as unrealistic options at a time when they are more
concerned about financial well-being and job security. Employees’ preferences vary by their income and age. Those from
the two highest income groups prefer more paid annual leave and the option to work from home, whilst respondents from
lower or middle income groups prefer a 5-day work week.
2
Generation X generally refers to individuals born between the early-to-mid 1960s and 1979. Generation Y generally refers to those born between 1980 and
the late 1990s.
2009 Survey
Conclusion
The findings of the 2009 Survey continue to present a compelling business case as to why companies should take the
issue of work-life balance seriously – even in an economic downturn. Employees continue to value work-life balance and
companies should need little reminder that ultimately it is their people – their passion and commitment – who will determine
whether the business succeeds or fails. Focusing on the work-life balance of staff – ensuring that employees are healthy,
productive and engaged – is clearly more important than ever.
Finally, in looking at the overall findings and comparing the results from previous years it is interesting, if not somewhat
disheartening, to observe that several of the key work-life balance ratios and measures have remained largely unchanged
since the first time we conducted the Survey in 2006. As Community Business and its member companies continue to
champion the issue of work-life balance, we urge the wider business community in Hong Kong to recognise the negative
impacts poor work-life balance is having on both their employees and on their business and to take positive steps to address
these issues.
2. FINDINGS AT A GLANCE
The State of Work-Life Balance in Hong Kong Survey 2009 has revealed the following significant findings:
A. Working and Living Patterns

1. Employees in Hong Kong continue to work long hours
• The average number of hours worked per week is 48.4 hours. This is a statistically insignificant decrease from 48.8
hours in 2008.
• Our research shows a downward trend in the number of hours worked since 2006, however, the year on year decline
is statistically insignificant for most years.
• Employees still work 21% more than the recommended number of hours as defined by the International Labour
Organisation (ILO) which states workers should work no more than 40 hours per week with occasional paid overtime of
up to 12 hours per week.
2. Employees spend less than two hours per day on their personal life
• 70.6% of employees spend less than 2 hours per day on personal or private activities in 2009. This is consistent with
findings from 2008 and 2007.
• 7.8% of employees do not spend any time on their personal life at all.
3. Despite the current economic downturn, employees’ expectations of work-life balance have not changed and
are far from what they consider ideal
• The preferred work-life ratio of employees is 62:38 and has not changed since last year, reflecting that employees’
expectations of their work-life balance has not been affected by the current economic climate.
• The actual work-life ratio is 83:17 in 2009 compared to 84:16 in 2008.
2009 Survey
B. Satisfaction with Work and Life

4. Employers are not seen by employees to have made progress in promoting work-life balance since 2006
• Employees give their employers a score of 4.7 out of 10 in 2009 for efforts and resources spent on promoting work-life
balance. This is the same score as in 2006 and 2007.
5. More than two-thirds of employees in Hong Kong believe it is important for their employers to address work-life
balance during the current economic climate
• For the first time, respondents were asked if it is important for their employers to address the issue of work-life balance
during the current economic climate. 67.7% believe that it is.
C. Problems with Current Work-Life Balance and Desired Solutions

6. Employees in Hong Kong have made no progress in achieving their ideal work-life balance over the last four
years
• Employees rate the degree to which they have achieved their ideal work-life balance as 5.7 out of 10 in 2009. This is
the same as the findings last year and in 2006.
7. Poor work-life balance continues to negatively impact employees' productivity, family life and health
• More than three-quarters (76.1%) of respondents say they encounter various problems as a result of poor work-life
balance.
• Over
half of the respondents (53.4%) claim they suffer from prolonged fatigue, sleepiness and extreme tiredness.
• The second and third top problems faced by employees are not having time with their partner and family (40.8%) and
insomnia and poor diet as a result of work pressures (31.0%).
8. The need for financial security has overtaken long working hours as the most difficult work-life balance
challenge this year
• Employees say the greatest obstacle they face in achieving work-life balance is the need to ensure financial security
(13.8%). This has over taken long working hours (12.1%) which was the key obstacle in 2008.
• Increased workload due to company downsizing (a new option introduced this year) ranks as the third most difficult
work-life balance challenge (11.5%).
9. Hong Kong employees continue to identify a 5-day work week and more paid annual leave as the ways to best
help them achieve a better work-life balance
• The largest percentage of employees (26.9%) say that a 5-day work week would most assist them with work-life
balance followed by more paid annual leave (18.8%). This is consistent with findings over the past three years.
• Flexible working time (10.8%) and options to work from home (9.4%) surpass career breaks/unpaid leave (8.9%) and
rank as the third and fourth most desirable work arrangements in 2009.
10. Three out of ten of employees in Hong Kong would consider leaving their current job for better work-life balance
•D espite the current economic climate, three out of ten employees (30.1%) would still consider leaving their current job
for better work-life balance – a marginal decrease compared to 2008 (32.6%).
2009 Survey
3. BACKGROUND
Community Business and its member companies have championed the issue of work-life balance in Hong Kong since 2005.
This annual study on the state of work-life balance in Hong Kong is the initiative of the Community Business Leadership
Team (CBLT), a unique group of business leaders representing different business sectors in Hong Kong who are committed
to advancing the development of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Hong Kong. Published since 2006, the study is
now in its fourth year and has become the leading reference on the work-life balance of employees in Hong Kong. The State
of Work-Life Balance in Hong Kong Survey 2009 was conducted by the Public Opinion Programme (POP) at the University
of Hong Kong (HKU). Designed as a tracking survey, the 2009 Survey adopted the same methodology and similar sample
size as the 2008 Survey. The questions used in this year's Survey were modified slightly from those used in 2008.
The main purpose of the Survey is to provide the corporate sector with the necessary data to assist it with its work-life
balance policies and initiatives. It is also designed to raise awareness of the importance of work-life balance and the
direct impact on business and employees. With the global financial crisis caused by the credit crunch in late 2008, 2009
is a challenging time for businesses. Given this context, the 2009 Survey has also sought to examine how the economic
downturn has impacted employees’ experience of and attitude towards work-life balance.
Using a consistent methodology year on year, this Survey strives to assess the extent to which the overall state of work-life
balance is improving in Hong Kong by determining the following:
• Employees’ working and living patterns

