JOAN RONQUILLO-CUEVAS, HEAD OF PEOPLE & CULTURE, ASIA EAST CLUSTER, PHILIP MORRIS INTERNATIONAL (PMI)
In this interview, Tracy Chan speaks to Ronquillo-Cuevas to learn more about PMI’s culture and transformation journey, as well as her approach to creating an involving and thriving environment for her people.
EVENTS
SUITE TALK
EMMY KAN, PRESIDENT, STARBUCKS ASIA PACIFIC
Hedy
Irene
The one-day conference brought together 200 HR professionals, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in this tech-driven landscape.
In this exclusive, JSM lawyer Jennifer Tam shares tips on managing older employees in the workplace, in light of China’s recent announcement around the gradual increase in the statutory retirement age.
Kan shares her passion and commitment to advocating for women in leadership. 28 &
Meet the winners of the HR Distinction Awards and HR Vendors of the Year 2024, Hong Kong.
Take a sneak peek into NCPC Hong Kong 2024.
STORIES TO DELIGHT AND INSPIRE
Dear readers,
Since embarking on a global journey of a smoke-free future in 2014 – a vision to replace cigarettes with smoke-free alternatives for smokers –Philip Morris International (PMI) has gone into a business and organisation transformation like no other.
That has required changing its business model, building capabilities the organisation didn’t have before, and reshaping everyone’s way of working to be geared to work with speed and agility.
A large-scale transformation such as this one is certainly one for the books – which is why we couldn’t help but wrap up the year sharing this compelling story with you.
On the cover is Joan Ronquillo-Cuevas, the Head of People and Culture for PMI’s Asia East Cluster. A true advocate for the strategic value that HR brings to the business, she is passionate about building high performing organisations that are anchored on inclusion and positive engagement.
In our Q&A, she talks to HRO’s Tracy Chan about the transformation journey undertaken from the lens of HR strategy.
“On the talent side, we defined the critical capabilities needed (that is, data analytics, digital, experimentation, multi-category deployment excellence) to succeed in the new business environment, and supported that with the right buy/build/borrow/bot talent strategy,” she shared with us.
Head to pages 12-15 for the full interview.
Among the other compelling reads we’ve curated for you is a feature that tackles the timely issue of retirement age amidst ageing populations in several parts of the region.
“Extending the retirement age is one of the strategies being employed to address the talent shortage recently. However, extending the retirement age alone is not sufficient,” said Jennifer Tam, Employment and Benefits partner, Johnson Stokes & Master (JSM). Read more on the expert’s take on the statutory retirement age on page 22.
This edition also brings you up close and personal with the first Asiagrown regional president for Starbucks APAC, Emmy Kan, who said: “Every step of my career journey from chief corporate officer to chief customer officer, every promotion and lateral move, has been intentionally designed to broaden my capabilities and fuel my growth as a leader.”
The leader’s profoundly meaningful journey has been captured for your learning on page four.
As the year winds down, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude. Whether you’ve read our daily e-newsletters or attended one of our many events, you’ve been an essential part of our journey. Your choice to support HRO doesn’t just benefit you – it contributes to a more collaborative and progressive HR ecosystem across Asia.
This year, we’ve continued our mission to bring credible, timely, and trusted content across the region. From all of us at HRO, thank you for being part of our community and making a big impact through your thoughtful contributions to HR.
Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a wonderful New Year! Enjoy the read.
Aditi Sharma Kalra Editor-in-Chief
MTR’S EMPHASIS ON REWARDS, RECOGNITION AND ENGAGEMENT KEEPS EMPLOYEES MOVING AND PROGRESSING
The ‘1+1 Octopus Card’ initiative and the ‘Charge Up’ offsite retreat programme are both a result of the response to employees’ needs.
Beginning its journey to “Keep Cities Moving” 45 years ago since 1979, MTR Corporation has been developing and managing a world-class railway together with property and community development to enhance the quality of life in and outside of Hong Kong.
MTR is an internationally recognised company that connects and grows communities through caring, innovative, and sustainable services. To achieve this vision, the public transport operator has been striving to strengthen its workforce. Currently, it has over 50,000 staff in Hong Kong and worldwide. Among them, around 10,000 staff are under its largest business unit, Hong Kong Transport Services (HKTS).
To address the ongoing challenge of attracting, retaining, and motivating a diverse workforce that spans different ages and areas of expertise, MTR has developed a comprehensive rewards and recognition strategy, providing competitive pay, benefits, and both short-term and long-term incentives to attract top talent, reward good performance, and motivate positive behaviours among employees.
Structured across five dimensions, MTR’s rewards and recognition programme engages top management, line-of-business managers, and frontline staff throughout the evaluation process, with a strong emphasis on peer-to-peer recognition. The company-initiated rewards, based on company performance and individual performance, ensure high achievers are fairly rewarded. Meanwhile, manager-led and peer-to-peer recognition help foster a culture of recognition and connect everyone. Awards are presented publicly to maximise the impact of driving excellence, sustainable growth, and continuous improvement.
To further create an environment where appreciation flows freely, MTR provides official platforms for informal recognition. These platforms enable recognition to take place anytime, and be initiated by anyone, encouraging the celebration of each other’s efforts, wins, and innovations.
All these initiatives play a crucial role in fostering a positive and inclusive workplace culture and bridging any gaps in formal recognition.
As part of MTR’s culture of mutual respect and participation, employees’ views and ideas are highly valued. As such, the Corporation has regular dialogue
with colleagues through multiple channels, and staff engagement surveys are conducted periodically, to ensure participative and transparent communication.
Apart from listening, MTR also takes concrete actions in response to feedback from employees. The introduction of the ‘1+1 Octopus Card’ initiative and the ‘Charge Up’ offsite retreat programme are two significant examples.
As an extended benefit beyond the existing ones to the family members of MTR staff, the ‘1+1 Octopus Card’ programme offers eligible single employees the opportunity to nominate a significant person in their life to receive free travel on the MTR network with an aim to promote diversity and inclusion.
On the other hand, by understanding the challenges faced by frontline Hong Kong Transport Services (HKTS) supervisors through the surveys, MTR has tailored the ‘Charge Up’ offsite retreat programme.
The one-day programme encompasses different innovative and creative engagement activities, such as guru sharing on stress management and crossgeneration communication, an immersive theatre experience on strengths-based leadership, team-building games, and evaluation through a self-rated engagement dashboard. The aim of the programme is to enhance the leadership, communication, engagement level and wellbeing of its 3,500 frontline HKTS supervisors.
The Corporation’s care for employees is also evident with the wellbeing leave and expanded flexible work arrangements introduced in recent years. These initiatives collectively enhance employee wellbeing, work-life balance, and employee engagement, as well as ensure everyone in the Corporation feels heard, valued, and motivated.
The unwavering commitment of the public transport pioneer to fostering a supportive and motivating workplace has recently been underscored and recognised at Human Resources Online’s HR Distinction Awards.
Commenting on this achievement, MTR says: “This achievement is a testament to our collective efforts and dedication. By enhancing participative communication, employee engagement and recognising positive behaviours, we aim to continue building an environment where every employee feels valued and engaged to contribute to our shared success.”
Emmy Kan,President, Starbucks Asia Pacific
Having joined Starbucks in 2001, Emmy Kan is the first Asia-grown regional president for Starbucks Asia Pacific. This uniquely personalised and transformative development journey has not only marked the most significant milestone in Kan’s own career, but also exemplified Starbucks’ commitment to the promise for its employees –whom it calls ‘partners’ – to build a bridge to a better future.
“It was a pivotal conversation with Sara Trilling, former president of Starbucks Asia Pacific, that sparked a new ambition during my time as regional chief financial officer,” she shares with HRO’s Tracy Chan.
“Since then, every step of my career journey from chief corporate officer to chief customer officer, every promotion and lateral move, has been intentionally designed to broaden my capabilities and fuel my growth as a leader.”
Such a profoundly meaningful journey has shaped her understanding of what it means to be a leader. In addition to supporting the partners, as a true advocate for women’s empowerment, Kan is committed to cultivating the next generation of female leaders across the region, and building a legacy that reflects the company’s commitment to authenticity, growth, and shared success.
Read on for the interview excerpts.
Through your career journey, what has been the hardest challenge you have encountered, and how did you tackle it?
Navigating times of crisis and uncertainty with agility and adaptability has been one of my greatest challenges, and at the same time, a profound opportunity for growth.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a critical period when I had to lead without a playbook, marked by continuous iteration – testing, learning, and adjusting our approaches based on the limited information available. I made it a business priority to focus on our core mission and values, prioritising the health, safety, and wellbeing of our partners and customers. Open communication and a strong collaborative team were essential for navigating challenges and achieving the best possible outcomes.
The experience underscored the importance of embracing vulnerability and transparency. In highstakes situations, leaders must display optimism, resilience, and calm to drive confidence. Rather than being paralysed by the fear of imperfection, I had to stay agile and adaptive, while remaining focused on our core purpose.
Please share more about the ‘Empowering Women’ initiative that was launched by Starbucks in 2017.
Starbucks is a people-focused company that prides itself on living our mission and values to remain an inclusive, equitable, and accessible company where everyone belongs. We are committed to empowering a diverse workforce and ensuring equal opportunity for all partners through a variety of initiatives.
As a mentor and executive sponsor of the Empowering Women agenda in the Asia Pacific region, I advocate for women across the organisation and champion equal gender representation at the leadership level. I made it a business priority like any other, setting an ambitious goal of achieving 100% gender pay equity across the organisation.
Recognising the importance of continuous learning and growth, I have been an active mentor since 2019, helping women succeed in leadership roles. We also implemented a ‘Leadership Training’ programme for female managers in Korea and the ‘Educating Women and Girls’ programme in India, which involved over 2,000 partners and inspired more than 150,000 customers to participate. Today, our Asia Pacific leadership team reflects a 50/50 balance where women leaders have a voice.
In 2020, the programme was revitalised to increase female representation in the workforce by identifying and addressing barriers faced by women. In partnership with our licensed and joint venture partners, we pioneered locally relevant initiatives to help women enter the workforce.
For instance, in India, we opened the world’s first all-women store in 2021, and today, we have 30 stores in India fully managed by women, accounting for around 7% of our store portfolio. I am proud to see women representation growing year on year in India, and we are close to achieving 100% gender pay equity in the country.
We have come a long way on our journey towards gender equity, but we are not resting on our laurels. We continue to make positive strides in creating opportunities for women to thrive at every level of our organisation.
Starbucks has been recognised for calling employees ‘partners’. What are some ways you as a leader ensure this philosophy translates into action?
Starbucks employees are called partners because we genuinely believe in the power of collaboration and shared success. This philosophy is not just a title; it informs our actions and decisions at every level of the organisation, guided by our partner promise to offer a bridge to a better future at Starbucks, and beyond.
One of the key ways I ensure this philosophy translates into action is by prioritising open communication and active listening. We regularly seek feedback from our partners through various channels to shape initiatives and investments that intentionally support their growth, development, and long-term success.
Creating a strong sense of ownership and belonging among our partners is also essential. That is why we empower our partners to take the lead in championing causes they are passionate
about through our Community Stores. For example, the Starbucks FoodShare food donation programme, a partnership with the Philippine FoodBank Foundation and Grab that provides food assistance within Metro Manila, was piloted by a Starbucks Philippines store manager.
Our Signing Stores were pioneered by a Starbucks Malaysia partner, inspired by her experience working with deaf partners, to create a safe space where they can feel a true sense of belonging and opportunity. Today, there are 26 Signing Stores around the world, led by members of the deaf and hard of hearing community.
What are the top three skills you believe C-suite leaders should be equipped with for the future of work?
In my view, the top three skills that C-suite leaders must cultivate for the future of work are agility, inclusive leadership, and championing gender equality.
In today’s rapidly changing macro environment, the ability to respond swiftly to evolving customer needs and a fast-paced competitive landscape is essential. C-suite leaders must prioritise making prompt decisions that put our customers and partners at the forefront, taking bold actions to innovate through a culture of testing and learning. Embracing calculated risks is vital to driving a business forward.
Inclusive leadership not only fosters a collaborative, safe, and open culture, it also instils shared values across teams. It’s about creating an equal setting and psychological safety so that people can speak their minds and present different points of view. I have always believed in the power of collective voices and
intelligence, as diverse perspectives ultimately lead to innovative solutions and better business outcomes.
Lastly, recognising the critical role of gender equality in achieving organisational success is paramount. Diverse teams enhance decision-making, drive innovation, and boost productivity. To harness this potential, leaders must invest in dismantling barriers, foster equity in hiring and promotions, and provide flexible work arrangements alongside robust mentorship programmes. By championing gender equality, leaders can build a more dynamic and resilient organisation.
