NEWS

WORTH THE PRICE TAG?

The Employment Conditions Abroad International (ECA) recently announced that Hong Kong topped the charts once again as the most expensive city for expat living expenses. The association compared costs of living faced by expats in 208 cities from 121 countries. Criteria for the comparison included the price of food and general goods, utility costs and public transport.The expensive city lifestyle in Hong Kong was found to be the toughest to afford for expatriates, closely followed by Tokyo and New York. “Hong Kong is the most expensive place in the world for overseas workers to live, in spite of the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Lee Quane, regional director for Asia at ECA International. What will come as a surprise to absolutely no one, Hong Kong was recently ranked as the most overworked city in the world by online platform Kisi, which specialise in work-life balance.

SAFE STAYCATIONS

Adhering to ever-changing government restrictions, Airbnb has announced that hosts and guests must agree to follow its Covid-19 Safety Practices, which include wearing a mask, practising social distancing, and, for hosts, abiding by a five-step enhanced cleaning process. All hosts in Hong Kong are now prompted to commit to the new practices and guests will be asked to agree to the guidelines when they book a listing. To ensure the rules are followed, those who do not commit may be subject to warnings, suspensions and, in some cases, removal from the Airbnb platform. Staycationers can now breathe a sigh of relief – healthier stays are in store for this January.

airbnb.com

MORE FAMILY TIME

The short length of maternity leave that mothers receive in Hong Kong has always been a talking point. Years of debate later, it seems the government has finally listened. Starting December 11, 2020, statutory maternity leave was extended by four weeks, to a total of 14 weeks, to be taken continuously. Female employees under a continuous employment contract for no less than 40 weeks are now eligible. Congratulations are in order, we think, and new mothers, feel free to breathe a sigh of relief and set more time for your new family.

THE HARI COMES TO TOWN

Heritage hotel The Hari opened its doors on Lockhart Road last month. This is the second hotel opened by the Harilela Family with its first one located in London. Designed by Tara Bernerd the hotel has 210 designer bedrooms, overlooking Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, The Peak and Victoria Harbour, two restaurants and bars, a fitness centre and art gallery. The Hari encourages guests to explore the local neighbourhood with the team ready to share insider knowledge of the best places to visit during your stay. thehari.com

COVID TEST AT YOUR CONVENIENCE

Those of you who take the MTR to work may have noticed the newest MTR arrangements. MTR stations across all rail lines have installed vending machines distributing Covid-19 specimen collection packs. There are signs to point out the location of each vending machine within the stations and MTR staff are on hand to assist with the process in case of complications. By using vending machines, the MTR hopes to make the specimen pack collection process more convenient for testing. Do note that the MTR will not be responsible for collecting the specimen packs after use. You will have to go to the designated collection points to hand over the used packs.