• Employees’ satisfaction with work and life
• Problems employees face in achieving a healthy work-life balance and their desired solutions to overcome such
challenges
This report summarises important findings from the 2009 Survey, seeks to highlight significant differences from the 2008
Survey and identifies trends from the studies conducted in 2006 to 2009.
This report presents the view of Community Business. The views expressed in this report do not represent those of
Community Business members, CBLT members, sponsors of this report or the POP.
2009 Survey
4. METHODOLOGY
The 2009 Survey was commissioned by Community Business and undertaken by the POP. It is a tracking survey developed
from the full studies conducted in 2006 and 2007. The random selection of respondents, as well as the overall sample size
are representative of the working population in Hong Kong and allows us to make inferences about the Hong Kong working
population as a whole.
Target Population
The target population was defined as full-time workers of all levels in Hong Kong of age 15 or above who speak Cantonese,
English or Mandarin. A full-time worker was defined as an employee who works at least 5 days a week or who has a total
working time of not less than 40 hours per week.
Sample Size
The sample size of 2009 Survey was 1,013 respondents (in 2006, 2007 and 2008 it was 1,519, 1,014 and 1,011
respondents respectively).
Telephone Interviews
Using a computer-assisted technique, more than 1,000 random telephone interviews were conducted between 20 to 31 July
2009.
Questionnaire
As in 2008, the 2009 Survey included 10 questions. A Work-Life Balance Survey Taskforce made up of members of the
CBLT and staff from Community Business was set up to review and agree the survey questions. Professional advice was
also sought from POP to ensure that selected questions were appropriate and allowed valid comparisons to be made year
on year. The Taskforce selected 9 questions from the previous studies and modified the questions to reflect the impact of
the current economic downturn on employees’ work-life balance and their attitudes, where appropriate. One new question
was also added to this year’s survey. The 2009 Survey also included 8 questions relating to demographics. The full list of
questions is available in Appendix I.
Summary of Research Findings

In this report we examine the responses for each of the 10 questions asked in the 2009 Survey. For each question we
highlight the mean response for 2009 and 2008 and identify trends, if any, observed from the data from 2006 to 2009. For
2009, where statistically significant differences have arisen due to gender , industry , income level and age
these are highlighted. When this arises, this component is then reviewed for significant variations since 2008 and if trends
are observed since 2006, these are mentioned. We also highlight any consistent significant variables that can be observed
since 2006.
Statistically significant variations have been identified by the researchers at the POP. A difference is said to be significant
when the chi-square value (p-value) is smaller than 0.05 and 0.01. Therefore in some cases, to the lay observer it may
appear from our graphs that there is a significant variation. However, our text may not make reference to this. Readers
should be guided by the words in the text which state clearly when a statically significant variation has occurred. It should
be noted that where we use the words “more employees” or “less employees” we are referring to more or less in terms of
percentages when compared to the results of the 2008 survey.
It is also important to note that comparisons between the 2008 and 2009 Survey can generally be made. Comparisons
should however be treated with some degree of caution due to changes in methodology and wording of questions. The full
report of the 2009 Survey findings written by the POP is available at www.communitybusiness.org. The full report of the
2006 to 2008 Surveys can also be found on this website.
2009 Survey
5. DEMOGRAPHICS
In this 2009 Survey, respondents were asked a number of demographic questions, including questions relating to their:
gender, age, income, education attainment, position, industry and district of residence. For the purpose of this summary
report, we focus on four demographic variables only: gender, industry, income level and age. Given the growing discussion
on the various demands and priorities in the workplace of different generations and a particular interest in the characteristics
of Generation Y, we have added age as the fourth variable to see whether this has a statistically significant impact on
employees’ work-life balance.
Figure 1 shows the distribution of responses from different industries in Hong Kong. The category Other Personal Services
refers to personal services provided by individuals generally paid on an hourly basis such as private tutors and freelance
workers. Similar to previous surveys, the 2009 Survey does not include domestic helpers. The category Others in 2009
Survey refers to Security Work, Leaflet Distribution and Environment. As this Others category only includes a total of 8
people from a wide range of industries, it does not represent a single industry per se. We have therefore chosen to ignore
this group in our analysis.
Items marked with an asterisk (*) in Figure 1 represent a sub-sample size with means there were less than 30 respondents
from this industry. Statistically speaking, the smaller the sample size, the larger the sampling error. Findings for these
industries are therefore for indication only. These industries include: Property, Media, Insurance, Telecommunication,
Warehouse Duties, Oil, Energy, Resources and Utilities, Film/Entertainment and Others.
Figure 1. Distribution of Respondents by Industry (2009)
Education 10.2
Manufacturing 8.5
Banks and Finance 7.9
Construction 7.6
Import/Export Trade 7.4
Commercial Service 7.2
Wholesale/Retail 6.7
Transportation 6.5
Government/Public Affairs 6.2
Medical, Hygiene and Welfare 5.5
Industry
Restaurants/Hotels 5.3
Other Personal Services 5.2
Law, Accountancy, Professional Information Services 3.6
Information Technology (IT) 3.3
Property* 1.9
Media* 1.7
Insurance* 1.5
Telecommunication* 1.3
Warehouse Duties* 0.6
Oil, Energy, Resources and Utilities* 0.5
Film/Entertainment* 0.4
Others* 0.8
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Percentage of Respondents
2009 Survey
Figures 2, 3 and 4 show the distribution of respondents by gender, income level and age.
Figure 2. Distribution of Respondents by Gender (2009)
Female Male
48.3% 51.7%
Figure 3. Distribution of Respondents by Monthly Income (Including Bonus) (2009)
HK$50,001 or
HK$40,001- above, 8.8%
HK$50,000
4.0%
HK$10,000 or below
HK$30,001- 27.0%
HK$40,000
9.0%
HK$20,001-
HK$30,000
15.0%
HK$10,001-HK$20,000
36.2%
Figure 4. Distribution of Respondents by Age Group (2009)
60 years old
or above
5.7%
50-59 years old

21.3% 15-29 years old
20.5%
40-49 years old

30.2%
30-39 years old
22.3%
2009 Survey
6. OVERVIEW OF KEY FINDINGS

In reviewing the findings of the 2009 Survey, we identify the following:
• The overall mean response for 2009 and where applicable, a comparison with the 2008 findings, whether or not statistically
significant. In addition, where there is an upward or downward trend since 2006 this is highlighted.
• Statistically significant variations by gender , industry , income level and age for 2009. When this arises, this
component is then reviewed for significant variations since 2008. In addition, where there is an upward or downward trend
since 2006 this is highlighted. We also highlight any consistent significant variables that have been observed since 2006.
The findings are presented in the following sections:

Graphs for significant demographic variables are provided in Appendix II with key findings illustrated in this section.