What do you see as the biggest myth about women in leadership that needs to be broken immediately?
To me, one of the biggest myths about women in leadership is the perception that women lack ambition at work. This outdated stereotype oversimplifies the complexities of individual choices and perpetuates systemic barriers that undermine the idea of women as natural leaders.
In my experience, women are just as ambitious as men at every level of the career pipeline, and it’s crucial that we recognise and support their potential.
I have had the good fortune of working with many wonderful female leaders like our former Asia Pacific regional president Sara Trilling, and have seen them relentlessly pursue excellence in their roles. Their leadership exemplifies the drive, capability, and resilience that women bring to the table, and I carry their insights and learnings forward with me in everything I do.
“At Hearts On Fire, we have four values – expertise, creativity, openness, and empowerment,” says Shawn Tan.
“These values, apart from articulating and expressing our brand to customers, represent our company culture and guide our people in ways of working. We constantly embed, reinforce, and live these four values in our dayto-day work and also through specific people initiatives and activities.”
In the ever-evolving landscape, Tan strongly believes that staying agile and embracing new ideas and concepts are key to enabling both business and people to become better. As the Chief People Officer at a diamond jewellery brand, he also sees the common ground between HR and the company’s business.
“I would say the role of HR is that of an enabler that brings out the best in people and allows them to shine in their own right – just like how Hearts On Fire transforms natural stones into diamonds of incomparable brilliance and unparalleled sparkle.”
In this exclusive with HRO’s Tracy Chan, Tan sheds light on his career and the HR profession.
With over 15 years of experience across Singapore and now Hong Kong, what do you see as the similarities and different challenges HR leaders need to address in the two places?
Singapore and Hong Kong are international cities which have become important business hubs in APAC. There are obviously plenty of similarities – for instance both cities are often the preferred choice as regional headquarters for MNCs, and on this point, HR leaders need to understand and navigate the challenges associated with a regional or even a global office.
In both cities, it is a constant battle for talent and HR leaders always need to think about talent strategies that fit their organisation’s purpose and ambition. Experience in organisational design and effectiveness, employer branding, leadership development, and even global mobility are therefore critical for HR leaders in this context.
SHAWN TAN
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, PEOPLE AND CULTURE HEARTS ON FIRE 15 minutes with ...
Based on my personal experience, there is not much difference apart from the slight cultural nuances and talent profile in the two cities. The variance, in my opinion, is heavily linked to the governments’ policies which have a slightly different focus. In recent years, Singapore has tried to promote workforce productivity improvement while Hong Kong has set out to attract top talent.
As HR leaders, I believe it is imperative to keep ourselves abreast of government policy designs and intent, while keeping an eye on the strategic needs of your own organisation and industry trends.
How would you describe your leadership style?
I believe that I am an effective communicator. I don’t mince my words because I believe in the importance of authenticity and clarity.
I also try my best to bring energy and positivity to the teams I lead. I am very open to new ideas and challenge my teams a lot, with the hope and expectation of optimising everyone’s potential, and how well we collaborate and contribute as one team.
Above all, my leadership style is guided by integrity, courage, empathy, and respect for others.
Who is the one person who has inspired you the most in your career, and why?
Anna Ho, my ex-boss and first HR mentor who taught me everything about HR business partnering.
She is a very charismatic, dynamic, and pragmatic HR leader who has inspired me not only with her wealth of business and HR knowledge, but also her leadership and how she is always able to take a balanced approach towards seeking the ideal solution for business and people.
She is definitely my role model in my HR career, and I continue to admire her achievements in the HR space while trying my best to do her proud.
What is the one piece of advice you’ve received coming up the ranks that you try to pass on to your team?
Do what’s right, not what’s easy. Inconvenience and discomfort are sometimes part of the foundational building blocks of success.
How do you see the biggest HR trends in the coming five years, and what should HR leaders do to prepare for them?
Organisational agility and flexibility – HR will need to prepare and lead organisations through expected or unexpected situations. In today’s VUCA world, HR leaders should possess the competence to pivot and design policies/processes to guide organisations and people in different circumstances and phases.
HAVI FREIGHT MANAGEMENT NAVIGATES CHANGE BY EMPOWERING ITS PEOPLE
After all, what people want is a healthy work-life balance, to be treated with respect, and to have a sense of empowerment, emphasises HR Lead, Jamie Ong.
As a global, privately owned logistics company, HAVI Freight Management (HFM) upholds the purpose of connecting people with products to create a better future. Even in the face of business and people challenges brought on by the external environment, the company continues to deliver on its promise to “do what’s right’ and “think big together”, not only for its customers, but also for its own employees.
Recognising that business and people are intertwined, HFM has been focused on the ‘Empowered People’ philosophy to seek alignment between the direction of its strategic imperatives, while ensuring a balance between business and people strategies.
This, therefore, sees the company building its people strategy upon its employee value proposition (EVP) as a foundation, supported by four pillars: ways of working, engagement, development, as well as rewards & benefits.
With people engagement and motivation being the constant themes, HR at HFM has partnered with the business, and led multiple engagement-focused actions to refresh workplace practices and enhance employee experience touchpoints throughout the employee lifecycle. These include revamping the onboarding process, creating more structured and regular communication channels, introducing flexi-work hours and a hybrid work model, and shifting mindsets to advocate for employee performance.
Psychological safety is also crucial to building an engaged workplace where people want to stay and strive. With this in mind, HFM has instilled a shared belief of encouraging people to express ideas and concerns, speak up with questions, and admit mistakes without fear of negative consequences.
All these efforts aim to create a transparent work environment and empower people at all levels. After all, what people want is a healthy work-life balance, to be treated with respect, and to have a sense of empowerment and a purpose aligning with the company, emphasises Jamie Ong, HR Lead, HAVI Freight Management Asia.
“Honesty and authenticity are at the heart of our programmes, where people can feel listened to and connected with our company commitments,” she says. “Creating values that can impact the business positively is key!”
Some obvious impact of this strategy has been reflected in employee feedback, where people feel more positive and engaged. The improvement in employee engagement has resulted in a more stabilised workforce at HFM. Compared to 2021, the attrition rate has improved significantly. With a more stabilised workforce, the company has moved from an ‘operations-heavy’ organisation to a more balanced structure, with resources deployed to functions like key account management, technology, and HR in 2024 without increasing headcount costs.
Sharing on attracting and retaining talent in today’s world of work, Ong agrees this can be challenging, especially in the supply chain industry, which doesn’t often take centre stage in the job market. As such, HFM has taken a more proactive approach to reviewing its talent pipeline on a regular basis to ensure a constant supply of talent, either through acquisition or building within.
Externally, the company has put focus on employer branding by participating in industry networks and activities, revving up its social media exposure, and working on campus relations to build a talent pipeline. Internally, HFM constantly improves its people policies, including performance management and rewards systems.
Drawing from her 20 years of HR experience, Ong always believes employer and employee relationships are mutual. Meanwhile, HR should no longer work in silos but be the backbone of the business, especially when people are the greatest asset of the company.
“I always believe people have options. We need to adjust ourselves to attract and retain talents or otherwise risk losing them.”
She furthers: “HR need not be complicated. Keeping things simple and transparent is key.
“As employers, we present our best selves and what we can best offer to our employees on their professional journey. It is then their option to stay with the one they feel most connected to and develop their careers with their employer.”
The thorough insights into talent’s expectations have not only earned HFM more engaged employees, but also industry recognition at Human Resources Online’s recent HR Distinction Awards. Speaking about this achievement, Ong affirms: “This is an important milestone for us, not just as HR, but as an organisation.”
THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF WELLBEING IS ANOTHER CAUSE OF BURNOUT
APAC – More people (71%) in the APAC region are making wellbeing their top priority (a 7% increase from 2023), with 90% of people taking more action than they were a year ago to improve their wellbeing. However, 60% of the population still feels consistently stressed or even extremely burnt out.
One contributing factor to this phenomenon, according to Lululemon’s fourth annual 2024 Global Wellbeing Report , is the pressure to keep up with the growing societal demand to improve wellbeing.
The data indicated that 62% of respondents said they had experienced overwhelming societal expectations to appear well. This pressure is leading a perpetual and counterproductive cycle and causing almost half of the respondents to experience wellbeing burnout instead.
Loneliness (90%), and conflicting information about the best ways to improve wellbeing (54%), are also top pressure points fuelling the wellbeing cycle.
Regionally, Southeast Asian countries (Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore) rank among the top “wellbeing burn zones” with the highest levels of wellbeing burnout.
Men are feeling the effects of wellbeing burnout on a greater scale than women, with 43% of men in the region reporting heightened feelings of loneliness (versus 38% of women).
Meanwhile, younger generations feel this pressure more acutely than older generations, with 76% of Gen Z and 70% of Millennials reporting they feel pressure to be well (versus 58% of Gen X and 45% of Boomer+).
To break the cycle and feel less stuck, the report suggested the following:
Quiet the noise to hear yourself:
Focus on mindfulness and practise meditation, take social media breaks, and set boundaries.
Do what feels good to you:
Wellbeing doesn’t need to be intense. It can be bite-sized and fun. Practise doing things at your own pace, move your body throughout the day, spend time in nature, or use physical activity to socialise.
Invite others on your journey:
Human connection offers an advantage. Through the simple act of moving with others, individuals can feel more connected to their communities, become rooted in purpose, and improve overall wellbeing by 16%. Connect with your community by working out with a friend, sign-up for a team sport or fitness class, or vocalise your needs with your family, friendships, and relationships.
ENHANCING THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE THROUGH DYNAMIC EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
“Our commitment is to foster happy, healthy workplaces, enhance productivity, and ultimately reduce health-related expenses,” says Lockton’s Senior Vice President, Head of People Solutions - North Asia, Stella Sung.
Lockton is the world’s largest privately owned insurance brokerage and consulting groups, currently serves over 65,000 clients globally, including more than 21,500 in Asia. With the global footprint of over 140 countries, the team delivers customised solutions for risk consulting, insurance broking services, and employee benefits solutions to a wide range of businesses.
Committed to building genuine connections and long-term partnerships with clients, Lockton prioritises gaining a thorough understanding of clients’ businesses and objectives to offer innovative and best-fit solutions for clients. Combining analytics, consultancy, and broking expertise, the company assists clients in integrating business objectives to develop a balanced, data-driven, and uniquely tailored employee engagement strategy, specialising in employee benefits, corporate wellbeing, retirement planning, and flexible benefits – all within a comprehensive total rewards framework.
Putting wellbeing and flexibility at the heart of employee strategy
This is exemplified by its flexible employee benefits platform, ‘OneLock’. With a comprehensive suite of benefits, the platform has seamlessly integrated health, wealth, and wellness through cutting-edge technology. This enables clients’ employees to structure their coverage to best suit their life stages, lifestyles, and health needs, not only enhancing workplace culture but also significantly boosting productivity and strengthening the sense of belonging.
To help clients achieve long-term benefits and financial strategies, Lockton identifies areas for improvement in clients’ existing policy structures. The team also benchmarks current benefits and claims utilisation against industry peers using market insights. This involves conducting market surveys to understand trends and customer needs, alongside offering claim analysis and projection tools to evaluate premium and claim developments.
Beyond the employee benefits strategy, the company also embraces a holistic approach to corporate wellbeing that extends beyond physical health to help clients support employees’ mental, financial, and social wellbeing. This includes providing actionable advice from ideation to execution and communication, as well as bespoke corporate wellbeing programmes.
Such a holistic approach aligns personal wellbeing with organisational success, has proven effective in reducing absenteeism, and empowers clients to
cultivate a resilient, thriving, and engaged workforce, ultimately driving long-term business growth and employee satisfaction.
Perpetually
private
“Being privately held allows us the flexibility to adapt quickly and remain resilient against market fluctuations. At Lockton, we combine global reach and local expertise with a family-business mentality. That means we work with our clients to build a solution that represents their employees. This approach truly sets us apart,” highlights Stella Sung, Senior Vice President, Head of People Solutions - North Asia, Lockton Companies.
Client focus
Through ‘People Solutions’ initiative, Lockton paves the way for collaborative innovation, empowering the company to co-create sustainable solutions that elevate their clients’ businesses and enrich their employees’ lives. This comprehensive approach ensures exceptional support and lasting value.
All these cannot be achieved without its people. With one director managing operations in Hong Kong and China, close collaboration between global offices, and senior brokers leading programme design with effective risk and claims management, Lockton has ensured seamless communication and excellent service.
