Hong Kong's employees are among the most dissatisfied in Asia Pacific, according to the latest survey of workers attitudes by consultants Watson Wyatt. The study of 36 local companies spanned a wide spectrum, from property firms to regulatory bodies, with the finance industry the dominant sector with 27 per cent of participants.
Top in the disaffection list was compensation and benefits, with only 21 per cent of employees saying they were satisfied compared with the 30 per cent average for the rest of Asia-Pacific and 35 per cent for China.
That only one in five Hong Kong employees viewed their compensation and benefits favourably was not surprising because there is always a tendency to answer negatively about pay, said Gabriela Domicelj, principal consultant with Watson Wyatt.
However, many think they are hard done by in the pay stakes compared with colleagues. Asked if they thought their 'total compensation package' matched those of staff holding similar jobs in other companies, only 15 per cent responded positively while 31 per cent took the opposite view.
There were some positives: Hong Kong's employees are satisfied with the honesty and integrity of their employers and most said they believed they understood how their work created an impact on their customers.
When it came to leadership and management effectiveness, local companies were regarded poorly, with only 28 per cent rating their company positively compared with 40 per cent for Asia Pacific and 50 per cent for those questioned in China.
