Hang Seng Bank expands leave to increase competitiveness

Over half of Hang Seng Bank's Hong Kong employees will see their annual leave allowance increase starting from January next year. The bank is granting around 4,500 of its 8,000 staff members more annual leave, with 60% of them gaining an extra four days.

Hang Seng Bank is implementing the expanded leave policy to help its employees achieve a better work-life balance and increase the bank's competitiveness in the market. "Employees who enjoy a good work-life balance are more likely to perform at their best in the workplace," a spokesperson from the bank told Human Resources.

He added: "This enhancement will make Hang Seng's annual leave benefits among the best in the banking industry in Hong Kong."

With the additional leave allowance, all Hong Kong staff will enjoy between 18 and 30 annual leave days - with the exception of some employees who joined before 1 January 2011, who can enjoy up to 32 days.

On top of their annual leave, staff members can enjoy paid birthday leave, 14 weeks of maternity or adoption leave, 10 days of paternity leave, as well as leave to take professional examinations or to volunteer.

More and more companies are choosing to offer their staff more time off, often in the form of parental, adoption, or even grandparenthood leave. Among others, DLA Piper, Shell, Microsoft, and Standard Chartered revised their parental leave policies this year.

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