Caring culture
With the belief in empowering people to make a difference in their communities, the company excels in creating an environment of inclusivity, continuous learning, and tailored compensation and benefits programmes, ensuring each employee feels valued. The team also engages in corporate social responsibility.
“By tailoring resources to individual needs, we foster an environment where diverse perspectives flourish, thus enhancing our adaptability and creativity,” says Sung.
Lockton’s efforts have paid off through an impressive client retention rate of 96%, and the employee engagement rate standing at 85.8%, while the employee turnover rate is only 7.1%.
When asked about future aspirations, Sung shares that the company will gear up to host its signature event, the ‘Lockton Global Benefits Forum’, and continue collaborating with partners to drive innovative corporate wellbeing programmes to offer top-tier engagement and wellbeing solutions for companies of all sizes.
“Looking forward, we are committed to partnering with our clients to enhance the employee experience and cultivate a positive work environment. Together, we navigate the dynamic landscape of employee benefits, adapting to emerging trends and addressing the unique needs of a diverse workforce,” affirms Sung.
THINGS THAT EMPLOYEES DON’T WANT THEIR EMPLOYERS TO KNOW
How productive is the average worker, and do they job hunt while at work? Ringover discovered some answers in two recent surveys of more than 1,000 employed Americans.
The average worker is productive for only four hours and 36 minutes a day, or 57.5% of a typical workday.
78.8% said they had actively job hunted whilst employed.
Three in five (60.5%)
of respondents admitted they had lied to their employer about taking an interview.
The most common excuses people gave for taking leave for an interview were a family emergency (32.3%), a medical appointment (30.7%), or sickness (27.2%)..
ADVOCATING COLLABORATION:
HOW VITAL IS REVOLUTIONISING HR SUPPORT
With extensive experience in employee counselling, corporate training, critical incident support, and management consultation, the goal of the EAP provider is to bring vibrancy to the workplace.
Established by the Christian Family Service Centre as a service unit in 1993, Vital Employee Service Consultancy (Vital) is a pioneer of the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and total employee wellness solution (EWS), as well as among the only EAP providers, in Hong Kong.
Adhering to its motto – “Add Colour to Work Life”, Vital strives to enhance employee wellness and promote a positive workplace culture to improve employees’ work engagement and productivity, which in turn contributes to organisational excellence.
Recognising there are some areas affecting employee productivity in an organisation, that HR departments may not be optimally positioned to manage, Vital is resolved to fill the gaps and provide 360-degree EAP services to help take care of employees’ physical and psychological health.
This is especially critical in the face of a growing number of crisis incidents at the workplace, combined with Vital’s extensive experience in providing critical incident stress management services to corporates following traumatic events. The professional team collaborates and actively communicates with HR and management to develop effective intervention strategies, such as structured debriefing sessions and on-site consultation, and offers timely support to alleviate the psychological distress experienced by those affected.
In addition to crisis interventions, Vital advocates collaboration between corporates and social service organisations to achieve social impact. The team has therefore leveraged its vast network in the community to organise yearly events to commend corporates’ efforts in employee and social engagement. A website has also been developed to encourage NGO-corporate partnerships in terms of social inclusion, green support, wellbeing, and more.
The team’s endeavours in promoting the wellness of corporates and employees can be embodied in numbers: over 8,500 counselling sessions and more than 1,500 training workshops for corporates in the past year alone, alongside nearly 60 crisis interventions to clients in 2023-24, and a remarkable overall client satisfaction rate of 97%.
“Vital has a history of over 30 years in Hong Kong and has a profound understanding of the critical role workplace mental health plays in enhancing employee wellbeing and overall business performance,” remarks Wicky Ng Wai-ki, Head of Vital Employee Service Consultancy.
“In light of the various societal challenges we face today, it is essential for companies to prioritise their employees’ mental health to boost job satisfaction and productivity. Vital offers comprehensive EWS services to help organisations develop targeted strategies for mental health improvement.”
While playing a key role in supporting corporates, Vital never loses sight of investing in its own people – the most precious asset that contributes to its success.
Vital sees an effective talent management strategy as critical to helping employees feel more productive and satisfied with their work, as well as inspiring them to contribute more, eventually benefitting the organisation. Therefore, a platform filled with a sense of mission has been created, where employees can unleash their professional talents and facilitate social impact.
Looking ahead, to address the upsurge in demand of a highly diversified clientele that spans across sectors, Vital is set to launch a learning academy, named V-LED (Vital Lifelong Education and Development Institute). The newly established initiative will offer specialised courses tailored for workplace upskilling, such as workplace mental health, non-violent communication, crisis management, negotiation skills, and more. Such an investment not only aims to enhance individual work performance, but also contribute to overall organisational success.
“This initiative aligns with our commitment to promoting a healthier work environment and helping employees thrive in their professional lives. As we get ready to launch this academy, we are confident that it will be instrumental in supporting employees and promoting a culture of wellbeing across diverse industries,” asserts Ng.
“Throughout the years, Vital has established close partnerships with HRs, ensuring the effectiveness of employee wellness solutions through regular assessments and client feedback. This collaborative approach supports corporates in meeting their corporate social responsibilities, as well as fostering a healthy and positive work environment that ultimately leads to a win-win situation for both the organisation and its employees.”
Joan Ronquillo-Cuevas Head of People and Culture, Asia East Cluster Philip Morris International
(PMI)
BY TRACY CHAN
VITAL STATS
Joan Ronquillo-Cuevas has over 20 years of HR experience across various multinational companies, industries, and locations such as the Philippines, Switzerland, and now Hong Kong. This has brought her a diverse and global perspective in crafting talent and organisation strategies; and a strong capability in deploying effective collaboration across all layers of an organisation.
Ronquillo-Cuevas is a true advocate for the strategic value that HR brings to the business. She is passionate about building high performing organisations that are anchored on inclusion and positive engagement; and coaching both leaders and employees to reach their full potential. She joined Philip Morris International (PMI) in 2014 as the Talent Management Manager, and currently is the Head of People and Culture (P&C), Asia East Cluster, for the US-headquartered tobacco company.
Serving as a talent hub, the Hong Kong office of Philip Morris International is home to more than 300 local and international employees, representing cultural diversity and the breadth of experience across its domestic market, regional office, travel retail, and the Electronics Product Development Centre.
Led by our interviewee Joan RonquilloCuevas, the HR team in Hong Kong consists of about 15 dedicated professionals supporting business units, global functions, and HR operations. Operating in a highly matrixed organisational structure, the team is committed to delivering a standardised global employee experience while remaining agile and responsive to meet business and employee needs.
“Our collective mission is to drive the organisational priorities of the company,” she says.
“These priorities are not just for and by the HR function, but key priorities that will enable our business objectives through our people and organisation. These serve as our compass to ensure that we will bring value to the business and our people in whatever role we do in HR.”
Creating an inclusive and collaborative culture is one of the priorities of PMI, which has been well-defined by its core values – ‘We care, we are better together, and we are game changers’.
“At PMI, we pride ourselves on our values that represent who we are when we are at our best,” Ronquillo-Cuevas affirms.
“The moment you step into the PMI office, you will feel the diversity of our workforce across genders, nationalities, and experiences. Hence, our focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I)
adds to the vibrancy of the PMI culture. With our employees feeling included in everyday interactions and the way we collaborate, we create an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute their best.”
In this interview, Tracy Chan speaks to Ronquillo-Cuevas to learn more about PMI’s culture and transformation journey, as well as her approach to creating an involving and thriving environment for her people.
Q Tell us about your role at PMI. What is your top priority, and what talent goals do you want to achieve for the company?
As the P&C Head for the Asia East Cluster, my role covers the people and culture agenda across Hong Kong, Macau, China, and Singapore. Our agenda is about our organisation being designed to enable business growth, with strong leaders ready to take on roles in various areas of the business, a skilled and engaged workforce that is agile and high performing, and embedding our cultural values and behaviours that make us proud to be PMI.
As the market leader in Hong Kong and Singapore, our focus is to protect and grow the business despite the regulatory challenges. In the HR context, this would mean ensuring we have a consumer-centric, highly skilled, and efficient organisation with the agility to reallocate resources to where the business needs it.
As a key talent hub for Asia, we aim to accelerate the development of our Asian talent to take on leadership roles not just for the Asia East Cluster, but for PMI internationally. This means identifying talent who will feed into our leadership pipeline with potential to grow on functional paths or general management roles, and ensuring the right development plans are in place to support their growth. We leverage on PMI’s comprehensive leadership development programmes and learning resources, from on-the-job opportunities, international assignments, mentoring and coaching, to online courses.
Q Having worked at PMI for over a decade, what are the biggest changes you have seen in terms of people and culture? How have these changes shaped your approach to the company’s talent strategies?
Since we embarked on our global journey of a smoke-free future in 2014 –our vision to replace cigarettes with smoke-free alternatives for smokers – we have gone into a business and organisation transformation like no other. That has required changing our business model, building capabilities that we did not have before, and reshaping our ways of working so we are able to work with speed and agility.
On the talent side, we defined the critical capabilities needed (that is, data analytics, digital, experimentation, multi-category deployment excellence) to succeed in the new business environment, and supported that with the right buy/build/borrow/bot talent strategy.
Since these capabilities were not necessarily strong in our organisation when we operated solely as a conventional cigarette business, a number of hirings had to happen to bring in the capabilities. This made us look at the way we build talent and foster a culture where our in-house talent continues to develop while integrating the new hires into the organisation so they understand our company and business and perform at an accelerated pace.
Now that we have made significant progress since starting our transformation, we are now focusing on ensuring that our talent will have the capabilities to support our multi-category business and be able to operate effectively in a horizontal and cross-category/cross-functional way.
Q What are some of the unique nuances that you’ve observed leading HR across such diverse markets in the Asia East Cluster?
As much as we try to synergise a number of our initiatives so we experience the breadth of our cluster, you will still observe that each market is unique and has a distinct role to play in the cluster.
It starts with the external environment that influences our business model and the critical capabilities it requires. We may have the same capabilities needed, but the markets will be at different levels of proficiencies depending on their ability to put these capabilities into play.
Culturally, these markets may have common threads, but are still unique in their own ways, which makes the cluster very exciting and rich from a learning and diversity point of view. These differences don’t necessarily change our strategy and focus. Instead, we use these as guard rails to deploy our initiatives in a meaningful way – one that responds to the business context and appeals to our employees.
As HR, we need to ensure that we are able to leverage on our cluster set-up in developing our talent. It is actually another layer of development that we proudly have. We are able to crosspollinate talent across our markets, either transferring or acquiring skills, and have roles that support the entire cluster as additional ways of talent development.
Q PMI has been acknowledged as among the Global Top Employers for eight consecutive years. How do you ensure an employee value proposition that is adapted to the changing talent landscape as well as the evolving expectations of employees?
PMI’s recognition as a Global Top Employer for eight consecutive years is a testament to our commitment to delivering best-in-class people practices. By regularly benchmarking our practices externally, we are able to see that our practices are competitive and what areas we can do better.
Inclusivity has always been a core to PMI. Our commitment to inclusivity drives us to continuously seek ways to improve and foster a workplace that is more responsive to the evolving needs of our employees. Some areas recently focused on are:
• Flexible work arrangements: We offer flexible work options such as remote work and flexible hours to accommodate the varying needs of our employees. This flexibility helps us attract and retain talent who values work-life balance, and it supports our employees’ wellbeing.
• Employee wellbeing: We prioritise the wellbeing of our employees by providing resources and support for mental, physical, and emotional health. This includes wellness programmes, access to counselling services, and initiatives that promote a healthy work environment.
• Continuous learning and development: We invest in comprehensive training and development programmes to ensure our employees have the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Our learning ecosystem is robust to cater to various employee groups, development needs, internal and external learning offers, and digitally enabled for people to access globally.
• Career growth opportunities: We provide transparency on career development in PMI and progression paths for people to grow within the organisation. This helps us retain top talent and ensures that our employees are given ample support and resources for their development.
Q The year 2024 marks the 10 th year of PMI’s journey for a smoke-free future, which aims to replace cigarettes with smoke-free alternatives for smokers. How does this milestone relate to your employees in the Asia East Cluster, especially in case where these smoke-free alternatives are not available in your markets?
This 10 th year anniversary of our global smoke-free journey is made possible by the hard work and commitment of all our employees regardless of what
business they support. Our transformation journey required that we operate differently and adopt behaviours that supported the change needed. These required us to be more agile, innovative, failing fast, and looking ahead.
The external market challenges have strengthened our resiliency to keep on going and contribute to PMI’s vision. Over the past 10 years, the markets of the Asia East Cluster have kept on changing the game and driving higher and higher levels of deployment excellence. Our business results speak for themselves having kept our market leadership, and our employees believing and feeling inspired by our smoke-free future with positive levels of engagement and wellbeing.