Finding 1: Employees in Hong Kong continue to work long hours
Employees were asked how many hours they actually work on average each week. Figure 5 shows that in 2009
respondents work an average of 48.4 hours per week – down slightly from. 48.8 hours in 2008. Whilst the overall downward
trend in number of working hours since 2006 should be viewed as positive, from a statistical perspective the year on year
decline is insignificant – with the exception of 2007.
It should be noted that the number of hours worked by Hong Kong employees in 2009 exceeds the standard set by the
International Labour Organisation (ILO) by 21%. The ILO recommends that workers should work no more than 40 hours per
week with occasional paid overtime, paid at a premium of up to 12 hours per week.
Figure 5. Actual Working Hours Per Week (2006 to 2009)
2009 48.4
2008 48.8
Year
2007 49.2
2006 51.3
46 47 48 49 50 51 52
Working Hours
10 www.communitybusiness.org
2009 Survey
Significant Demographic Variables: Table 1
Demographic
Key Findings Reference
Variable
• Similar to 2007 and 2008, men work longer hours (49.5 hours) than women (47.2 See Graph 1.1
hours) in 2009.
•T
he number of hours women work has remained consistent since 2007.
• In 2009, employees from Restaurants/Hotels (56.4 hours), Property (52.2 hours)
and Other Personal Services (51.8 hours) work the longest number of hours.
See Graph 1.2
•E
mployees from Insurance (41.6 hours), Oil, Energy, Resources and Utilities
(44.2 hours) and Education (45.3 hours) work the shorter number of hours.
•A
significant decrease is observed in the actual working hours in Medical,
Hygiene and Welfare from 48.8 hours in 2008 to 45.7 hours in 2009. On the
other hand, respondents from Restaurant/Hotels report working significantly
longer in 2009 (56.4 hours) than in 2008 (50.7 hours).
•O
n average, workers in the Insurance industry have worked fewer hours over
the past four years in comparison to other industries included in the survey.
•E
mployees from the lowest income group (HK$10,000 or below) work the See Graph 1.3
longest hours (50.1 hours) compared to other income groups, which range from
47 to 48 hours.
•T
he number of hours worked per week increases steadily by age, from 47.4 See Graph 1.4
hours for those age 15 to 29, to 50.5 hours for those age 60 or above.
Finding 2: Employees spend less than two hours per day on their personal life
Figure 6 shows a significant proportion of the working population spends less than 2 hours per day on their personal life in
2009 (70.6%), which is a finding consistent with previous years. While fewer employees say that they do not spend any time
on private activities each day in 2009 (7.8%, compared to 10.0% in 2008), this change is statistically insignificant.
www.communitybusiness.org 11
2009 Survey
Figure 6. Time Spent on Personal Activities Per Day (2008 and 2009)
No Private Activities At All 7.8

10.0
Less Than 1 Hour 35.5

34.8
>1-2 Hours 27.3

27.7
>2-3 Hours 12.9

12.1
No. of Hours
>3-4 Hours 3.5

3.4
>4-5 Hours 4.3

3.2
>5-6 Hours 1.9

2.1
>6-7 Hours 0.8

0.5
>7 Hours 1.7

1.5
2009
Don’t Know/Forgot/Hard to Say 4.5
4.8 2008
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
*Average time spent on personal activities per day is 1.6 hours in 2009 and 1.5 hours in 2008.
According to the 2009 results, employees spend slightly more time on their personal and private activities each week than
last year. However, this is a statistically insignificant increase. As shown in Figure 7, workers spend an average of 11.2
hours per week on their personal and private activities in 2009 as compared to 10.4 hours in 2008. These results represent
little change from 2006.
Figure 7. Time Spent on Personal Activities Per Week (2006 to 2009)
2009 11.2
2008 10.4
Year
2007 12.0
emographic 2006 11.1

Variable
9.5 10 10.5 11 11.5 12 12.5
No. of Hours
2009 Survey
Demographic
Variable
• Consistent with the key findings in Finding 1, respondents from the lowest See Graph
income group spend the least amount of time on their personal or private 2.1
activities (9.1 hours per week).
•T
he youngest generation, age 15 to 29 spends the most time on personal or See Graph
private activities (13.2 hours per week). This is a consistent trend over the four 2.2
years.
Finding 3: D
espite the current economic downturn, employees’ expectations of work-life balance have not changed
and are far from what they consider ideal
Respondents were asked about their ideal split between work and personal life, which we call the preferred work-life ratio.
The preferred work-life ratio for 2009 is 62:38 which is the same as in 2008. The fact that the ratio is the same in 2009 and
2008 indicates that employees’ expectations of work-life balance have not changed over the past year, despite the financial
crisis.
Figure 8 shows that the actual work-life ratio is 83:17 in 2009 (compared to 84:16 in 2008), meaning that employees are
spending nearly 5 times as many hours working as they are on their personal life. This ratio has remained somewhat
consistent since 2006 and continues to highlight that there is a significant gap between employees’ ideal work-life balance
and the reality.
Figure 8. Actual Work-Life Ratio (2006 to 2009)
2009 83.2 16.8
2008 84.1 15.9

Year
2007 82.6 17.4
Work
2006 84.2 15.8
Life
0 20 40 60 80 100
2009 Survey
Demographic
Variable
•T
he actual work-life ratio in 2009 is best for employees working in See Graphs
Government/Public Affairs (79:21), Medical, Hygiene and Welfare (79:21) 3.1a and
and Insurance (80:20), but still far from the ideal work-life ratio of 62:38. 3.1b
The work-life ratio for employees is worse in Film/Entertainment (94:6),
Warehouse Duties (90:10) and Restaurant/Hotels (89:11).
•W
hen compared to 2008, the actual work-life ratio of Medical, Hygiene and
Welfare (79:21), Transportation (82:18) and Wholesale/Retail (84:16) have
significantly improved. However, the ratio for respondents working Film/
Entertainment has worsened (94:6).
•S
imilar to 2008, higher income groups have a more balanced work-life ratio See Graphs
than low income groups (HK$40,001 - HK$50,000 (79:21) and HK$50,001 or 3.2a and
above (81:19)). While still far from the ideal work-life ratio, this is significantly 3.2b
better than those who earn HK$10,000 or below (86:14).
•T
he youngest age group (15 to 29) has a more balanced work-life ratio (80:20) See Graph
than any other age group. This contrasts significantly with those over 60 3.3
whose ratio is 88:12. These findings are consistent with what has been found
over the past four years.

Finding 4: Employers are not seen by employees to have made progress in promoting work-life balance since 2006
Employees were asked how much they think their employer has contributed in terms of effort and resources to promote
work-life balance. The range of scores is from 0 to 10 with 0 representing no effort being made, 10 being all possible effort
being made and 5 being neutral.
Although Figure 9 shows that while there is a slight increase in the score from 4.6 in 2008 to 4.7 in 2009, this increase is
statistically insignificant and remains below the neutral score of 5. More importantly the score remains consistent with the
results in 2006 and 2007 which points to the fact that employers are not seen to be making progress in this area. Clearly
companies need to do more to convince employees that they are taking the issue of work-life balance seriously.
Figure 9. Effort and Resources Spent to Promote Work-Life Balance (2006 to 2009)
2009 4.7
2008 4.6
Year
2007 4.7
2006 4.7
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Score: 0 - No Effort; 10 - All Possible Effort
2009 Survey
Demographic
Variable
• Employees from lower income groups give lower scores to their employers See Graph
than those from higher income groups. This indicates a direct link between 4.1
effort and resources spent by companies on promoting work-life balance and
employees’ actual work-life balance (See Findings 1 and 2).
Finding 5: More than two-thirds of Hong Kong employees believe it is important for their employers to address
work-life balance during the current economic crisis
In recognition of the challenges posed by the current economic downturn, this year respondents were asked how important
it is for their workplace or boss to address the issue of work-life balance in the current economic climate. Interestingly over
two-thirds (67.7%) say that is ‘very’ or ‘quite important’ highlighting that employee interest in work-life balance remains high
(see Figure 10).
Figure 10. Importance of Employers to Address Work-Life Balance (2009)
Not Important At All Don’t Know/Hard to Say

