The Implications Of Long Working Hours Among Hong Kong Employees Essay Example

concept of work-family balance that employees are able to manage the competing demands of work and life outside of work. Also, this policy can even lead to a greater productivity on the part of the company. However, with the changing trends in the workplace, work-family balance may not be even observed anymore. The increased competitiveness of organizations, both on the public and private arena, resulted to the requirement of employees to render extra time in their offices.

As such, it is not only the policy on work-family balance that changes but many more aspect of work.Moreover, Nixon (n. d. ) added that longer hours worked each day may actually detract employees from productivity. The reason for this statement lies in the fact that employees are faced with more pressure or stress when exposed to longer working hours. As such, they became easily exhausted with their jobs.

In Hong Kong, there is an increasing trend on working hours and working days among employees, most of them likely need to work overtime. On its official working hours of staff at various levels, it ranges between 42 and 45 hours per week.But most of the time, Hong Kong employees are required to work on longer time. This is true in the case of the manual workers and technicians as well as employees of various staff level who were required to work 11 to 13 hours extra per week. Moreover, there was a decrease in the number of companies which offer a five-day work to the employees since 2001.

And so, overall, the employees in Hong Kong tend to work more hours per day, more days per week and

more overtime. (TIPPIE, 2006) These changes in Hong Kong’s workplaces may significantly affect the welfare of employees.Setting aside the short-term benefits, there may be negative implications of this trend which can last a lifetime. In this light, the conduct of research on the longer working hours among the employees in Hong Kong’s various business organizations is indispensable.

Research Problem The prevalence of long working hours in the Hong Kong poses a lot of issues among the employees and the employers as well. This lies in the fact that amidst the projected positive outcomes of the trend is the potential dangers which are acquainted with it.As such, it is indispensable to look deeper on the aspects of working on long hours. Specifically, this papers aims to answer the following questions: 1. What are the advantages long working hours on employees as well as on the business community? 2. What are the negative implications of working on long hours? 3.

How do the long working hours affect the health of the employees? 4. What are the possible policies that can address the issue on long working hours? Hypothesis The researcher shall embrace the following hypotheses: 1. There are significant implications of working on longer hours by the employees.2. There is a significant impact of long working hours on the health of the employees. 3.

There are possible policies to address the issues and threats of working on long hours. Research Method With the methodology of research, the researcher will employ a descriptive approach to research. With this, the researcher will be able to make sound judgment on the issues presented on the study. Also, this will allow

the researcher to have an accurate and interpretation and analysis of the data. More specifically, this research will utilize a qualitative and quantitative analysis on data.

This means that the data collected through the different methods of data collection will be process or analyzed quantitatively as well as qualitatively. On one hand, the data which will be analyzed quantitatively will be the information collected through the survey which will be conducted. On the other hand, the qualitative aspect of the study entails the analysis of the interview which will be conducted also. Finally, the data sources entail the primary and secondary materials. In particular, the primary source of data will come from the survey and interviews from the randomly selected employees in the Hong Kong business community.The secondary source of data comes from the record and documents to be analyzed.

Books, articles, journals shall serve as secondary sources. This will be the basis of the researcher in interpreting the quantitative data gathered.REFERENCES(2006). “Hong Kong Employees Tend to Work Longer Hours.

” TIPPIE. 15, February. Retrieved on June 22, 2007 from, http://www. biz. uiowa. edu/iemba/hongkong/articles/article_show.

ASP? id=57. Nixon, Judith M. (n. d.

) “Work-Life Balance. ” Encyclopedia of Management. Revised by Marcia Simmering.