Q PMI has been going through a digital transformation with the aim to be a digital leader to deliver a smoke-free future. How do you leverage data and technology to optimise the employee journey and experience as well as support more informed people decisions?
Digital is indeed one of the key levers for HR to support the business transformation and respond to how the external environment is evolving. Our digitalisation in P&C entailed that we shape the delivery of our services globally in a simple, standard, and employee-centric way.
As you could imagine, operating in more than 80 countries globally, we maintain various systems and policies that deliver different kinds and levels of employee services. By putting all these together in a digital ecosystem, we will be able to standardise practices and delivery, and adopt more advancements on self-service functionalities and AI to elevate the technology experience of our employees.
Q DE&I is also a focus at PMI. What affirmative actions are you taking to create an environment of inclusion and belongingness where everyone can grow and thrive? How has this been achieved so far?
At PMI, DE&I are fundamental values that shape our workplace culture. We don’t view DE&I as merely affirmative actions, but as key elements to our ways of working and people practices.
We strive to have a workplace that is fair and equitable, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic. This commitment to fairness is reflected in our policies, practices, and the way we treat each other. We believe that everyone should have equal opportunities to succeed and that a diverse workforce drives innovation and excellence.
To foster an environment of inclusion and belongingness, we focus on several key initiatives:
• Inclusive hiring practices: We ensure that our recruitment processes are free from bias and that we actively seek to attract a diverse pool of candidates. This includes using diverse interview panels and assessment techniques that focus on skills and qualifications.
• Employee resource groups (ERGs): We support various ERGs that provide a platform for employees to connect, share experiences, and advocate for their communities. These groups play a crucial role in promoting awareness and the understanding of different perspectives within the organisation.
• Training and development: We offer regular training sessions on unconscious bias, cultural awareness, and inclusive leadership. These programmes help our employees and leaders understand the importance of DE&I and equip them with the tools to foster an inclusive workplace.
• Flexible work arrangements: Recognising that everyone has different needs and responsibilities, we offer flexible work options to accommodate diverse lifestyles. This includes remote work, flexible hours, and support for employees with caregiving responsibilities.
Our achievements in DE&I so far include recognition for global awards such as Top Employer and Equal Salary Certification. Locally in Hong Kong, we have been recognised for Good MPF Employer, Family Friendly Employer, Good Employer Charter, and a proud participant at the historical Gay Games HK in 2023, just to name a few.
Q Looking into the future, what kind of mindset would you like to cultivate among employees to support the company’s growth, and what are your HR must-win battles to achieve this?
As we have clearly laid out our cultural values and behaviours, it is essential that we embed these in our people practices – from our hiring to our ways of working, and the way we develop and recognise our employees.
To truly make these cultural values part of our employees’ every day, we need to cultivate a growth mindset that will inspire our employees to continuously learn and challenge themselves so they can drive and contribute to the company objectives. This mindset encourages us to embrace change, seek and give feedback, and continuously acquire new knowledge and experiences.
To achieve this mindset, we have a global and integrated career and competency framework for people to draw inspiration from; set up continuous feedback mechanisms for employees to understand their strengths and areas for improvement in real-time; and formal and informal recognition tools to reinforce positive behaviours that will promote our cultural values and a growth mindset.
We also need to equip our people managers with the right capabilities to develop our employees, support constructive feedback, and promote inclusive team behaviours.
Q As an organisation that is pivoting its core product for a more sustainable future, what is your take on ESG, and as head of HR, what are some actions you can take to encourage employees to get involved?
Sustainability is a top priority for PMI, and this commitment extends to our approach to ESG principles. At the employee level, it’s crucial to build an understanding and awareness of the impact each of us has on the world. Many people associate a sustainable future primarily with environmental impact, but ESG encompasses so much more. It includes the way we live our lives, the fairness and equity in our workplaces, and the governance structures that ensure ethical practices.
To foster this understanding, we need to create a work environment that is sustainable for our people. This means ensuring that everyone has the same opportunities and equity to perform at their best. By promoting a culture of inclusivity and fairness, we can help employees see the broader implications
of ESG and how their actions contribute to a sustainable future.
In my role, there are several actions I take to encourage employees to get involved in our ESG initiatives. First, it’s important that ESG is considered a business imperative led by the Management Team (MT). ESG is not owned by just one function in the organisation. By having this collective responsibility, we are able to focus on the various areas of ESG and ensure actions do happen to achieve our objectives.
In the Asia East Cluster, we are proud that our ESG efforts are led by a Sustainability Project Team represented by different markets and functions, sponsored by an MT member with dedicated resources to drive the initiatives.
Making employees understand the importance of sustainability and how they can contribute both professionally and personally is fundamental to drive commitment and participation. The fact that we support a project-based effort for sustainability helps us to get employee volunteers who then become advocates to our sustainability efforts.
It is important that we engage with our employees by having them participate in sustainability initiatives, communicating regularly, sharing updates on our goals and progress, and recognising and celebrating the contributions of employees who actively support our ESG initiatives.
Q On a personal note, what is your goal or ambition in 2025, and beyond?
Continue on my self-care and fitness journey in 2025, and beyond. I endeavoured to spend more time and be disciplined to stay fit this year so I can be a better partner to my husband, mother to my kids, and P&C leader to my team and the Asia East Cluster. With the stresses of work and personal life, I need to look after myself so I have the energy to do the different roles I have at 100%.
Lastly, continue to challenge my assumptions and learn more things – be it recipes to cook, new workouts to try, and even work or leadership skills to develop. By making myself grow, I believe I can help others around me grow and succeed as well.
PUTTING DE&I IN ACTION: HOW SOCIETE GENERALE SUPPORTS THIS VALUE THROUGHOUT THE EMPLOYEE JOURNEY
The bank’s diversity and inclusion culture is evident in its HR management processes, from recruitment, talent development, and succession planning to compensation and benefits.
Societe Generale (SocGen) is one of Europe’s leading financial services groups, with over 126,000 employees of 152 different nationalities in 65 countries. As a large-scale group with such a strong workforce, ensuring the quality of working life, equity and inclusion, and professional development of the teams is a key factor in supporting employee development within the Group and improving performance.
As a responsible employer, diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) is at the core of SocGen’s values. Its goal is to nurture a culture devoted to the respect, recognition, and promotion of all talents, regardless of belief, age, disability, parental status, ethnic origin, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, or social origin.
SocGen is therefore committed to ensuring the neutrality of its HR management processes throughout the entire employee journey, from recruitment, talent development, and succession planning to compensation and benefits.
Fostering a cross-generational workforce
To build a sustainable pipeline, SocGen starts engaging talent from their early career stage. The bank has enhanced outreach with university students through campus events, company visits, and event sponsorships. At the campus recruitment events, VR technology has been leveraged to attract the young talent and share a taste of employee experience at SocGen.
Candidates are offered diverse opportunities according to their qualifications and experiences, such as internships for current students studying towards a bachelor’s or master’s degree, trainee programmes that have no limit on work experience requirement.
After attracting employees to join the bank, the next focus is to foster an adequate environment and awareness at the workplace to integrate employees from different generations.
Recognising the value of each generation, SocGen strives to create an inclusive environment for all generations and bridge the gap in between.
To achieve this, the bank has launched ‘The Cross-Generational Network’, which focuses on:
• promoting inclusive ways of working,
• raising awareness of generational differences,
• embracing new technologies, and
• building a cross-generational community.
Supporting employees’ growth and development
As today’s talent emphasises continuous learning and career advancement, providing robust learning opportunities is crucial to retain them.
Aimed at inculcating curiosity and a growth mindset in all employees, SocGen has ensured that learning is pervasive and available to everyone who might benefit from it, while respecting different learning styles in how employees absorb and consume information, different levels of access to information, and different motivations to learn.
With this in mind, SocGen has adopted a user-centric approach, and implemented a holistic assessment to design the development offerings that cater to the diverse needs and styles of employees. Input from management, managers and all staff, as well as feedback from stakeholders, have also been integrated to iterate the prototype until it gets right from a user perspective.
SocGen then provides different modes of development for the best fit of employees, covering standard development, on-the-job development, and selfdevelopment. Hybrid training is available for all employees to upskill themselves for the future of work anytime, anywhere. For high-potential employees at different career stages, tailored talent development programmes are in place. Meanwhile, various promotion and internal mobility opportunities are also open for interested employees, with corresponding training resources supporting them.
Rewarding employees fairly
Apart from growing and developing people, right compensation and rewards are also key to enhance employees’ engagement.
Based on a total rewards approach, SocGen offers attractive remuneration and benefits programmes, including fixed and variable pay, comprehensive leave policies, above-market pension schemes, work-from-home arrangements, and many more.
Employees are assured of being paid based on their performance and behaviours, with their salary and potential discretionary bonuses being reviewed annually.
To further ensure pay equity, SocGen conducts an annual equal pay review to examine any pay difference in equal or similar jobs/roles. This approach helps close the pay gaps and ensure any differences in pay are owed to legitimate reasons like experience.
Valuing neurodiversity
SocGen understands that there is a wide range of neurological differences between individuals, including how people think, process information, communicate, and interact with others.
Seeing “Differently Abled” as one of its five priority areas in DE&I, the bank has made a dedicated effort to raise awareness in the workplace by establishing the Great Minds Neurodiversity Network, and celebrating neurodiversity with a series of initiatives, such as introductory sessions and insightful discussions.
Walking the talk from the top and involving all levels of the organisation
All these approaches have paid off. Through its efforts made in talent acquisition, succession planning, and talent development over the past few years, the representation of diversity at SocGen has considerably improved across corporate levels, particularly at the MD level, management committee members, and key position incumbents.
For SocGen, DE&I is not just a nice-to-have, or a CSR effort, but a bank-wide initiative. The financial services group believes DE&I holds as much importance as other business initiatives, and this benefits the business
entirely through diversified and improved quality of thinking and collaboration. In a nutshell, to build a more diverse and inclusive workplace, everyone in the company has a role to play.
As such, this sees active allyship from the senior management, with each DE&I network being sponsored by the regional Management Committee members, and MDs and Directors showcasing strong involvement or interest in the network by attending and/or encouraging others to attend events.
While HR helps in the framework and questions relating to strategy, the momentum continues to be staff-driven, created and sustained by the employee network themselves.
The DE&I mindset is also specifically cascaded down to line managers. By doing so, they are encouraged to be supportive of their staff who may want to attend DEI events during the workday.
“We want to achieve a change of mindset, and we believe that consistent efforts will make a difference in the long run,” emphasises Mukta Arya, Chief Human Resources Officer, Asia Pacific, Societe Generale.
“The implementation of our diversity and inclusion strategy has taught us to be perseverant and consistent. Having passionate employees and senior management supporting this strategy also makes a big difference. We are convinced that engagement at all levels of the organisation is essential in order to achieve a diverse and inclusive mindset.”
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Driving change at Inspire HR 2024: Key takeaways for HR professionals
Rapid technological advancements have made the lives of HR professionals both easier and trickier.
On the one hand, AI integration, machine learning, and digital platforms help HR professionals do their jobs more efficiently, and enable them to make datainformed decisions for better talent management. On the other hand, striking a balance between technology and humans is an essential requirement HR should always bear in mind.
To provide a platform to delve into this exciting, yet challenging opportunity powered by the digital era, Human Resources Online held our annual flagship conference – Inspire HR 2024 – on 16 October 2024 at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong.
The one-day conference brought together 200 HR professionals, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in this tech-driven landscape by learning from enriching sessions and interacting with a star line-up of speakers amidst their HR peers.
Here are the key takeaways.
Leading with empathy to build trust and relationships
While technology has taken up much of the work, the human touch can never be replaced. “Empathy is one of the biggest assets for a leader,” highlighted Suparna Banik, Senior Director People and Culture Asia Pacific, lululemon, at the opening fireside chat with Aditi Sharma Kalra, Editor-in-Chief, Human Resources Online.
Retirement planning is one of the crucial topics for whole-person wellness. Moderated by HRO’s Kalra, the challenges that come with retirement legislation, and the importance of retirement education, were talked about during a panel discussion with Jenny Pong, People Director, East Asia, Arup; Charlotte Chan, Head of HK Global Platform Solutions and Head of Hong Kong, Fidelity International; and Emily Tang, Director, Hub Lead, Creative and Delivery Discipline, HK Cluster, Standard Chartered. GOLD SPONSOR
Sharing her personal practice of being an empathetic leader, what resonates most with Banik is to build a deep and trusting relationship that recognises, values, and celebrates one’s human uniqueness, and more importantly, cares for the whole person.
