Dissatisfied Hongkongers want respect and recognition, workplace happiness index survey finds as employees score 5.15 out of 10
- More than a third of respondents experienced burnout and work-life imbalance, says positive thinking advocacy group
- Hongkongers like to work and they are productive but they do not have job satisfaction, professor notes
Respect and recognition are vital at the office, a Hong Kong advocacy group said on Tuesday, as the city’s employees scored 5.15 out of 10 in a happiness index survey, with more than one-third having experienced burnout and work-life imbalance.
“This phenomenon is alarming and unexpected,” said Professor Simon Lam Ching, an adviser to the positive thinking advocacy group HK.WeCARE, and associate dean of Tung Wah College’s school of nursing.
“Hong Kong people like to work, and they are very productive … but do not have job satisfaction, and are not really happy.”
In the online survey conducted last December, more than 1,500 members of the working population in Hong Kong were interviewed to identify factors that influence workplace happiness.
Respondents were aged 15 and above, with the majority aged between 25 to 54, and from all walks of life across a wide range of occupations.
An average score of 5.15 out of 10 was given when respondents were asked how happy they were with their jobs, with close to 40 per cent giving a failing score of under five, a stark contrast compared with the 2022 general happiness index recorded by the group, which stood at 6.59.
Of the 1,527 employees surveyed, more than 40 per cent reported a high level of burnout from work, while over 30 per cent said they experienced work-life imbalance, as they could not relax in personal time because of their jobs.