3.6% 2.3%
Not Quite Important
7.9%
Neutral Quite Important

18.5% 42.7%
Very Important
25.0%
One might assume that during a period of economic recession, employees would be willing to accept a lesser degree of
control and/or place less importance on achieving personal work-life balance. For example, workers may be so concerned
about keeping their job and demonstrating their contribution to the organisation that they recognise the need to work harder
than in previous years. Indeed concerns about financial security have been highlighted in this survey (see Finding 8) as a
major challenge for employees achieving work-life balance. However, these results show that employees still consider work-
life balance to be an important issue and employers would be wise to take heed of this.
Demographic
Variable
• A higher percentage of younger employees (age 15 to 39) See Graph 5.1

consider it important for their workplace/boss to address the
issue of work-life balance than workers age 40 and above.
2009 Survey

Finding 6: E
mployees in Hong Kong have made no progress in achieving their ideal work-life balance over the last
four years
As in previous years, respondents were asked to rate how far they felt they had achieved their ideal work-life balance on
a scale of 0 to 10. The higher the score the closer they are to their ideal situation with the score of 5 being neutral. The
average score in 2009 is 5.7 which is consistent with findings over the past four years. This suggests that employees in
Hong Kong have made no progress in achieving their ideal work-life balance since 2006.
Figure 11. Degree to Which Employees Have Achieved Their Ideal Work-Life Balance (2006 to 2009)
2009 5.7
2008 5.7
Year
2007 5.6
2006 5.7
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Score: 0 - Totally Not Ideal; 10 - Already Ideal
Demographic
Variable
•E
mployees in Government/Public Affairs (6.5), Property (6.1) and Banks and See Graphs
Finance (6.1) are closer to achieving their ideal work-life balance than any other 6.1a and
industries. 6.1b
•T
he three industries that scored the lowest are Film/Entertainment (4.0),
Warehouse Duties (5.2) and Restaurants/Hotels (5.2).
•A
s compared to last year, respondents from Telecommunication say they
are closer to achieving their ideal work-life balance (4.8 in 2008 compared to
6.0 in 2009). Conversely, respondents from Law, Accountancy, Professional
Information Services has worsened (from 6.6 in 2008 compared to 5.5 in 2009).
•C
onsistent with previous findings, employees from lower income groups are See Graph
further from their ideal work-life balance than those in higher income groups. 6.2
In particular, respondents from the lowest income group (HK$10,000 or below)
gave a lower score over the past four years than any other income group.
•T
he largest decline by income group is amongst those earning HK$30,001 -
HK$40,000 (5.6 in 2009 compared to 6.5 in 2008). The biggest increase was
amongst those earning HK$40,001 - HK$50,000 (5.5 in 2008 compared to 5.8
in 2009).
2009 Survey
Finding 7: Poor work-life balance continues to negatively impact employees’ productivity, family life and health
Respondents were asked what problems, if any, they have encountered as a result of their work-life balance and were given
a list of options to choose from. Employees were able to choose more than one option as shown in Figure 12.
For the purposes of this year’s survey, the question was changed slightly to reflect the impact of the economic recession.
Specifically, respondents this year were asked what problems they have encountered over the past 12 months, rather than
an open-ended time frame as asked in previous years.
Figure 12. Problems Resulting from Poor Work-Life Balance (2009)
Prolonged Fatigue Level,

53.4
Sleepiness and Extreme Tiredness
I Don’t Have Time Staying with
40.8
My Partner and Family
I Have Insomnia and Poor Diet As 31.0
a Result of Work Pressures
I Do Not Have Any Private Time for 27.5
Recreation Activities or Sports At All
Problems
Productivity and Work Quality Has Reduced 26.9

Dramatically Due to Long Working Hours
My Work Has Affected My Relationship 24.6
with My Friends
I Feel Stressed Out, Depressed and 22.8
Exhausted After Work
I Get Physically Sick Easily/ 15.7
I Need to Take More Sick Leave
None of the Above 23.6
Don’t Know/Hard to Say 0.3
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
More than three-quarters (76.1%) of respondents say they have encountered some kind of problem in the last 12 months
as a result of poor work-life balance. Over half of the respondents (53.4%) claim they have suffered from prolonged fatigue,
sleepiness and extreme tiredness. The second and third top problems faced by employees are not having time with their
partner and family (40.8%) and insomnia and poor diet as a result of work pressures (31.0%).
As this year’s Survey changed both the wording of the question, no year on year comparisons can be made with respect to
this finding. However, it is interesting to note that in 2008, employees cited the same top three problems resulting from poor
work-life balance as this year’s Survey.
2009 Survey
Demographic
Variable
• It is most common for respondents in the second highest income bracket See Graphs
(HK$40,001 - HK$50,000) and second lowest income bracket (HK$10,001 7.1
- HK$20,000) to experience problems of prolonged fatigue, sleepiness
and extreme tiredness due to poor work-life balance. (64.9% and 59.9%,
respectively).
•A
cross all age groups, experiencing prolonged fatigue, sleepiness and See Graphs
extreme tiredness is the most common problem and is particularly prevalent 7.2a and
amongst the youngest generations surveyed (age 15 to 29 - 64.4% and age 7.2b
30 to 39 - 53.2%).
•Y
ounger workers seem to encounter more problems resulting from poor
work-life balance than older workers. Only 17.1% of 15 to 29 year olds say
that they have not encountered any problem as a result of poor work-life
balance, compared to 31.6% of those age 60 or above.
Finding 8: T
he need for financial security has overtaken long working hours as the most difficult work-life balance
challenge this year
Respondents were asked to select the most difficult work-life balance challenge they face from a list of options. They
were only allowed to choose one factor from the list given to them in Figure 13. The 2009 Survey included a new option:
increased workload due to company downsizing. Given that this option was not included in previous years, no year on year
comparisons can be made regarding this question.
Figure 13 shows that 88.1% of employees experience challenges in achieving work-life balance. Financial well being/
wealth management (13.8%) has overtaken long working hours (12.1%) as the top issue, whilst increased workload due
to company downsizing (11.5%) ranks third, narrowly pushing leaders’ attitude to fourth place (11.4%). Given the current
economic downturn and general market uncertainty, these finding are perhaps not surprising. Employees are clearly
concerned about their financial security and having to take on additional workload as a result of corporate restructuring.
Leader's attitude, which has appeared in the top three challenges in previous year, has only narrowly been squeezed out to
fourth position - suggesting that this continues to be a problem for employees in Hong Kong.
2009 Survey
Figure 13. The Most Difficult Work-Life Balance Challenges (2009)
Financial Well-Being/Wealth Management 13.8
Long Working Hours 12.1
Increased Workload Due to Company Downsizing* 11.5
Leaders’ Attitude 11.4
Job Security 8.4

