60% of employees in Hong Kong don't want to go back to the office

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The lack of privacy (29%) and the higher effectiveness of working from home (26%) are two key factors driving this wish.

While the world is returning to normalcy, employees in Hong Kong remain more reluctant to head back to the office compared to other markets, according to a new study by Unispace.

According to the data, employees in Hong Kong are currently in the office more than the global average, with 63% of workers in the workplace four or more days a week, compared to 50% worldwide and 40% in Singapore. 

However, 60% of workers in Hong Kong are reluctant to return to the office. With this largely driven by employer mandates, nearly 95% believe they will be asked to attend their workplace at least four days a week in the coming months.

People are burning out

According to the report, workers across Hong Kong are being impacted by burnout, but employers are failing to recognise the factors impacting their wellbeing.

The majority (64%) of workers revealed they have experienced signs of burnout, the same as in the UK. Heavy workloads have influenced this, according to 45% of Hong Kong people surveyed. However, just 29% of Hong Kong employers believed this to be an issue, suggesting firms are failing to spot the signs of burnout in the workforce.

Employees want more privacy in the workplace

Meanwhile, the data revealed that the lack of privacy (29%) and the higher effectiveness while working from home (26%) are two key factors causing employees' reluctance to return to the office. However, this goes opposite to the employers' perspective, with businesses viewing the unwillingness to travel (21%) and carrying their work equipment between the office and home (20%) as the two key barriers for employees to come to the office daily.

The data also revealed that 59% of the respondents from Hong Kong who are currently hot-desking prefer to have their own space, of which 95% would be more willing to return to the workplace more frequently if they have their own space. Compared to the UK, among 56% of the respondents who are currently hot-desking, only 76% would be more willing to return to the workplace more frequently if they have their own space. It shows that Hong Kong employees prefer traditional workplace settings compared to flexible workplace settings.

In Hong Kong, 82% of firms revealed that they had already expanded their space in the last two years, while a further 74% plan to do so by 2025. This indicates that businesses are responding to their employees' preferences for an ideal workplace and are subtly encouraging them to come back to the office.

Sean Moran, Senior Principal, Client Solutions, Asia at Unispace, believes the significant disconnect between employer and employee has contributed to the struggling working environment and culture in Hong Kong.

"Hong Kong businesses need to understand the concerns and struggles of their staff, from work arrangement and office productivity to burnout," he said. "Fostering a better relationship with their employees, businesses can drive higher talent retention and attract high-quality talent, the stepping stone to the company's success."

Unispace's Global Workplace Insights report Returning for Good has combined the results of an in-depth survey of 9,500 employees and 6,650 business leaders from across 17 countries worldwide – including 500+ Hong Kong employees and 100+ senior decision makers from mid-large sized companies in Hong Kong.

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