Over 1 in 5 Hong Kong workers give up sleep for work

They do the same for personal activities.

According to a recent Regus sruvey, over a fifth of workers in Hong Kong (23%) report that they have to sacrifice sleep to fit in personal and work commitments, either by waking up too early or by burning the midnight oil.

Although flexible working is highlighted as a way to reduce commuting, creating more hours in the day for sleep or family life and improving productivity and staff retention, only 50% of firms are rewarding management for encouraging the creation of a flexible workforce.

Workers also highlight that a shorter commute (23%) and greater flexibility of location (21%) would give them more time to spend with their families as well as to catch some extra shut-eye, but businesses can also benefit from introducing greater flexibility which is reported to improve productivity (71%) and help retain staff (82%).

These are some of the key findings of a global survey by Regus, the world’s largest provider of flexible workplaces, based on interviews with more than 24,000 business-people from over 90 countries.

“Lack of sleep is clearly detrimental to worker health and happiness with long working hours closely linked to heart disease ” says Hans Leijten, vice-president, Regus East Asia. “Respondents highlight that a shorter commute and more flexibility over work location would help them spend more time with their families, finally spelling an end to sleepless nights filled with catching up on work or personal tasks that couldn’t be squeezed into the day.”