About 60 per cent of Hong Kong workers do not have a five-day week, although one third say the measure is key to striking a good balance between work and life, a survey shows. The survey, released yesterday, also shows the average worker toils for 51.3 hours a week - 25 per cent more than the standard 40 hours set down by the International Labour Organisation. The study, commissioned by Community Business from the University of Hong Kong, interviewed 1,519 full-time workers between July and August and found that half the respondents worked between 41 and 50 hours a week, with a further 25 per cent working between 51 and 60 hours. Of the 61 per cent who said they worked overtime, about 80 per cent said they had to because there was too much work to do. But about 25 per cent said they stayed in the office much longer than required because they did not want to be the first to leave the office or leave before their boss did. Sixty per cent said they did not have a five-day working week. Only 28 per cent said they did, while a further 9 per cent said their employers would consider adopting a five-day working week. Shalini Mahtani, chief executive of Community Business, said it was essentially a business issue when it came to striking a good equilibrium between work and life for workers in Hong Kong. 'Companies can do a lot more. About one-third of interviewees said they wanted a five-day working week as it would help them balance work and life. But most employers are not prepared for it,' she said. Apart from the five-day working week, 22 per cent said flexible working hours and 14 per cent said the option to work from home occasionally would help. The survey also showed that staff were not satisfied with their bosses' efforts to help them achieve a work-life balance. Bosses in Hong Kong scored only 4.7 out of 10 points on their performance in this area.