“It means you care for your team members’ ambitions, goals, preferences, both emotional and physical needs, capabilities and competence – you take everything all in.”
Securing the future
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“According to our study, more than 60% of Hong Kong employees feel restless because they don’t know if they will have enough for their future after retirement,” Chan said.
“Almost one-third of the workforce, who are so worried about retirement planning, are not giving their 100% at work.”
Despite the challenges, Pong said this could be an opportunity for HR leaders to rethink their entire compensation structure.
Feeding for satisfaction
Keeping employees full (literally) may help alleviate some of their worries. Alvin Lam, Head of Corporate, foodpanda HK, took attendees on a flash ride into how food perks can enhance employee engagement, cultivate a sense of belonging, and create unforgettable work moments.
“We can hold everyone together in our pantry, having lunch together once a week,” he said. “As this initiative keeps rotating, it creates some enjoyment, as well as a positive culture.”
Leveraging data to enhance engagement and wellbeing
Apart from eating well, employees also want to live well and feel well. Amelie Shen, Chief Corporate Solutions Officer, AIA Hong Kong and Macau, emphasised that for employees, the important things are whether the work they are doing makes them happy, and if it is benefiting their health and wellbeing.
Given that employees’ expectations have been changing, and each generation has very different demands, how can employers bring together a successful workplace wellness programme?
“I think it starts with data fundamentally,” Shen said. “Data and analytics play a critical role in terms of designing, executing, and monitoring the effectiveness of a wellness programme. This also provides valuable insights to help us customise the programme and continuously make improvements.”
Ensuring a sense of safety while embracing technology
While embracing the advantages of technology, the ethical and legal considerations cannot be overlooked. In another fireside chat, Dermot Ryan, Global Head of HR Wholesale Technology, HSBC, and Wendy Wong, Partner, Head of
Employment Asia, Lawyer, Simmons & Simmons, shared their experience and some practical insights:
• Technology is an enabler rather than a replacement.
• Change management is critical.
• Feedback, communication, training, rewards and recognition, change advocates, and the involvement of senior leaders can help employees accept and make changes.
• Try to identify any data privacy or security risk, and have clear policies and notifications.
• Make sure the HR decisions made by relying on technology are free of bias.
Supporting employees with flexible benefits
As much as technology is there to enable HR professionals, HR professionals are also there to support employees. One way to do so is by providing flexible benefits. “We do believe that a successful flex programme will have to go through what we call a feasibility study,” said Victoria Yow, Head of Client Solutions, Pacific Prime. She pointed out the important things to look at before embarking on a flex journey:
• The current state and the desired state.
• Employee segregation.
• Geographical segregation.
• Financing options.
• Administration and taxation rules.
“Start small, and maybe look at the benefits options you have. Then establish the feedback loop in the first year, and see how that works out for your employees,” Yow said.
Revamping the EVP to keep the employee experience at the core
To adapt to ever-evolving employee expectations, a company’s employee value proposition (EVP) may need to be refreshed. In a Flash Talk session, Iti Jain, Group Transformation Head, InCorp HK, identified three keys about shaping or reshaping the EVP:
• Think of employees from a customer’s perspective: What pain points are we trying to solve in their entire journey with the organisation?
• Define user experiences: Which are the moments of truth when they make decisions about whether they believe in the brand or not?
• Tech is smaller than people. We could sprinkle tech everywhere, but unless it has a purpose, it may not be very effective.
Transforming with resilience
How to effectively build commitment among all levels across an organisation to support change? Ilaria (Quintini) Gregotti, VP People and Culture East Asia, Australia and Duty Free, Philip Morris International (PMI), cited the transformation journey of PMI as an example.
“We have three simple values. We care. We are better together. We are game changers, pretty simple with three behaviours each underneath. That has been a fantastic catalyst for the organisation to come together around a common language and a common basis of understanding of what it means to be at PMI and to excel at PMI.”
Engaging and developing distributed teams
Another prominent change in the digital era is to see employees work in distributed teams. Stephanie Boot, Head of Talent, Culture and Inclusion, British American Tobacco, shared key components of the recipe for success in navigating this new mode of work:
• Creating a culture of flexibility that is continuously evolving and tuned into the needs of the workforce.
• Harnessing technology to create an optimal virtual work environment.
• Engaging the team to build a sense of belonging, connection, and team cohesion.
• Applying a different lens to leadership to ensure the right capabilities and mindsets required to lead a virtual team.
Strengthening retention and engagement through strategic workplace initiatives
Though people can work from everywhere now, a workplace still plays an important part in talent attraction and retention. Tina Cheung, Head of People, North Asia, and Manyi Choi, Head of Workplace, both from CBRE, elaborated the above through three lenses: rewards, transformation, and social. They highlighted that:
• A total rewards policy would definitely help structure the culture. Meanwhile, how we want to create our culture is also related to our office spaces.
• Bring people together into the transformation process because it is very dangerous if people don’t understand what’s happening, and what’s going to happen.
• Social is about D&I. Make sure everybody feels part of it.
Balancing innovations with digital wellness
As digital becomes a part of our lives, how can we mitigate related stress while promoting sustainable personal and organisational growth? Concluding the conference, Standard Chartered’s Tang suggested that digital wellness needed to be put at the centre of HR’s decisions.
“For example, like our apps to help people to innovate, they are either team-based or employees can use them in a live session, so then they can still have the connection between human beings.”
IS POSTPONING RETIREMENT AN ANSWER TO HONG KONG’S TALENT SHORTAGE?
In this exclusive with HRO’s Tracy Chan, JSM lawyer Jennifer Tam shares tips on managing older employees in the workplace, in light of China’s recent announcement around the gradual increase in the statutory retirement age.
Jennifer Tam Employment & Benefits partner
Johnson Stokes & Master (JSM)
The ageing population has become a global phenomenon. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), by 2030, one in six people in the world will be aged 60 years or above. The data further predicts that the proportion of the world’s population over 60 between 2015 and 2050 will nearly double from 12% to 22%.
China has one of the fastest-growing ageing populations in the world. The latest statistics published by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People’s Republic of China and the China National Committee on Ageing showed that by the end of 2023, there was 296.97 million aged 60 and above in the country, and 216.76 million aged 65 and above, accounting for 21.1% and 15.4% of the total population respectively.
Meanwhile, WHO has revealed that life expectancy at birth in China has improved by 6.78 years – from 70.8 years in 2000 to 77.6 years in 2021, while healthy life expectancy has improved by 5.45 years – from 63.1 years in 2000 to 68.6 years in 2021.
To unleash the potential of the older workforce, China’s government announced in September 2024 the gradual increase of the statutory retirement age over the course of 15 years.
Starting 1 January 2025, the statutory retirement age for men in the country will be gradually pushed back from the original 60 to 63; while for women blue-collar and white-collar workers it will be extended from 50 and 55, to 55 and 58, respectively.
Keeping an eye on Hong Kong, the Census and Statistics Department also expects population ageing to continue. The number of elderly persons aged 65 and over is projected to nearly double over the next 25 years, increasing from 1.45 million in 2021 to 2.74 million in 2046. The increasing proportion of elderly persons in the total population has resulted in driving down the overall labour force participation rate.
As a city well-known for its diligent and hard-working lifestyle, should Hong Kong follow
in Mainland China’s footsteps to postpone retirement as a way to tackle the manpower shortage?
“Extending the retirement age is one of the strategies being employed to address the talent shortage recently. However, extending the retirement age alone is not sufficient,” Jennifer Tam, Employment & Benefits partner, Johnson Stokes & Master (JSM), tells HRO’s Tracy Chan, in this exclusive.
In fact, there is no statutory retirement age in Hong Kong. However, the age of 65 is often considered a turning point for the general workforce.
This may be owed to the practice of the HKSAR Government for raising the retirement age of civil servants of the civilian grades to 65 in 2015.
In addition, both employers and employees are not required to make mandatory contributions to Hong Kong’s retirement savings system, the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) scheme, once employees reach the age of 65. Also, MPF scheme members are allowed to withdraw their mandatory contributions and tax-deductible voluntary contributions upon reaching age 65.
Catering to the different needs and priorities of older employees In the private sector, people can freely work for as long as they want upon agreement with their employers. Tam says this flexibility allows businesses to manage their workforce based on their needs.
Older employees, however, have different expectations towards work arrangements, incentives, and benefits, as well as wellbeing support in the workplace. Employers, therefore, need to tailor their recruitment, retention, and development strategies to cater to the distinct needs and priorities of older employees, she highlights.
“This includes offering appropriate training, benefits, and/or flexible working arrangements to ensure the older employees remain engaged and productive.”
She then elaborates on the aspects employers should pay attention to when engaging with older employees.
First, both employer and employee should reach a mutual agreement on the work arrangement.
“Employers should review and update the employment contract to reflect the agreed retirement age and any new arrangement.”
To attract and retain older employees, Tam suggests employers could consider offering flexible working arrangements such as part-time work or remote work options.
“But these arrangements should be clearly documented in employment contracts and policies to avoid any potential disputes,” she emphasises.
Providing ongoing training and development opportunities can also keep older employees engaged and productive.
In terms of retirement benefits, since the MPF contributions for employees over the age of 65 are voluntary, employers may need to
reconsider to provide adequate retirement benefits and incentives for older employees to remain in the workforce.
“Employers should decide whether to continue making these contributions or offer other financial planning assistance to help older workers prepare for retirement.”
Medical benefits may be another key concern for older employees. Tam reminds employers to investigate whether insurance policies cover older employees adequately as some may have age limits or exclusions for certain conditions.
“Reviewing and possibly enhancing retirement and medical benefits can make the transition smoother, ensuring that older employees feel valued and supported throughout their career.”
Above all, she highlights the importance of creating a safe and inclusive workplace.
“Employers have a duty to provide a safe working environment for all employees and they may need to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate the needs of the older employees,” she says.
“While Hong Kong has no specific laws against age discrimination and harassment, fostering an inclusive environment is encouraged to support older employees in the workplace.”
Keeping the communication going Whether with older or younger employees, communication, especially two-way communication, is always paramount in the journey of employee engagement.
Tam believes transparent and open dialogue can help manage the expectations of the employer and employees, in turn fostering a workplace where everyone can thrive.
“An employer should discuss retirement plans, potential roles post-retirement, the work arrangement, and any changes in benefits, etc. Regular dialogue can help both parties plan effectively,” she concludes.
EMPOWERING ENGAGEMENT: HKJC CHAMPIONS EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION AND GEN Z TALENT ATTRACTION
The Club’s quarterly recognition programme celebrates frontline staff while immersive recruitment experiences attract Gen Z talent.
As a leader in horse racing and responsible sports wagering, as well as one of the world’s top ten charity donors, The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) continues to offer horse racing as lifestyle entertainment for Hong Kong people and act for the betterment of society through its unique integrated business model.
HKJC’s strong retail network plays a critical role in serving and engaging racing fans. In response to the rapidly changing behaviours and needs of customers, driven by increased usage of digital channels, it has become more important than ever for the Club to enhance and promote the Retail department’s offerings. HKJC leverages its unique strengths to provide customer-centric services through face-to-face interaction.
Dennis Hau, Executive Director, Customer Strategy, Insights and Innovation, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, emphasises: “Our employees are our most valuable asset. It’s essential to recognise their contributions and ensure they feel engaged. As the saying goes, ‘Happy employees lead to happy customers’. Before we pursue ‘customer obsession’, we must first cultivate ‘employee obsession’.”
Valuing its frontline staff as essential resources that represent and stimulate such a customer-centric culture, HKJC has launched the innovative ‘Retail Quarterly Recognition Programme’ within the Retail department. The Programme aims to recognise frontline staff for their efforts and hard work beyond daily responsibilities, inspire ownership and pride in the performance of their respective branches, and foster a sense of accomplishment and motivation across the team. It echoes the Club’s culture transformation focus, encouraging its colleagues to practise collaboration, real accountability, and respect.
Each quarter, the Programme focuses on a specific area, employing a continuous game-based approach with clear metrics and fair measurements. This structure enables greater transparency on performance progress and areas for improvement.
The immediate impact is evident, with 80% of the branches achieving their performance targets ahead of schedule, and 90% reporting improvements in specific performance indicators of the programme. Colleagues receive exclusive collectible souvenirs as rewards.
“An effective recognition programme is crucial to Retail’s overall success, as it drives employee engagement, boosts morale, and enhances productivity,” says Harvey Wong, Head of Retail and Telebet, The Hong Kong Jockey Club. “Together, we have set a benchmark for success and look forward to cultivating an engaging workplace where our colleagues feel valued.”
