The Covid-19 pandemic may have passed, but its socio-economic impact continues to unfold. A case in point is wider acceptance generally of flexible working arrangements, following the adoption of work from home to avoid workplace contagion.
This is reflected most recently in a number of ways. One is a survey of CEOs in the United States by accounting multinational KPMG, which found nearly a third of large companies are exploring four-day or 4½-day weeks.
The other is a guideline issued by the Singapore authorities to allow workers to ask for four-day weeks, more work-from-home days and staggered hours starting from December.
Working from home during the pandemic was an emergency response from employers and staff that was ahead of its time. A return to the office was inevitable, although working from home is now more accepted. But it puts a new perspective on the work-life balance. And that could be relevant to attract the talent and investment the city needs to drive economic recovery.
Hong Kong held out against the five-day working week that had been standard elsewhere for decades until the government led the way for the private sector in 2006. After the Covid work-from-home experience, both employers and staff are better informed about the practicality of more flexible arrangements.
That is not to diminish the part that hard work has played in the city’s success and prosperity. But working smart in the hi-tech age is now equally important when it comes to attracting and keeping the talent we need as we integrate with the Greater Bay Area economic powerhouse.
However, before an expansion of the work-life balance such as through a four-day week, Hong Kong must catch up in terms of IT, and building and upgrading technology infrastructure. The government should take the lead in this regard.
There would need to be discussions to forge a social consensus on whether a four-day week is required, and the urgency of it, and what sectors of the economy should come first if it is to be introduced. There is also a need for some research on the relative attraction of such a work-life balance to talent or some other considerations.
The reaction of Hong Kong’s human resources and recruiting experts to Singapore’s move reflected traditional caution among employers. But they agreed it may lead to meaningful dialogue about a review of working arrangements. That said, they are different cities and it does not follow that whatever one does the other should follow.
Meanwhile, the retention of more flexible work practices in some firms following the pandemic experience will provide valuable feedback from employers and staff on the issue. – SCMP