Not Enough Time for Exercise and Taking Courses 7.2
Challenges
Peer Pressure and Competition Among Colleagues 5.8
Lack of Flexibility in Working Hours 5.4
Taking Care of Children or Family Members 5.2
Personnel Changes 3.8
Work Location 2.7
Others 0.7
I Do Not Find Work-Life Balance is a Challenge to Me 11.4
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
* Option first introduced in 2009 Survey Percentage of Respondents
Demographic
Variable
•E
mployees in specific industries cite financial well-being/wealth management See Graph
as the most difficult work-life balance challenge. This is particularly true for 8.1
Warehouse Duties (33.3%), Insurance (26.7%) and Import/Export Trade
(21.9%).
•F
or employees in specific industries, long working hours is the most difficult
work-life balance challenge. This is highest amongst employees from Film/
Entertainment (25.0%), Information Technology (25.0%), Restaurants/Hotels
(17.3%) and Education (17.0%).
Finding 9: H
ong Kong employees continue to identify a 5-day work week and more paid annual leave as the ways
to best help them achieve a better work-life balance
Respondents were asked what work arrangements or facilities they believe would most help them achieve better work-life
balance. They were given a range of options to choose from.
As shown in Figure 14, the largest group of employees (26.9%) cite a 5-day work week as the most desirable arrangement
followed by more paid annual leave (18.8%) and flexible working time (10.8%). In 2009, flexible working time and the
option to work from home sometimes (9.4%) has surpassed career breaks/unpaid leave (8.9%) as the third and fourth most
desirable work arrangements. This could reflect employees’ concerns that career breaks and unpaid leave are not realistic
options at a time when they are more concerned about financial well-being and job security.
2009 Survey
Figure 14. Initiatives Provided by Employer that Would Most Help Work-Life Balance (2008 and 2009)
5-Day Work Week 26.9

27.2
More Paid Annual Leave 18.8

19.7
Flexible Working Time 10.8

9.7
Option to Work from Home Sometimes 9.4

9.2
Career Breaks/Unpaid Leave 8.9

9.9
Job-Share 6.3
6.3
Initiatives
Free Sports Facilities 5.2

5.3
Work Support Services (E.g. Employee 4.5
Counseling Scheme, Stress Management Training) 2.5
1.8
Paternity Leave 1.6
Creche Facilities/Child Care 1.4

1.5
Longer Maternity Leave 0.8

0.6
Others 2.0
2.0
2009
4.6 2008
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Demographic
Variable
•A
ll respondents earning less than HK$40,000 have selected a 5-day work See Graph
week as the top initiative to assist with work-life balance. In contrast, 9.1
respondents from the highest income groups desire more paid annual leave
(HK$40,001 - HK$50,000: 29.7%) and options to work from home
(HK$ 50,001 or above: 22.2%).
•S
ince 2007, findings consistently show that a 5-day work week is the
preferred option for employees from the lower income groups.
•T
he Survey also indicates that only a small number of respondents from the
lowest income groups regard the option to work from home as a desired work
arrangement (HK$10,000 or below: 4.0%; HK$10,001 - HK$20,000: 7.1%).
•C
onsistent with previous years, a 5-day work week continues to be the most See Graph
desired work arrangement across all age groups. 9.2a, 9.2b
•S
ignificantly more respondents from the age group 15 to 29 prefer more paid and 9.2c
annual leave than any other age group.
•E
mployees under age 50 prefer the option to work from home sometimes
more so than employees age 50 and above who cite flexible working time as
more important.
2009 Survey
Finding 10: T
hree out of ten of employees in Hong Kong would consider leaving their current job for better work-
life balance
Since 2008, respondents have been asked if they would consider leaving their current job in order to achieve a better work-
life balance. As shown in Figure 15, slightly fewer respondents would consider leaving their current job for better work-life
balance this year (30.1%) than last year (32.6%). However, it is interesting to note that even in the uncertain economic
climate three out of ten employees would still consider leaving their current job for better work-life balance.
Figure 15. Considering Leaving Current Job for Better Work-Life Balance (2008 and 2009)
Yes 30.1
32.6
Response
No 68.2
66.5
2009
Don’t Know/ 1.7
Hard to Say 0.9 2008
0 20 40 60 80
Demographic
Variable
•S
imilar to last year, more younger employees would consider leaving their See Graphs
current job for better work-life balance than older ones. Indeed almost half 10.1a and
(47.8%) of the respondents between age 15 and 29 would consider leaving 10.1b
their current job in 2009, a finding that declines significantly with age.
2009 Survey
7. APPENDICES
Appendix I - List of Survey Questions
Q1. Take the last month as an example, how many hours a week do you actually work on average for your full
time job?
hours (Insert exact figure)
Don’t know/ Hard to say
Refuse to answer
Q2. Take the last month as an example, how many hours a week do you actually spend on doing some personal
or private activities, like meeting friends and engaging in activities for leisure such as sports and traveling?
hours (Insert exact figure)
Don’t know / Hard to say
Refuse to answer
Q3. In your view, what would be the preferred but realistic ratio between the time you want to spend on working
and the time you want to spend on personal or private activities? Please base on your realistic number of
working hours and exclude sleeping time (the ratio must add up to 100%)
% on work and % on private life
Refuse to answer
Q4. Using 0-10, how much have you achieved in terms of an ideal work-life balance? 0 represents the worst case
possible, 10 represents already ideal, and 5 being half-half.
(Exact figure from 0-10)
Refuse to answer
Q5. Over the past 12 months, Have you ever encountered any of the following problems due to a disturbed work-
life balance? (You may choose multiple answers)
Productivity and work quality has reduced dramatically due to long working hours
Prolonged fatigue level, sleepiness and extreme tiredness
I get physically sick easily/I need to take more sick leave
I do not have any private time for recreation activities or sports at all
My work has affected my relationship with my friends
I don’t have time staying with my partner and family
I feel stressed out, depressed and exhausted after work
Work pressure creates insomnia and poor diet
None of the above
Refuse to answer
2009 Survey
Q6. Under the current economic conditions, which of the following would you consider to be the most difficult
work-life balance challenge for yourself? (Choose one answer only)
Job security
Long working hours
Lack of flexibility in working hours
Work location
Leader’s attitude
Peer pressure and competition among colleagues
Personnel changes
Taking care of children or family members
Not enough time for personal exercise and taking courses
Financial well-being / Wealth management
Increased workload due to company downsizing
I do not find work-life balance is a challenge to me
Others (Please specify)
Refuse to answer
Q7 Under the current economic conditions, in order to help you achieve a better work-life balance, what type of
work facility/arrangement would help you best? (Choose one answer only)
Flexible working time
5-day work week
Option to work form home sometimes
Free sports facilities
Crèche facilities / Child care
Work support services (e.g. employee counseling scheme, stress management training)
Paternity leave
Longer maternity leave
Job-share
Career breaks/Unpaid leave
More paid annual leave
Refuse to say
Q8 In terms of effort and resources required to balance work and life, how much effort do you think your
workplace / boss has paid to promote work-life balance? Please use a scale of 0-10 to measure it, with 0
representing no effort at all, 10 representing all possible efforts have been made,and 5 being half-half.
(Exact figure from 0 - 10)
Refuse to answer
Q9 Under the current economic conditions, how important is it that your workplace/boss addresses the issue of
work-life balance?
Very important
Quite important
Neutral
Not quite important
Not important at all
Don’t know/Hard to say
2009 Survey
Q10 Would you consider leaving your current job for better work-life balance?
Yes
No
Refuse to answer
Demographics
Q11 Gender
Male
Female
Q12 Age
(Exact age)
Do not want to tell
Q12a [For those who do not want to tell their exact age] Age interval
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60 years old or above
Do not want to tell
Q13 Education Attainment

