LEGCO WORK

Motion on “Promoting the popularization of flexible working system”(2024.06.19)

Thank you, President. Nowadays, our society is facing a rapidly ageing population, coupled with the decline in the number of young people willing to take up full-time employment, the problem of manpower shortage is becoming increasingly serious. After three years of the epidemic, working from home has become the norm, and the pursuit of work-life balance has emerged globally, with flexible working arrangement as an important consideration in choosing a job. I would like to thank Mr LAM Chun-sing for proposing today’s motion for Members’ discussion.

With the advancement of technology, the work from home model has become even more popular after the epidemic. The working from home model, which provides employees with greater flexibility and reduces travelling time without any reduction of working hours, has given them more time to spend with their family members. Besides, some young people are unwilling to commit to a single full-time job, and some (especially women with childcare needs or retirees) may not be able to join the workforce because full-time working hours do not suit their personal needs, resulting in persistent labour shortage. If the flexible working system is popularized, employees can shorten or flexibly adjust their working hours and shorten the working day according to their actual needs, and more people will be attracted to the labour market.

At present, at least 10 advanced member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (including the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Australia) have enacted specific legislation to give employees the statutory right to ask their employers to reduce the working hours or make flexible working arrangements. Employees can make written requests to their employers regarding working hours, start time of work or place of work. Employers are required to respond within a specified period and most requests will be accepted. Of course, employers can reject the request if they have a reasonable explanation, such as incurring additional business costs or having a detrimental effect on operation.

In a bid to attract talent, Singapore has also followed the example of Western countries. Starting from the end of this year, employees will be able to ask their employers for flexible working arrangements such as a four-day working week, more days of working from home, or adjustments to their working hours, making it the first Asian country to implement such a system. Although the guidelines have no legal effect, they require companies to establish a formal process for flexible working arrangements. If legislation is enacted in the future, the promotion process will be smoother. Employers in Hong Kong are particularly concerned about operating costs and effectiveness, and they may need more justification and adaptation to accept more flexible working arrangements. Nevertheless, the approach of relaxing the restrictions on working arrangements to retain talents has become a global trend and it will be implemented sooner or later. Thus, enterprises should maintain a positive attitude because studies have shown that a flexible working system can enhance staff satisfaction and loyalty, reduce sick leave days, and improve productivity and efficiency. In addition, employers can attract and retain talents and reduce staff turnover.

Hong Kong people’s rapid pace of work, high work intensity and strong tempo of life are hardly comparable to those of Western countries. We can draw reference from the practice in Singapore and formulate a set of standards and guidelines to simplify the relevant procedures, so as to facilitate enterprises to follow and take the first step towards flexible working. The Hong Kong Government must keep abreast of the times and step up its efforts to promote a flexible working system so as to alleviate the problem of labour shortage. A research company in the United States has released “Cities with the Best Work-Life Balance 2022”, and Hong Kong ranks second in terms of overwork, indicating that our employees are seriously out of work-life balance, and mental health is a cause for concern.

The promotion of a flexible working system requires the collaboration and support of the Government and enterprises. The Government can draw reference from the flexible working policies of advanced countries and start to study areas such as the coverage of employees, the scope of flexible working as well as the procedures of employees’ applications and employers’ reply. In the long run, these measures can definitely enhance the work efficiency of employees and improve their physical and mental health.

Thank you, President.

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