Hong Kong's Gen Z employees as well as working parents prefer a hybrid working style: Survey

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Over half of surveyed Gen Z employees said the availability of hybrid work options influences their intent to stay or go in a job.

While many companies have been resuming the working-mostly-in-the-office model, surveys from International Workplace Group (IWG) revealed that both Gen Z employees and working parents in Hong Kong prefer a hybrid working style.

Having surveyed over 1,000 Gen Z workers in Hong Kong, a new study showed that 78% of Hong Kong's emerging workforce favour hybrid working over commuting to an office daily.

Considered benefits of hybrid working include:

• 69% of workers said two to three days a week spent in the office maximises productivity
• 73% of workers reported little to no stress when working in the hybrid model
• 68% of workers attested to the positive impact of hybrid working on their mental wellbeing
• 63% of workers reported minimal to no work-related anxiety

The survey also revealed that the availability of hybrid work options significantly influences Gen Z workers’ decisions to pursue job opportunities (55%), accept job offers (53%), and even stay in their current positions (54%). Lack of hybrid arrangements (30%) is considered as one of the significant reasons for leaving a job.

Eugene Cheung, Managing Director for International Workplace Group, Hong Kong, believed that the flexibility of location and the autonomy of working style are two essential considerations for Gen Z workers.

“Apart from flexibility, Gen Z workers are also looking for more adaptable work arrangements that suit their lifestyle and face-to-face connectivity.”

Another study by IWG found that, among over 1,000 surveyed working parents, hybrid working has been considered vital to reduce stress caused by childcare during the holidays.

The study showed that over one in 10 (12%) parents exhaust all their annual leave for childcare, and one in 20 (6%) have to take unpaid leave to manage their responsibilities.

With more companies adopting hybrid working, there has been an 8% decrease in family arguments over childcare, per the survey data. And, despite the numbers still being high, a 6% drop in parents having to use annual leave to cater for childcare responsibilities has been reported when compared to the same data captured in 2023.

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