Majority on brink of stress in Hong Kong

Jan. 7, 2015 - PRLog -- Office life has never been more stressful, with over half of the global workforce (53%) saying they are closer to burning out than they were just five years ago.  Globally, the top triggers of workplace stress are lack of exercise, unreliable IT and feeling understaffed, according to a recent Regus report that canvassed 22,000 business people in more than 100 countries worldwide about their work environment.

In mainland China, 34% of respondents found that lack of excise and unhealthy eating are the biggest causes of stress – higher than the global average of 21%. However, in Hong Kong and Taiwan, respondents indicated that a lack of staff creates the most stress. Respondents from Singapore, Japan and the USA share the same view.

The research also reveals that Hong Kong respondents feel that working to deadlines is very stressful (24%), which is much higher than the global average (14%) and the highest score in Greater China. In addition, 11% of Hong Kong respondents found that their colleagues are a significant cause of stress (11%), which is more than double the global average (5%) and the highest in Greater China.

However, with the pressure on to find ways of reducing stress, many workers believe one way of easing the tension associated with demanding jobs is a break from the main office – at least some of the time. A significant majority of global respondents – 74% – found a change of scenery such as working from another location to be a good stress reliever, the report reveals. 66% of Hong Kong respondents agreed.

In fact, having the freedom to work away from the main office from time to time is now seen as a key factor in achieving a good work-life balance, with 60% of respondents believing flexible workers are better off. The experiences of those lucky enough to be able to work flexibly further support this finding with one in seven saying that they are happier now that they work outside the main office some of the time.

Similarly, freelance workers also tend to be more relaxed according to the research, with 55% of those questioned saying that they think freelance workers, with their freedom to change location and set their own hours, are less stressed than regular staff.

“While stress levels are mounting in the workplace as a result of a combination of factors, including feeling deskbound and under-resourced, workers across the globe agree that flexible working provides a useful outlet,” said Michael Ormiston, Country Manager, Regus Hong Kong.

“With a significant percentage of business people believing that flexible and freelance workers enjoy a better work-life balance, offering options for flexible working can help to keep the workforce both productive and happy.”


About Regus
Regus is the global workplace provider.

Its network of more than 2,000 business centres in 104 countries provides convenient, high-quality, fully serviced spaces for people to work, whether for a few minutes or a few years. Companies like Google, Toshiba and GlaxoSmithKline choose Regus so that they can work flexibly and make their businesses more successful.

The key to flexible working is convenience and so Regus is opening wherever its 1.8 million members want support - city centres, suburban districts, shopping centres and retail outlets, railway stations, motorway service stations and even community centres.

Founded in Brussels, Belgium, in 1989, Regus is based in Luxembourg and listed on the London Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit: www.regus.com