Efficient Hong Kong applauds "shorter week"
The government has introduced this system in many of its offices and businessmen are debating whether to apply it in the private sector. An increase in consumption is predicted without any production losses.
Hong Kong (AsiaNews/SCMP) The majority of businessmen in Hong Kong are for a five-day working week. This was the outcome of a survey undertaken in July among a sample of around 300 managers and businessmen with a monthly income of more than 40,000 Hong Kong dollars.
A total of 86% agreed with a five-day week for the private sector and 59% for government workers too. The city is famous for its high tempo of working hours. But 43% of respondents believed a "shorter" week would have no impact on the competitiveness of commerce, while 19% thought it would actually boost competitiveness. Only 36% believed the move would result in a drop in production. The majority believed there would be no problems to reorganize production and 23% are already planning to structure their work timetable over five days.
James Shung Lap-kung, a professor of City University, said the government recently implemented a five-day work week in many public offices and this had confused people, which was why 40% feared a loss of efficiency in the public sector.
The president of the Open University, John Leong Chi-yen, said he believed a five-day working week would lead to a higher demand for part-time study courses
A total of 73% of those interviewed in the survey predicted "positive" consequences for consumerism when there will be more time for leisure and shopping time, especially with weekend travel (61%) and more use of web services (43%). Meanwhile, 80% said they believed people would spend more time with their families and 55% said it may lead to a "more relaxed" lifestyle. Meanwhile, 12% speculated that the move would lead to "more laziness".
And 71% of respondents said security forces like the police should be excluded from the benefit of shorter hours. As from 1 July, the shorter working week was introduced for 73,500 family domestics too.
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19/04/2007