In an evolving business environment where Gen Z will become an integral part of the customer base, attracting talent from this generation to bring in new ideas and enhance customer experience is another focus for HKJC.
To attract Gen Z talent, the Club has reinvented its recruitment day into an experience day, inviting candidates to tour its experience shop, enjoy its services as guests, and learn about its diverse job roles. By adopting this immersive approach, candidates can interact with current employees, participate in hands-on activities, and envision themselves as part of the team.
Recognising Gen Z’s expectations and priorities, HKJC has launched initiatives to foster a sense of belonging and engagement among employees. These include encouraging colleagues to take on roles beyond their branches, such as joining cross-team taskforces, function teams, or the ambassador team for major racing events. Various learning opportunities, including team-building events and local study tours, enable colleagues to gain insights and skills beyond their regular duties.
Employee wellbeing is equally important for creating a dynamic and engaging work environment. To support this, HKJC has established a comprehensive corporate wellness programme featuring wellness workshops and mindfulness sessions. The Club offers flexible work hours and encourages regular breaks to help colleagues maintain a healthy work-life balance. At a departmental level, regular skip-level catch-up sessions are in place to ensure that colleagues’ voices are heard and addressed.
“These efforts collectively contribute to a happy and supportive workplace environment,” says Harvey.
GL Lee, Head of Human Resources (Business Facing), The Hong Kong Jockey Club, emphasises the significance of collaboration between the HR BusinessFacing Team and the broader business. The core mission of the HR Business Facing team is to enrich employee career development and recognition initiatives through trusted partnerships with the business.
Behind these efforts, HR plays an important role. HKJC’s Retail department has its own dedicated people administration and people development team. The two teams work closely with stakeholders within the department and gains an in-depth understanding of its unique culture and people.
“This familiarity allows the team to anticipate potential challenges and proactively address them. Moreover, they can tailor HR schemes and training programmes to the specific needs of the department, ensuring that the solutions are both effective and relevant,” elaborates Harvey.
HKJC’s recent win at Human Resources Online’s Employee Experience Awards is a strong proof of the success of its endeavours.
“This achievement is a testament to the dedication, hard work, and excellence of our entire team,” he asserts. “This award not only highlights Retail’s commitment to fostering a positive and motivating work environment, but also underscores the value we place on recognising and celebrating the contributions of our outstanding colleagues.”
HOW HKJC FOSTERS A CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS GROWTH TO BUILD A SUSTAINABLE LEADERSHIP PIPELINE
One prominent example is the ‘People Management Excellence (PME) Programme’, which has accelerated the development of middle managers as effective leaders, preparing them for more advanced leadership roles.
Striving for two of its core values of “world-class leadership” and “continuous development”, The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) focuses not only on the betterment of society, but also that of its own people.
Seeing employees as its most valuable asset, HKJC is committed to offering an environment in which employees can grow and achieve success. As such, the Club has put in place a diverse range of training and development initiatives to nurture the leadership skills and professional competencies of its employees, enabling them to unleash their potential and achieve their career aspirations.
One exemplary learning and development programme is the ‘People Management Excellence (PME) Programme’, which has been accredited by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ). HKJC has won the gold award in Excellence in Learning & Development for this outstanding programme, a testament to the positive impact it has delivered.
Offered by The Hong Kong Jockey Club College, the learning hub for HKJC employees across all levels, the PME programme was launched in 2021. Unlike typical short-term training initiatives, the two-year programme focuses on fostering participants’ development of deep insights, strong peer relationships, and the effective application of learning.
Therefore, a blended learning approach that integrates online and in-person learning has been adopted. With innovative methodologies including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), cartoon case studies and online simulation, the programme provides an immersive experience and equips middle managers with essential skills and knowledge tailored to their roles, development needs, and the Club’s unique cultural context.
By investing in the development of managers, HKJC aims to foster a cohort of leaders who are not only technically proficient, but also deeply aligned with the Club’s values and strategic objectives, ensuring a sustainable leadership succession plan and driving a tangible business impact.
The results have been encouraging. Over 95% of participants agreed the PME programme met the training objectives and were committed to applying the learning in the workplace. In addition, over 65% of participants have been promoted during or after the programme.
Positive leadership behavioural changes have been seen among participants, based on the feedback of their line managers, subordinates, and senior leaders.
These include improvement in decision-making, more proactive team communication, as well as subordinates feeling more empowered and motivated.
“In the Jockey Club, we actively promote a learning culture, encouraging employees to pursue continuous growth and improvement,” remarks Dr. Lake Wang, Executive Director of People and Organisational Development, The Hong Kong Jockey Club.
“The Jockey Club’s People Management Excellence Programme has accelerated the development of our employees as leaders, preparing them for more advanced leadership roles. It also plays a crucial part in supporting the business by building a robust leadership pipeline. We take pride in the positive results it has delivered.”
The success of the programme can be attributed to the buy-in from top management and their involvement in HR functions, including the People Development Board and the Board of Management, as well as the support of HR managers, and the managers of the participants.
In addition to the programme, HR amplifies its impact by leading initiatives that promote a culture of continuous learning and growth. Employees are encouraged to take ownership of their development. Some 97% of employees at senior staff grade and above have established a personal development plan, which specifies their learning goals and milestones.
To support employees in achieving their development goals, HKJC provides diverse training opportunities for upskilling, and thoroughly evaluating the effectiveness of learning programmes to align with both business objectives and employee development needs.
Technology, such as AI-driven learning tools, is also leveraged. HKJC has introduced a new, user-friendly digital learning platform in early 2024 to help streamline and enrich employees’ learning experiences, boost their engagement, and motivate them to own their learning journey.
By fostering a growth mindset, and offering tailored development programmes and different digital learning tools, the Club equips employees with up-to-date skills and knowledge needed for the future of work, and cultivates a workforce that is adaptable, engaged, and ready to embrace new challenges and opportunities.
Sharing knowledge, giving care, and building a community: NCPC Hong Kong 2024
Hong Kong’s National Counselling & Psychotherapy Conference (NCPC) gathered around 150 mental health advocates, practitioners, and professionals to connect, interact, and share. HRO’s Tracy Chan highlights some of the key issues discussed.
Many things can lead to mental health issues – the obsessive use of digital tools and social media platforms, perceptions towards body image, physiological factors such as puberty and menopause, as well as allergies and nutritional deficiencies.
Sometimes, people may need professional support, however, be it stigma or the difficulties of the care journey itself, it can be tedious, demotivating, and even demoralising for them to seek help, said one speaker at NCPC Hong Kong 2024.
This is the reason why Human Resources Online, supported by our event partners, Hong Kong Association of Psychology, RTHK Radio 3’s programme Network South Asia , and Event Masters, gathered around 150 mental health advocates, practitioners, and professionals for NCPC Hong Kong 2024 at PMQ on 17 October, with the aim to connect, interact, and share knowledge, experience, and insights.
During the one-day exclusive event, we learnt from leading experts in counselling, psychotherapy, and mental health on a wide range of topics. These covered digital mental health solutions, compassion-based initiatives in higher education, body positivity, hypnotherapy, home-based rope therapy for SEN (special educational needs) children, homoeopathy and nutrition, teenagers, the impact of online dating on mental health, sexual stereotypes, and holistic health in the workplace.
What stood out was that while mental health issues cannot be eliminated overnight, the more important thing is to keep the conversations going and raise awareness.
Human Resources Online would like to thank all speakers, moderators, and attendees for taking time out of their busy schedules to spend the day with us. Also, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our esteemed partners for supporting NCPC Hong Kong 2024. We look forward to seeing you all again next year!
HOW SHANGRI-LA GROUP HAS ENHANCED THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE THROUGH A CULTURE TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY
Several learning programmes and engaging activities have been activated to help colleagues to find their personal passion at work, what is known as their very own ‘Shangri-La’.
Headquartered in Hong Kong SAR, Shangri-La Group, part of the Kuok Group, has grown from a single hotel business to a diverse and integrated global portfolio comprising quality real estate and investment properties, wellness and lifestyle facilities. The Group owns, operates and manages 100+ hotels which our culture of thoughtful service and genuine care underpins our family of four brands: Shangri-La, Kerry Hotels, JEN by Shangri-La, and Traders.
As the business, socio-economic, and workforce landscapes continue to change rapidly, Shangri-La Group has updated its business strategies to stay relevant.
An organisational transformation journey has been underway since January 2023 to ensure strategy, people, and process challenges are addressed. Under this change journey, human capital strategies have been refreshed to support and drive the 2030 aspirations of becoming the best-loved hospitality group, pioneering new horizons and setting new benchmarks. A key focus has been enhancing the employee experience, particularly in response to the challenges posed by the pandemic.
With culture and engagement at the heart of all HR programmes, three innovative ideas are in place to embed the unique Shangri-La Culture and foster excellence in workplace. This includes:
• Supporting colleagues to “Find your Shangri-La”: A global brand campaign produced by a GRAMMY-award-winning director, which demonstrates how Shangri-La creates joyful moments and lasting memories for its guests, which was adapted for employees to participate in as well.
• Translating culture into a set of norms, languages, and behaviours: A new recognition programme called ‘Moments of Joy’ (MOJ) to recognise commendable guest feedback for the employees, enable peer-to-peer appreciation, and nominate colleagues who demonstrate Shangri-La Culture beliefs, empowerment or innovation.
• Weaving Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) into business and culture: The refreshed ESG strategy, namely, the triple S of “Stay, Savour, and Shine” builds on increased engagement with internal and external stakeholders.
“We have translated our organisational culture into tangible norms, languages, and behaviours, enabling our colleagues to easily connect their personal values with those of the company,” shares Vivian Zhuo, Group Chief Human Resources Officer, Shangri-La Group.
As part of the cultural refresh, updates were made to all other benefit strategies as well. For example, apart from MOJ, a global employee benefit was re-launched in June 2023, that offers exclusive complimentary room nights and discounted staff
rates in order for colleagues who have marked their service milestones in the Group to enjoy Shangri-La’s Asian hospitality from the heart.
Several innovations have been introduced under the Group’s learning umbrella as well.
Besides the traditional ‘buy’ and ‘build’ strategy, Shangri-La is developing its Management Trainee programme (called ‘S+ MT’), which focuses on building young talents on their early career stage, especially the ones from non-hospitality backgrounds. This two-year programme aims to nurture next-gen business leaders and unleash their innovativeness to a new horizon. Going an additional two years to develop leaders, talents are equipped with functional and leadership knowledge & skills to meet Shangri-La’s future business needs, such as in the roles of Resident Manager and General Manager.
The results are commendable – 70% of the participants are indeed from nonhotel industry backgrounds, bringing new ideas to the fore, and the programme has seen a 96% retention rate.
Taking learning a step further, Shangri-La Academy, the Group’s learning and development function, supports the transformation journey to empower people to cultivate the mindsets, behaviours, and skills necessary to achieve the Group’s vision 2030.
The goal of the Shangri-La Academy is to assist every colleague in a continuous learning journey, from the basic skills to more complex leadership building. Till date, over 1,500 online and hybrid programmes have been curated and mapped to create different learning journeys to build organisational capabilities.
Among the senior levels, leadership development is equally crucial for Shangri-La to cultivate effective leaders, drive performance, engage colleagues, promote innovations, and ensure long-term success. Under the Group’s 2022 – 2025 human capital strategy, leadership & succession is one of the main focus areas to strengthen senior leadership and develop talent pipeline. This commitment continuously build a forward-thinking leadership capabilities and align the leader’s understanding that will support Shangri-La’s sustained success in pursue of the next horizon.
Whilst the pandemic was one of the most challenging periods in ShangriLa’s history, clearly the company took the crisis as an opportunity to reaffirm its commitment in enhancing the employee experience and delivering a signature brand of heartfelt Asian hospitality. It is in the company’s nature to look after its people, to anticipate their needs and to care for them. Not only are the employees motivated to give of their best, they bring the Shangri-La magic to life.
Zhuo affirms: “Cultivating talent across Shangri-La Group is an ongoing, multi-year journey to which we are fully committed.
“After all, our people are our most valuable asset and cornerstone of our success. We not only financially invest in their growth and development, but equally important, we passionately invest in them emotionally to help them find their own ‘Shangri-La’ in Shangri-La.”
THE DISTINCTIVE ACHIEVEMENTS OF HR LEADERS IN HONG KONG
The winners at the HR Distinction Awards represent the finest teams and individuals in the HR ecosystem.
From employee engagement and development to performance and change management, in-house HR teams never cease to seek breakthroughs in transforming their HR strategies, policies, and initiatives to create the best workplaces for their people.
