Hotel employees find their own Shangri-La
In a fast-paced city like Hong Kong, work pressure is constantly on the rise, and surges in stress and depression and their effects are increasingly being reported in the media. To combat this, Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is now seeking to emphasise the importance of work-life balance in the workplace.
'There is increasing pressure on hotels in Hong Kong to be a preferred employer from Macau and with the arrival of new hoteliers on the island, we need to retain our staff and keep them happy,' said Mark Heywood, general manager of the Kowloon Shangri-La.
'We have proven results - 40 per cent of our staff have been with us for 25 years and 50 per cent of our staff have been with us for at least 10 years. However, we need to be vigilant and by introducing our new Well-being Programme for our employees, we are ensuring better work-life balance for all.'
In line with the efforts of workplace corporate social responsibility, competitive wages and benefits, Shangri-La has revamped its rewards and incentive programmes for all staff.
Developing from chief executive Giovanni Angelini's vision to ensure that local staff first focus on their health to be able to meet personal and business goals, the hotel has introduced the Health Passport. It is specifically designed with advice from professionals to provide information and education on strengthening individual health, enabling employees access to nutrition tips, a body/mass index chart, a workplace exercise guide and plenty more assistance.
Activities are also arranged to get staff to take part in mind and body reconditioning exercises such as meditation/yoga classes, medical check-ups and flu vaccinations, dietician advice for staff, stopping smoking and occupational safety talks, interest-based classes such as gift wrapping, photography workshops and a wide range of outdoor activities and sports.
Participation is rewarded with a stamp in the employee's virtual passport and a running tally is taken until prizes for their effort can be redeemed, such as health-related vouchers for gyms, spas and products such as pedometers and bath oils.
Employees' families are also taken into consideration at the Shangri-La, and they are included in recreational activities and festive events such as Christmas parties.
Staff are encouraged to participate in the hotel's Voice Programme, a hotline service set up to provide suggestions from staff to improve their departments, in addition to through monthly meetings with their department heads and the general manager.
Director of human resources director Daisy Wong Wai-yee said the wellness programme helped staff enhance their potential, increased productivity and made them feel good about themselves.
'They develop a stronger team spirit in the office and better family bonds at home, while increasing physical, mental and psychological health overall. Work-life balance is an integral and important part of corporate social responsibility and with good employers recognising their obligation to their workers, companies will only benefit in a win-win situation.'
Exceeding expectations by providing quality and value in product and services, the Kowloon Shangri-La has a stylish coffee shop-style staff canteen with chess boards as table tops and Parisian paintings on the walls. Wireless broadband service, reading areas, and a resting room are provided for staff to relax and unwind during the day on comfortable resting beds similar to the ones used in the hotel spa.
Healthy Tips
Kowloon Shangri-La's Health Passport caters to some 738 staff and ensures training programmes and activities in a quick-step approach to better managing work-life balance
Resources are available for employees on various health topics, such as stress control, stopping smoking, nutrition, body-mass index and occupational health
The objectives of the health passport include increasing employee awareness of healthy lifestyle choices, assisting in the development of supportive workplace environments and increasing employee awareness of health risks
