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22 Apr, 2014

Survey: ‘Overtime’ impacts on Chinese work-life balance

Beijing, (People’s Daily Online)    April 21, 2014 – Pressures of work, too much overtime, and too many projects are three major factors influencing the work-life balance of Chinese people, according to a latest annual report published in Shanghai on April 17.

The Randstad China’s 2014 Employer Branding Survey was conducted by Randstan Human Resource and independent research company ICMA group. It surveyed 8,561 employees from 75 foreign-funded enterprises and 75 domestic-funded enterprises on the Chinese mainland.

The result shows 13 main factors that affect the work-life balance of Chinese workers. 62% interviewees find themselves under pressure from their immediate work targets, 59% think they have too much overtime, and 49% said they have too many work projects.

Additional factors are weekend work, mental pressure caused by superiors, poor working environment, too many responsibilities, lack of cooperation among colleagues, and inflexible working time.

The survey result also adjudged that a poor working environment usually impacts on the work-life balance of men over 35 years old, while mental pressures caused by superiors influenced women under 35 years old. Almost all office workers believe that a more liberal work schedule, greater autonomy at work, and more flexible work time arrangements would encourage them to continue in employment longer.

The study reveals that further opportunities to study or develop their careers would encourage female workers over 35 years old to extend their working life, and male workers would work longer if they believed their work schedule and working hours were better adapted to their needs.

The survey also found the most attractive industries include finance (banks and insurance), electric power, public services, communication, medicine, chemistry, IT and architecture.

Most respondents feel their ideal retirement age would be 52, while believing they may have to work until they are 57. But people under 35 hope to retire at 49, and most women don’t want to work after 50.

The article is edited and translated from 《报告称“加班多”影响中国人工作生活平衡》, source: China News