With new generations entering the workforce, alongside the increasing awareness of ESG and the emergence of new technology, the onus is now on HR to go the extra mile to benchmark against industry standards and lead their organisations through the evolving talent landscape.
Having taken place on 30 October 2024 at Hotel ICON, this year’s HR Distinction Awards lauded and recognised the remarkable achievements HR teams have made across different spectrums.
The 2024 edition saw the introduction of five new categories – Excellence in Change Leadership Strategy, Excellence in Strategic Talent Attraction, Excellence in Gen Z Attraction Strategy, Excellence in Internal Communication Strategy, and Excellence in Performance Management – based on the feedback of past contenders.
For a consecutive year, Societe Generale secured the title of HR Grand Winner. The financial services group won three gold trophies across the categories of Excellence in Career Development, Excellence in Compensation & Benefits, and Excellence in ESG Strategy.
Meanwhile, the team also won two silver awards for Excellence in Gen Z Attraction Strategy and Excellence in Performance Management; as well as two bronzes for Excellence in Employee Development and Excellence in Use of HR Technology.
Human Resources Online would like to extend our deepest gratitude to our distinguished judges for meticulously grading all the entries. We also offer our heartfelt congratulations to all the deserving winners and finalists.
Please enjoy some of the photos from the glittering gala.
PANEL OF JUDGES 2024
Davis Liu
Director, Training & Development
ATAL Engineering Group
Edward Hung
Human Resources Director, Hong Kong and Macau
DKSH
May Szeto
Director, Human Resources Empire Group Holdings
Wicky Cheng
Global Director, Talent Learning and Organizational Development, Global HR Fresenius Medical Care
Dr Sabrina Tin
Chief People Officer
Hop Lun Group
Klennis Lau
Regional HR Director - APAC
L’OCCITANE (Far East)
Joanna Law
Director of Human Resources
Lane Crawford Hong Kong
Cassady Winston
Head of Human Resources
Leighton Asia
Zufar Khabibullin
Regional Director, Learning and Development
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
Irene Leung
Head of HR - Talent & Organizational Development
Matilda International Hospital
Becky Mak
Head of Human Resources
Max Mara Fashion Group
Eleanor Leung
Director – Human Resources
MHK Restaurants
Fanny Lau
General Manager - Human Resources
New World Development Company
Patsy Wong
Human Resources Director Pirata Group
Mona Wong
Director of Learning & Development
Sino Hotels
Paul Hotchan
Head of Talent Acquisition
The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Shirley Xu
Senior Director, HR – APAC
Under Armour
EXCELLENCE IN CAREER DEVELOPMENT
GOLD
Societe Generale
EXCELLENCE IN CHANGE LEADERSHIP STRATEGY
GOLD
SILVER
Kerry Logistics Network
EXCELLENCE IN COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
GOLD
Societe Generale
SILVER
OCBC Bank (Hong Kong)
EXCELLENCE IN EMPLOYEE CARE & WELLBEING
GOLD
SILVER
Tam Jai International
SILVER
HAVI Freight Management
Hong Kong Tramways
EXCELLENCE IN DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
GOLD
Lacoste
SILVER
Hongkong Land
EXCELLENCE IN EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT
GOLD
Kerry Logistics Network SILVER
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort
EXCELLENCE IN EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
GOLD
SILVER
Schroders Investment Management Hong Kong
Lenovo (Hong Kong)
Schroders Investment Management Hong Kong
EXCELLENCE IN EMPLOYER BRANDING
GOLD
Urban Renewal Authority SILVER
MTR Corporation
EXCELLENCE IN ESG STRATEGY
GOLD
Societe Generale
SILVER
Schneider Electric
Societe Generale
OCBC Bank (Hong Kong), OCBC Bank (Macau)
EXCELLENCE IN GEN Z ATTRACTION STRATEGY
GOLD
HAECO Group SILVER
Schneider Electric
Societe Generale
HOW KLN NURTURES A THRIVING WORKPLACE TO CARE FOR ITS PEOPLE AND GROW TOGETHER
Committed to creating value for employees, KLN strives to attract diverse talent, nurture future leaders, and create a healthy, happy, and collaborative work environment.
Based in Asia, Kerry Logistics Network Limited (KLN) is a global 3PL with a highly diversified business portfolio, an extensive coverage in Asia and a global presence across 60 countries and territories.
The company offers a broad range of supply chain solutions from integrated logistics, international freight forwarding (air, ocean, road, rail and multimodal) and e-commerce, to industrial project logistics and infrastructure investment.
Operating in a labour-intensive industry, the key strength of KLN is always its people.
KLN is committed to creating value for employees through rewarding careers, workplace quality, and work-life balance. This commitment has set the tone for its HR strategies in employee engagement, workplace culture, rewards & recognition, and training and development.
To support its business growth and stay competitive, KLN prioritises global talent attraction and welcomes individuals of different genders, as well as cultural, educational and professional backgrounds. As such, the company engages in industry showcases and leverages social media to boost visibility, utilises advanced online hiring platforms to streamline recruitment, as well as expands its recruitment channels to ensure inclusivity and attract both industry professionals and young talents.
Constantly investing in the development of its people, KLN offers a diverse range of programmes, such as internships, apprenticeships, and cooperative programmes, tailored to different educational backgrounds. These ensure that career growth and development opportunities are accessible to a broad spectrum of individuals. For example, a 12-month management trainee programme of the KLN Young Executives Academy (YEA) is a fast-track initiative for recent graduates, with the aim to nurture future business leaders.
To further engage employees, KLN cultivates a transparent, open culture where all voices are valued with regular feedback and clear communication. Meanwhile, the company has adopted tailor-made financial and non-financial rewards & recognitions across all hierarchies, including pay-for-performance rewards, as well as tailor-made incentive schemes designed according to the roles and responsibilities.
After all, taking care of people in every aspect of their lives is the topmost priority at KLN. This principle also forms the basis of its approach to wellbeing, ‘WE KARE’.
Aimed at creating a healthy, happy and collaborative work environment that prioritises employee wellbeing and aligns with the company’s overall business objectives, the initiative is delivered across five pillars – fitness, wellness, work-life, family, and community – to support employees’ different needs.
Among a variety of activities and support, some innovative and new ideas have also been proposed. The ‘Soul Amazing Series’ is an extension of KLN’s employee wellness programmes, going beyond physical fitness to mental health and overall wellbeing; and the community engagement initiatives, such as ‘Volunteering Services Scheme’, ‘Acts of Volunteer Services’, and partnerships with social enterprises, inspire employees with the social missions behind them.
One highlight event at the KLN Hong Kong headquarters in 2024 was the ‘MEGA Challenge’. The event saw over 150 colleagues, including gamers and crews from various business units and departments across Hong Kong, who teamed together to solve intelligence quotient and physical quotient tasks for a kart building and racing challenge in the office, displaying qualities such as teamwork, skill and determination.
As part of its efforts to take care of employees, KLN also strives to create a safe and secure workplace by continuing to enhance work safety training and improve the working environment and facilities.
To facilitate employee experience and unlock the potential of human assets to achieve the company’s goals, KLN believes that HR plays a crucial role.
“HR professionals are not simply about caring for people of the organisation, but also helping the organisation to meet its objectives,” says Ivy Wong, Group Director of Human Resources & Administration, KLN.
“It is essential to align our people-oriented goals with the business goals to facilitate success for both the organisation and its employees as ‘Business Partners’.”
She believes that HR can be a force for good that balances the needs of employees, organisations, and society to deliver mutually benefits, and create sustainable value.
“The support of our stakeholders – employees, customers, and partners alike – is essential to achieving our sustainability aspirations. We will continue to focus our efforts on creating an environment of HR distinction and a better-connected world,” affirms Ms Wong.
EXCELLENCE IN GRADUATE & MANAGEMENT TRAINEE PROGRAMME
GOLD
Kerry Logistics Network
SILVER
CLP Holdings
EXCELLENCE IN HR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
GOLD
SILVER
EXCELLENCE IN INTERNAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGY GOLD
Blue Insurance
SILVER
Octopus Holdings
Hong Kong Applied
and Technology Research Institute
EXCELLENCE IN LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT
GOLD
Lenovo (Hong Kong) SILVER
Hex Trust
Hong Kong Tramways
EXCELLENCE IN PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
GOLD
Tam Jai International
SILVER
Societe Generale
EXCELLENCE IN USE OF HR TECHNOLOGY
GOLD
Hex Trust
The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Urban Renewal Authority –eResidence T3
EXCELLENCE IN REWARDS & RECOGNITION GOLD
SILVER
Kerry Logistics Network
Renewal Authority
SJM Resorts
MTR Corporation SILVER
The Hoffman Agency
EXCELLENCE IN STRATEGIC TALENT ATTRACTION
GOLD
Swire Properties
SILVER
Vita Green
Societe Generale
EXCELLENCE IN WORKPLACE CULTURE
GOLD
Schneider Electric
SILVER
Octopus Holdings
GRAND WINNER
Lenovo (Hong Kong)
Societe Generale
Logistics Network
URA STRIVES FOR EMPLOYEE GROWTH AND ENGAGEMENT FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE
A diverse range of learning and development programmes and engagement initiatives, as well as open and healthy communication, are how the statutory body nurtures and engages its talents.
Committed to creating a better, more vibrant urban living environment in Hong Kong, the first step towards this taken by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) is to foster a workplace where talent can thrive.
Established in May 2001, the statutory body focuses on addressing the problem of urban decay and improving the living conditions of residents in old districts by undertaking, encouraging, promoting and facilitating urban renewal of Hong Kong.
Steadfast in its belief that nurturing and engaging its workforce directly contributes to its value to stakeholders and enhances its overall business performance, URA offers a diverse range of learning and development programmes to upskill and reskill its employees, complemented by various engagement initiatives to emphasise their overall wellbeing.
To grow its people, the organisation has adopted a holistic and structured direction, which includes revamped people development programmes such as the ‘High Calibre Programme’, as well as structured and personalised development plans recognised by the management.
Beyond regular training programmes, URA has also launched strategic and themed initiatives. The holistic training programme for its ‘Starter Homes Project –eResidence Tower 3’ is one example.
The comprehensive training programme covers vital areas such as compliance, case management systems, customer service, resilience, and team building, aimed to support the organisation’s new responsibilities for the project, including application management and vetting, within a limited timeframe.
To maximise the impact, a human-centric approach has been employed to drive the implementation of the project. Advanced technologies like AI have been leveraged to enhance training and development processes. Collaboration and communication have been fostered through team-building activities. Engagement surveys were also conducted to monitor development and engagement progress, leading to follow-up actions to further support its staff.
Such a holistic approach has successfully ensured effective project management, and connected employees and service recipients, eventually benefiting the staff, URA, and the community at large.
Another prominent example of URA’s employee-growth efforts is the ‘ElderlyFriendly Environment Series’. The training programme was developed to enhance employees’ knowledge and skills to design, implement and maintain an elderlyfriendly environment.
Through experiential learning, hybrid seminars, visits, as well as workshops on building planning, communication skills with the elderly, and elderly home repair, employees have been inspired and encouraged to drive behavioural change in their roles and communities, and instilled a sense of responsibility and empowerment, which motivated them to apply the newfound knowledge and skills for positive changes.
URA reckons that HR plays a critical role as a career facilitator to employees. By providing diverse learning and development opportunities, tailoring approaches to a multi-generational workforce, and offering personalised development plans, individual performance is connected and aligned with organisational goals, fostering career growth and satisfaction among employees.
Meanwhile, URA recognises employees’ increasing emphasis on workplace flexibility, wellbeing, purposeful and stable work, meaningful peer relationships, and technological adeptness. As such, messages promoting a caring and happy workplace have been disseminated formally and informally through physical and mental wellness initiatives, such as ‘Work Life Balance Fun Day’ and ‘Happy Friday Gathering for Birthday Stars’.
After all, feeling heard is crucial for a positive employee experience. Emphasising that HR should act as the organisation’s ear, URA has been attentively listening to employees’ needs and voices, while maintaining effective communication around the organisation’s direction, strategy, and expectations at the right moment for clarity.
Open channels are therefore in place at URA for healthy communication, bringing employees’ voices to the forefront through initiatives like the workplace strategy study, engagement survey, and staff suggestion scheme. Expected mindsets and skillsets are also conveyed through learning and training initiatives to facilitate employee growth.
“Our HR’s mission is to attract, develop, and engage sustainable talent and workforce to realise URA’s vision of making Hong Kong a better home in a world-class city,” emphasises Patricia Yeung, Director, Human Resources, Urban Renewal Authority.
