Hong Kong Workers Least Likely to Have Flexible Work
Workers in Hong Kong are the least likely to get flexible work schedules, according to a new survey.
A survey of 8,000 employees and 2,700 bosses in 13 different places found that just 36% of workers in Hong Kong — and 36.4% in Singapore — can have flexible working schedules.
Flexible schedules might include some workers starting at different times, or working the same number of hours over fewer days.
Around the world, on average, 48% of workers in the surveyed places — including France, the UK and the US — are able to have flexible work schedules.
The survey was done by a consultancy firm called Unispace. It said high rent costs for office space may be one of the reasons why companies in Hong Kong and Singapore prefer workers to be in the office.
Unispace said when companies pay high rents, they want to make sure their office space is used as much as possible.
But in Singapore, at least, things may be changing. From December 1 this year, employees there will be able to ask their companies for more flexible arrangements.
These could include things like taking part-time work, working from home or working a shorter week.
However, companies will not have to agree to a request if they believe it will affect the business.
And law firm Mayer Brown believes it will still be company bosses in Singapore who will hold the cards — not employees.
But workers around the world said flexible work is one of the big things they'd like to have in the next five years.
