Close to 1 in 2 employees will quit a job preventing them from enjoying their lives

Hong Kongers are now placing more importance on their personal life over their work life.

Close to one in two employees in Hong Kong said they will quit their jobs if it prevents them from enjoying their lives, a survey from Randstad showed.

According to Randstad, this is because more than half of Hong Kongers (55%) are now placing more importance on their personal life than their work life.

True enough, there were about two in five employees (55%) in the city who had quit their job once because it did not fit their personal life. 

To add, 45% of employees, mostly Gen Zs aged 18 to 24, said they would rather be unemployed than feel unhappy at their jobs. 

“Companies that overwork their employees and expect them to take on additional responsibilities or do unnecessary overtime should be aware of the risks of an unhappy workforce,” Benjamin Elms, Regional Director at Randstad Hong Kong, said.

“A dissatisfied worker is more motivated to search for another employer and share their negative employee experiences with their friends, family and even on social media. These actions would harm the organisation’s employer brand reputation and ability to attract new talent,” Elms added.

Based on the study, what made employees happy with their employers over the past year were an increase in flexibility in terms of working location (39%), working hours (31%) as well as a pay raise (31%).

“To successfully attract and retain talent in their organisations, employers need to be able to meet the new and changing talent expectations, specifically in work-life balance, employee benefits, salary as well as career development,” Elms said.