Primary school or below
Secondary school
Matriculated
Tertiary, non-degree course
Tertiary, degree course
Master’s degree
Doctorate degree
Refuse to answer
Q14 Position
White collar:
Professional / Manager / Executive
Trader / Proprietor
Office: skilled
Office: unskilled
Blue collar:
Factory/Shop / Outdoor: skilled manual worker
Factory/Shop / Outdoor: unskilled manual worker
Refuse to answer
2009 Survey
Q15 Industry
Banks and Finance
Commercial Services
Construction
Education
Film / Entertainment
Government / Public Affairs
Import/Export Trade
Information Technology (IT)
Insurance
Law, Accountancy, Professional Information Services
Manufacturing
Media
Medical, Hygiene and Welfare
Oil, Energy, Resources and Utilities
Other Personal Services
Property
Restaurants / Hotels
Telecommunication
Transportation
Warehouse Duties
Wholesale / Retail
Refuse to answer
Q16 Marital Status

Single
Married
Divorced / Widow
Refuse to answer
Q17 Do you have children? If yes, how many?

Yes, child (ren)
No children
Refuse to answer
Q18 Your personal monthly income, including bonus, is ?

HK$ 10,000 or below
HK$ 10,001 - 20,000
HK$ 20,001 - 30,000
HK$ 30,001 - 40,000
HK$ 40,001 - 50,000
HK$ 50,001 or above
Refuse to answer
2009 Survey
Appendix II - Graphs of Significant Demographic Variables
Graph 1.1 Actual Working Hours Per Week by Gender (2006 to 2009)
47.2
2009 49.5
48.4
47.2
2008 50.2
48.8
Year
47.5
2007 50.9
49.2
Female
51.3 Male
2006 51.3
51.3 Average of Total Respondents
44 46 48 50 52
Working Hours
Graph 1.2 Actual Working Hours Per Week by Industry (2008 and 2009)
56.4
Property 52.2
54.4
Other Personal Services 51.8
50.6
Transportation 50.4
53.2

48.5
Construction 49.4
50.5
Film/Entertainment 45.4
49.3
51.6
Warehouse Duties 48.7

60.3
Media 48.6
49.9
Industry

48.7
Manufacturing 48.3
47.5
47.4
Law, Accountancy, Professional Information Service 47.1

48.0

45.9

47.0
Telecommunication 45.7
44.9
Medical, Hygiene and Welfare 45.7

48.8
Education 45.3
46.8
Oil, Energy, Sources and Utilities 44.2

45.0
Insurance 41.6
44.7
Others 59.0
61.2 2009
Average of Total Respondents 48.4
48.8 2008
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Working Hours
2009 Survey
Graph 1.3 Actual Working Hours Per Week by Income (2009)
HK$50,001 or Above 47.8
HK$40,001-HK$50,000 47.9
Monthly Income
HK$30,001-HK$40,000 47.9
HK$20,001-HK$30,000 47.3
HK$10,001-HK$30,000 47.8
HK$10,000 or Below 50.1

Average of Total
48.4
Respondents
45.5 46 46.5 47 47.5 48 48.5 49 49.5 50 50.5
Working Hours
Graph 1.4 Actual Working Hours Per Week by Age Group (2008 and 2009)
15-29 47.4
46.5
30-39 47.5
49.8
40-49 48.3
48.5
Age
50-59 50.0
49.3
60 or Above 50.5
53.9
2009
Average of 48.4
Total Respondents 48.8 2008
42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56
Working Hours
2009 Survey
Graph 2.1 Time Spent on Personal Activities Per Week by Income (2006 to 2009)
11.8
13.1
HK$50,001 or Above 12.7
14.7
15.6
12.7
HK$40,001-HK$50,000 16.7
9.5
10.1
Monthly Income
9.6
HK$30,001-HK$40,000 13.7
14.7
11.2
10.3
HK$20,001-HK$30,000 15.4
11.6
11.9
11.1
HK$10,001-HK$20,000 11.5
11.0
9.1
2009
8.0
HK$10,000 or Below 9.0 2008
9.4
11.2 2007
Average of Total 10.4
12.0
Respondents 11.1 2006
0 5 10 15 20
No. of Hours
Graph 2.2 Time Spent on Personal Activities Per Week by Age Group (2006 to 2009)
13.2
12.9
15-29 14.5
13.6
10.7
9.3
30-39 13.6
12.7
Age
10.8
10.5
40-49 10.0
9.8
11.0
10.0
50-59 10.8
9.4
7.8
2009
6.8
60 or Above 7.6 2008
6.6
11.2 2007
Average of Total 10.4
12.0
Respondents 11.1 2006
0 5 10 15 20
No. of Hours
2009 Survey
Graph 3.1a Actual Work-Life Balance Ratio by Graph 3.1b Actual Work Life Balance Ratio by
Industry (2009) Industry (2008)
Film/Entertainment 94.3 5.7

Film/Entertainment 80.4 19.6
Warehouse Duties 90.2 9.8
Warehouse Duties 94.8 5.2
Restaurants/Hotels 89.0 11.0
Restaurants/Hotels 84.8 12.2
Construction 86.6 13.4
Construction 84.5 15.5
Media 86.1 13.9
Media 81.2 18.8
Other Personal Service 85.1 14.9
Other Personal Service 86.2 13.8
Manufacturing 84.7 15.3
Wholesale/Retail 84.3 15.7
Manufacturing 84.2 15.8
Industry
Law, Accountancy, Professional Information Services 83.7 16.3