“Through fostering our employees’ growth and wellbeing, we empower our people to lead urban renewal with empathy and purpose. At URA, employee growth and engagement are not just internal goals – they are catalysts for positive community transformation. By investing in our people’s capabilities and commitment, we strengthen our ability to revitalise neighborhoods and enhance the quality of life in Hong Kong.”
HONG KONG’S BEST PARTNERS FOR HR
Meet the most dependable and proficient HR service providers in Hong Kong from the HR Vendors of the Year Awards 2024.
As a trustworthy partner for HR professionals and companies, HR service providers are always on the front line to assist in tackling the challenges of recruitment, training, compensation and benefits, coaching, staff management, HR administration, corporate culture, corporate wellbeing, leadership, or any other facet in between.
As we share the fruits of their efforts, their contributions should never be unsung. So, to honour and celebrate these heroes behind outstanding HR executions, over 200 distinguished guests gathered at Hotel ICON on 30 October 2024 to witness the crowning of the HR Vendors of the Year. Emerging as the overall winner was BIPO. The triumph of the global payroll and people solutions provider was attributed to its wins in three categories – two gold awards for Best Payroll Outsourcing Partner and Best Payroll Software, and silver for Best HR Management System.
Human Resources Online would like to give a shout-out to our esteemed panel of judges. This event would not have been successful without their meticulous evaluations and valuable support. Meanwhile, a big thank you and congratulations to all the winners and finalists who made the night so special.
PANEL OF JUDGES 2024
Davis Liu Director, Training & Development
ATAL Engineering Group
Edward Hung
Human Resources Director, Hong Kong and Macau
DKSH
May Szeto
Director, Human Resources Empire Group Holdings
Wicky Cheng
Global Director, Talent Learning and Organizational Development, Global HR Fresenius Medical Care
Dr Sabrina Tin
Chief People Officer
Hop Lun Group
Klennis Lau
Regional HR Director - APAC
L’OCCITANE (Far East)
Joanna Law
Director of Human Resources
Lane Crawford Hong Kong
Cassady Winston
Head of Human Resources
Leighton Asia
Zufar Khabibullin
Regional Director, Learning and Development
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
Irene Leung
Head of HR - Talent & Organizational Development
Matilda International Hospital
Becky Mak
Head of Human Resources
Max Mara Fashion Group
Eleanor Leung
Director – Human Resources
MHK Restaurants
Fanny Lau
General Manager - Human Resources
New World Development Company
Patsy Wong
Human Resources Director
Pirata Group
Mona Wong
Director of Learning & Development
Sino Hotels
Paul Hotchan
Head of Talent Acquisition
The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Shirley Xu
Senior Director, HR – APAC
Under Armour
LEADING THE FUTURE: ACCELERATING EXCELLENCE IN SERVICES AND OPERATIONS THROUGH AI
Leading insurer AXA is spearheading a transformative movement by developing AI-powered tools like VoiceBot and SecureGPT to rev excellence in services and operations.
The booming demand for artificial intelligence has fuelled a new wave of invention and innovation across businesses. As a leading insurer, AXA is spearheading this transformative movement. By developing AI-powered tools like VoiceBot and SecureGPT, AXA is revving excellence in services and operations.
Rapid support and care with emotional intelligence
Remember the frustration of calling customer service – endless queues and a barrage of questions? Those days are over. With AXA’s VoiceBot, immediate support is not just a wish but a reality at your fingertips. The VoiceBot effortlessly provides immediate support.
This intelligent AI assistant not only answers your inquiries, but also senses your emotions during the chat, creating a personalised and empathetic interaction that smoothly switches between human and robotic support. With its around-theclock availability, rapid responses, and emotional intelligence, the VoiceBot has raised the bar for customer service, in contrast to the long waiting times often experienced in traditional call centres. By placing customer needs at the heart of its development, this award-winning tool has significantly boosted the overall customer experience and satisfaction.
Balance workload through operational excellence
In modern business, the intersection of cutting-edge technology and operational excellence is key to success. Picture a workplace where tasks like research, document creation, and collaboration flow effortlessly with a simple click. AXA’s latest innovation, SecureGPT, turns this vision into reality by integrating generative AI and large language models within a secure cloud environment. This tool transforms task management with features such as text generation, summarisation, translation, and code correction, effectively streamlining processes.
Beyond boosting productivity, SecureGPT offers further benefits. Staff can now delegate routine tasks to AI, free up their time for impactful projects, and
strike a workload balance. By equipping employees with the tools they need to excel, this game-changing technology promotes a culture of innovation and wellbeing within AXA.
Uphold data protection and standard
As AXA drives innovation through AI technology, we also place a strong focus on data protection and privacy. This commitment to data security fosters trust and ensures the integrity of AXA’s services, establishing a standard for responsible data management.
In essence, AXA’s innovative strides epitomise a new era in insurance –where technology serves as a catalyst for services, care, and success. As AXA continues redefining what is possible, one thing remains clear: the future is now, and AXA stands at the forefront of leading the future. Learn more about AXA by visiting https://www.axa.com.hk/en.
DRIVING BUSINESS SUCCESS WITH SCALABLE, TECH-ENABLED HR AND PAYROLL SOLUTIONS
With tailored solutions and proactive, responsive service, BIPO offers strategic HR solutions tailored to each client’s unique business needs.
In today’s environment of regulatory complexity, businesses face significant challenges in managing HR and payroll processes and achieving compliance, particularly those operating across multiple regions or looking to expand into new global markets.
As a trusted payroll and people solutions provider across over 160 global markets, BIPO delivers one-stop services and scalable tech-enabled solutions that not only elevate the HR ecosystem and streamline payroll and HR management, but also ensure compliance with local regulations, and cater to companies at every stage of their growth.
BIPO’s solutions are powered by its acclaimed HR management system (HRMS) and the Athena BI (Business Intelligence) platform. The comprehensive HR offerings include Human Capital Management (HCM), Global Payroll Outsourcing (GPO), and Employer of Record (EOR) services.
The foundational solution, BIPO HRMS, is a comprehensive SaaS-based solution available on a single, secure, unified platform, complemented by a native mobile app. The cloud-based system automates the entire employee lifecycle –from onboarding to offboarding – integrating essential modules such as personnel management, leave, time & attendance, payroll, claims, and performance appraisal.
The automated processes enable businesses to simplify and streamline administrative operations, improve efficiency, enhance transparency and accountability, as well as minimise manual errors, ensuring a more organised and productive work environment for both managers and employees.
Payroll is one of the core modules of BIPO HRMS. With over 20 payroll calculation engines equipped with compliance features, BIPO’s payroll system supports multi-currency salary processing, salary tax, social insurance, and multi-market provident fund contributions – including eMPF in Hong Kong, CPF in Singapore, and superannuation in Australia. The system also facilitates flexible report generation including local or regional payroll reports and integrates seamlessly with other applications, such as finance and ERP systems. This automated compliance assurance allows C-suite HR and business leaders to focus on driving growth and innovation, supporting seamless cross-border HR and business operations.
BIPO has made all these possible by tapping on the local expertise of a team of in-country HR and payroll experts. These professionals bring in-depth knowledge of regional regulations and practices, ready to provide precise and efficient guidance and assistance for clients.
With tailored solutions and proactive, responsive services, BIPO strives to provide best-in-class support that aligns with each client’s unique business needs.
Looking to the future, BIPO identifies agility, data insights, and compliance as crucial trends shaping the transformation of HR.
“As businesses evolve, HR must embrace agility, lead with foresight, and focus strategically on data-driven insights to stay competitive,” highlights Florence Mok, Managing Director – North Asia, BIPO Service North Asia Limited.
Leaders can leverage AI-driven tools to enhance data analytics and BI. By doing so, they can predict employee attrition and track real-time productivity shifts, facilitating proactive and informed decision-making.
“In today’s business landscape, data is more than a tool; it’s a strategic asset that drives smarter decisions and builds more resilient organisations,” stresses Mok.
BIPO’s state-of-the-art business intelligence solution, Athena BI, is designed to equip clients with deep, insightful, and real-time analytics to support datadriven decision-making. Through its interactive dashboard, businesses can instantly analyse key workforce trends, such as employee counts and costs per employee, across global locations in a single, unified view.
Beyond offering powerful insights from data, Athena BI is enhanced with predictive analytics capabilities. By examining both current and historical data, Athena BI assists in forecasting future workforce trends and needs, identifying opportunities for improvement, and enabling companies to strategically plan their HR efforts to drive business growth and enhance operational efficiency.
Mok affirms, “Our role is to assist clients in leveraging these insights and tools to align data with strategic goals, streamline compliance across multiple regions, and optimise human capital return on investment (HCROI). With BIPO’s tech-enabled solutions and HR expertise, we empower clients to anticipate workforce trends, mitigate risks, and swiftly adapt to new challenges. Now is the time for HR leaders to tap into this potential and drive sustainable growth.”
KEY LEGAL UPDATES IN HONG KONG FOR 2024, AND BEYOND
A mini guide to all the important updates for HR professionals to note as you start planning for 2025.
Hong Kong’s labour landscape continues to evolve with some significant updates shaping its framework over the past year. As we say adieu to 2024, HRO has summarised all these updates to help HR professionals better plan their people strategies for a new year.
Talent attraction
Hong Kong has introduced a new Capital Investment Entrant Scheme. Eligible individuals who make an investment of a minimum of HK$30 million in permissible investment assets can bring their spouses and unmarried dependent children aged under 18 to Hong Kong for no more than two years. They may apply for an extension of stay upon expiry of the two-year period.
Full-time non-local undergraduate students have been temporarily exempted from the restrictions on taking up part-time jobs. All eligible students are allowed to take up part-time employment with a ‘No Objection Letter’ issued by the Immigration Department with no restrictions on the number of hours or the location of the part-time work.
Three measures have been launched to enhance the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) and the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS), including expanding the list of eligible universities under the TTPS, extending the validity period of the first visas of Category A applications under the TTPS to three years, and enhancing the assessment criteria and arrangements of the General Points Test under the QMAS.
The three-year Re-employment Allowance Pilot Scheme has been in place to encourage elderly and middle-aged people aged 40 or above to re-enter the employment market. Participants who have worked full-time for six consecutive months will be provided with an allowance of HK$10,000, while those who have worked full-time for 12 consecutive months will be given an additional allowance of HK$10,000. The amount of the allowance for participants completing part-time employment will be halved.
Labour law updates
The Labour Advisory Board has reached a consensus on the review of the ‘continuous contract’ requirement (commonly referred to as the ‘418’ requirement) under the Employment Ordinance. Employees who have worked aggregately for 68 hours over four weeks are entitled to statutory employment benefits, such as statutory holiday pay, paid annual leave, and sickness allowance.
The Chief Executive in Council has accepted the recommendations of the Minimum Wage Commission on enhancing the review mechanism of the Statutory Minimum Wage (SMW) in Hong Kong.
The recommendations include reviewing the SMW rate once a year, adopting a formula for implementing such a review, and reviewing the aforesaid new review mechanism five to 10 years after its implementation.
Occupational safety and health
The revised Code of Practice for Bamboo Scaffolding Safety has officially come into effect. If any violations of the occupational safety and health legislation are detected, the Labour Department will issue suspension notices and improvement notices and initiate prosecutions without prior warning.
The revised Code of Practice for Safety and Health at Work in Confined Spaces (CoP) has also come into effect. The CoP aims to provide proprietors, contractors, competent persons, and certified workers with practical guidance and technical information to comply with the requirements set out in the occupational safety and health legislation regarding confined space work for safeguarding the safety and health of workers.
The Pilot Rehabilitation Programme for Employees Injured at Work has been expanded to the catering and hotel industry and the transportation and logistics industry, hoping to assist injured employees in these industries to recover and return to work early.
Funded by the Government, participants only need to pay the same fees as public hospital services for receiving private rehabilitation treatment services.
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing has implemented Severe Weather Trading, allowing Hong Kong’s securities and derivatives markets to remain open when Typhoon Signal No.8 or above, or a Black Rainstorm Warning, is issued by the Hong Kong Observatory.
New MPF measures
The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority has launched the eMPF Platform, allowing employers, employees, and self-employed persons to manage all MPF administrative processes through this one-stop digital platform. All MPF schemes are expected to complete onboarding the platform by the end of 2025.
The abolition of the offsetting arrangement under the MPF System will come into effect on 1 May 2025. To assist employers in adapting to the policy change, the Government will introduce a 25year Subsidy Scheme for Abolition of MPF Offsetting Arrangement on the same date to help share employers’ expenses on the post-transition portion of severance payment and long service payment.