Wholesale/Retail 89.4 10.6
Law, Accountancy, Professional Information Services 81.6 18.4
Industry
Property 83.4 16.6
Import/Export Trade 83.1 16.9 Property 82.9 17.1
Commercial Services 82.8 17.2 Import/Export Trade 83.5 16.5
Information Technology (IT) 82.5 17.5 Commercial Services 83.6 16.4
Education 82.2 17.8 Information Technology (IT) 82.8 17.2
Transportation 81.5 18.5 Education 85.1 14.9
Oil, Energy, Resources and Utilities 81.0 19.0 Transportation 87.7 12.3
Banks and Finance 80.9 19.1 Oil, Energy, Resources and Utilities 91.0 9.0
Telecommunication 80.4 19.6 Banks and Finance 78.0 22.0
Insurance 79.5 20.5 Telecommunication 80.3 19.7
Medical, Hygiene and Welfare 79.1 20.9 Insurance 80.8 19.2
Government/Public Affairs 78.9 21.1 Medical, Hygiene and Welfare 84.8 15.2
Others 92.4 7.6 Work
Government/Public Affairs 81.9 18.1
Average of Total Respondents 83.2 16.8 Life Work
Others 87 13.0
Average of Total Respondents 84.1 15.9 Life
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percentage of Respondents 0 20 40 60 80 100
Graph 3.2a Actual Work-Life Balance Ratio by Graph 3.2b Actual Work-Life Balance Ratio by
Income (2009) Income (2008)
HK$50,001 or Above 80.9 19.1 HK$50,001 or Above 81.0 19.0
HK$40,001-HK$50,000 79.3 20.7 HK$40,001-HK$50,000 80.8 19.2

Monthly Income
Monthly Income
HK$30,001-HK$40,000 84.3 15.7 HK$30,001-HK$40,000 83.8 16.2
HK$20,001-HK$30,000 82.4 17.6 HK$20,001-HK$30,000 83.9 16.1
HK$10,001-HK$20,000 82.2 17.8 HK$10,001-HK$20,000 82.8 17.2
HK$10,000 or Below 86.4 13.6 HK$10,000 or Below 87.5 12.5
Work Work
Average of Total Respondents 83.2 16.8 Average of Total Respondents 84.1 15.9
Life Life
0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
Percentage of Respondents Percentage of Respondents
2009 Survey
Graph 3.3 Actual Work-Life Balance Ratio by Age Group (2009)
15-29 80.1 19.9
30-39 83.3 16.7
40-49 83.9 16.1

Age
50-59 83.9 16.1
60 or Above 88.1 11.9
Average of Total Respondents 83.2 16.8 Work

Life
0 20 40 60 80 100
Graph 4.1 Effort and Resources Spent to Promote Work-Life Balance by Income (2009)
HK$50,001 or Above 5.5
HK$40,001-HK$50,000 5.1
Monthly Income
HK$30,001-HK$40,000 5.0
HK$20,001-HK$30,000 4.6
HK$10,001-HK$20,000 4.4
HK$10,000 or Below 4.5
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Score: 0 - No Effort; 10 - All Possible Effort
2009 Survey
Graph 5.1 Importance of Employers to Address Work-Life Balance by Age Group (2009)
15-29 24.4 46.3 19.0 5.4 4.4 0.5
30-39 27.9 46.4 18.0 5.9 1.8 0.0
40-49 27.6 42.2 16.6 9.0 2.3 2.3

Age
50-59 21.4 37.6 22.4 8.6 5.2 4.8
Very Important
Quite Important
60 or Above 14.0 40.4 17.5 14.0 7.0 7.0
Neutral
Not Quite Important
Average of Total Not Important At All
25.0 42.8 18.5 7.9 3.6 2.3
Respondents Don’t Know/Hard to Say
0 50 100
Graph 6.1a Degree to Which Employees Have Graph 6.1b Degree to Which Employees Have
Achieved Their Ideal Work-Life Balance by Industry Achieved Their Ideal Work-Life Balance by Industry
(2009) (2008)
Government/Public Affairs 6.5 Government/Public Affairs 6.0

Property 6.1 Property 5.7
Banks and Finance 6.1 Banks and Finance 6.4
Telecommunication 6.0 Telecommunication 4.8
Medical, Hygiene and Welfare 5.9 Medical, Hygiene and Welfare 6.2
Insurance 5.9 Insurance 6.1
Education 5.8 Education 5.7
Industry
Industry
Oil, Energy, Resources and Utilities 5.8 Oil, Energy, Resources and Utilities 6.5
Manufacturing 5.7 Manufacturing 6.0
Import/Export Trade 5.6 Import/Export Trade 5.8
Commercial Service 5.6 Commercial Service 5.4
Law, Accountancy, Professional Information Services 5.5 Law, Accountancy, Professional Information Services 6.6
Construction 5.5 Construction 5.6
Wholesale/Retail 5.5 Wholesale/Retail 5.7
Transportation 5.4 Transportation 5.0
Information Techology (IT) 5.4 Information Techology (IT) 5.5
Media 5.3 Media 5.4
Other Personal Services 5.3 Other Personal Services 4.9
Restaurants/Hotels 5.2 Restaurants/Hotels 5.7
Warehouse Duties 5.2 Warehouse Duties 4.0
Film/Entertainment 4.0 Film/Entertainment 5.0
Others 3.6 Others 4.8
Average of Total Respondents 5.7 Average of Total Respondents 5.7
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Score: 0 -Totally Not Ideal; 10 -Already Ideal Score: 0 -Totally Not Ideal; 10 -Already Ideal
2009 Survey
Graph 6.2 Degree to Which Employees Have Achieved Their Ideal Work Balance by Income Level (2006 to 2009)
6.3
HK$50,001 or Above 6.2
6.2
6.3
5.8
HK$40,001- HK$50,000 5.5
5.9
5.7
5.6
6.5
HK$30,001- HK$40,000 5.8
Monthly Income
5.7
6.1
5.9
HK$20,001- HK$30,000 5.5
5.9
5.6
5.8
HK$10,001- HK$20,000 5.5
5.6
5.4
5.2 2009
HK$10,000 or Below 5.4
5.5
2008
5.7 2007
5.6
5.7 2006
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Score: 0 - Totally Not Ideal; 10 - Already Ideal
Graph 7.1 Prolonged Fatigue Level, Sleepiness and Extreme Tiredness

Resulting From Poor Work-Life Balance by Income (2009)
HK$50,001 or Above 41.5

Monthly Income
HK$40,001- HK$50,000 64.9
HK$30,001- HK$40,000 46.4
HK$20,001- HK$30,000 53.2
HK$10,001- HK$20,000 59.9
HK$10,000 or Below 49.8
0 20 40 60 80
Prolonged Fatigue Level, Sleepiness and Extreme Tiredness
2009 Survey
Graph 7.2a Prolonged Fatigue Level, Sleepiness and Extreme Tiredness

Resulting From Poor Work-Life Balance by Age Group (2009)
15-29 64.4
30-39 53.2
Age
40-49 50.5
50-59 48.1
60 or Above 50.9
Sleepiness and Extreme
Average of Total Respondents 53.4 Tiredness
0 50 100
Graph 7.2b Respondents Not Encountering Any Specified Problems Resulting From
Poor Work-Life Balance by Age Group (2009)
15-29 17.1
30-39 22.5
Age
40-49 22.3
50-59 29.7
60 or Above 31.6
Sleepiness and Extreme
Average of Total Respondents 23.6 Tiredness
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
2009 Survey
Graph 8.1 Top Two Most Difficult Work-Life Balance Challenges by Industry (2009)
33.3
Warehouse Duties 0.0
26.7
Insurance 13.3

8.2
Construction 21.3
10.7
18.2

15.5
15.8
Property 10.5
17.3
14.1
Transportation 12.5

12.8
Industry
Manufacturing 10.7
13.1
11.5
9.8
Other Personal Serices 9.8
9.4
Law, Accountancy, Professional 8.6
Information Services 14.3
Education 8.0
17.0
7.7
Telecommunication 7.7
1.9
Medical, Hygiene Welfare 5.6
Oil, Energy, Resources and Utilities 0.0

0.0
Media 0.0
0.0
0.0
Film/Entertainment 25.0
Financial Well-Being/
25.0
Others 25.0 Wealth Management
Average of Total Respondents 13.8 Long Working Hours

12.1
0 10 20 30 40
Graph 9.1 Major Initiatives Provided by Employer That Would Most Help Work-Life Balance by Income (2009)
13.6
HK$50,001 or Above 14.8
22.2
10.8
HK$40,001-HK$50,000 29.7
13.5
31.0
HK$30,001-HK$40,000 11.9
14.3
Monthly Income
31.7
HK$20,001-HK$30,000 13.7
12.2
25.8
HK$10,001-HK$20,000 22.6
7.1
32.4 5-Day Work Week
HK$10,000 or Below 18.4
4.0
More Paid Annual Leaves
27.3
Average of Total 18.8 Options to Work from Home Sometimes
9.3
0 10 20 30 40
2009 Survey
Graph 9.2a Major Initiatives Provided by Employer That Would Most Help Work-Life Balance by Age Group (2009)
24.9
25.4
15-29 10.2
10.2
28.8
15.3
30-39 12.2
12.6
25.0
20.7
40-49 7.0
12.3
Age
30.2
13.7
50-59 14.2
2.8
26.8
17.9
60 or Above 16.1
3.6 5-Day Work Week
More Paid Annual Leave
26.9
Flexible Working Time
Average of Total 18.8 Option to Work from Home Sometimes
Respondents 10.8
9.4
0 20 40
Graph 9.2b Major Initiatives Provided by Employer That Would Most Help Work-Life Balance by Age Group (2008)
28.8
29.4
15-29 7.4
11.7
25.1
18.6
30-39 13.5
12.1
27.5
19.4
40-49 9.6
8.1
Age
26.0
16.5
50-59 10.0
6.0
25.0
22.5
60 or Above 5.0
5.0
5-Day Work Week
27.2 More Paid Annual Leave
Average of Total 19.7 Flexible Working Time
9.7
Respondents 9.2 Option to Work from Home
0 10 20 30 40
2009 Survey
Graph 9.2c Major Initiatives Provided by Employer That Would Most Help Work-Life Balance by Age Group (2007)
33.9
24.7
15-29 8.8
7.1
24.0
15.5
30-39 13.3
13.3
23.5
14.4
40-49 15.3
10.1
Age
29.8
20.5
50-59 8.8
7.6
11.5
23.1
60 or Above 15.4 5-Day Work Week
3.8
More Paid Annual Leave
26.8
Average of Total 18.3 Flexible Working Time
12.2
Respondents 9.5 Option to Work from Home
0 20 40
Graph 10.1a Considering Leaving Current Job for Graph 10.1b Considering Leaving Current Job for
Better Work-Life Balance (2009) Better Work-Life Balance (2008)
47.8 53.4
15-29 51.2 15-29 44.8
1.0 1.8
36 34.9
30-39 62.6 30-39 65.1
1.4 0.0
23.9 29.9
40-49 73.8 40-49 69.5
2.3 0.6
Age
Age
21.2 20.8
50-59 76.9 50-59 78.7
1.9 0.5
12.3 12.3
60 or Above 86.0
Yes
60 or Above 86.0
Yes
1.8 1.8
No No
Average of Total 30.1 Average of Total 32.6
68.2 66.5
Respondents 1.7 Don’t Know/Hard to Say Respondents 0.9 Don’t Know/Hard to Say
0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
Percentage of Respondents Percentage of Respondents

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About Community Business

© Community Business Limited 2009

6. Overview of Key Findings 10

Impact of the Economic Downturn

Work-Life Balance Ratios and Measures

Barriers to Achieving Work-Life Balance

The Impact of Poor Work-Life Balance on Employees and Businesses

Initiatives Employers Can Provide to Address Work-Life Balance

A. Working and Living Patterns

B. Satisfaction with Work and Life

C. Problems with Current Work-Life Balance and Desired Solutions

• Employees’ working and living patterns

Summary of Research Findings

Figure 1. Distribution of Respondents by Industry (2009)

Figure 2. Distribution of Respondents by Gender (2009)

Figure 3. Distribution of Respondents by Monthly Income (Including Bonus) (2009)

Figure 4. Distribution of Respondents by Age Group (2009)

50-59 years old

40-49 years old

6. OVERVIEW OF KEY FINDINGS

The findings are presented in the following sections:

A. Working and Living Patterns

Figure 5. Actual Working Hours Per Week (2006 to 2009)

Significant Demographic Variables: Table 1

No Private Activities At All 7.8

Less Than 1 Hour 35.5

>1-2 Hours 27.3

>2-3 Hours 12.9

>3-4 Hours 3.5

>4-5 Hours 4.3

>5-6 Hours 1.9

>6-7 Hours 0.8

>7 Hours 1.7

Figure 7. Time Spent on Personal Activities Per Week (2006 to 2009)

emographic 2006 11.1

Significant Demographic Variables: Table 2

Figure 8. Actual Work-Life Ratio (2006 to 2009)

2009 83.2 16.8

2008 84.1 15.9

2007 82.6 17.4

Significant Demographic Variables: Table 3

B. Satisfaction with Work and Life

Significant Demographic Variables: Table 4

Figure 10. Importance of Employers to Address Work-Life Balance (2009)

Not Important At All Don’t Know/Hard to Say

Neutral Quite Important

Significant Demographic Variables: Table 5

• A higher percentage of younger employees (age 15 to 39) See Graph 5.1

C. Problems with Current Work-Life Balance and Desired Solutions

Significant Demographic Variables: Table 6

Figure 12. Problems Resulting from Poor Work-Life Balance (2009)

Prolonged Fatigue Level,

Productivity and Work Quality Has Reduced 26.9

Don’t Know/Hard to Say 0.3

Significant Demographic Variables: Table 7

Figure 13. The Most Difficult Work-Life Balance Challenges (2009)

Financial Well-Being/Wealth Management 13.8

Long Working Hours 12.1

Increased Workload Due to Company Downsizing* 11.5

Leaders’ Attitude 11.4

Job Security 8.4

Peer Pressure and Competition Among Colleagues 5.8

C. Problems with Current Work-Life Balance and Desired Solutions