The Compensation & Benefit Survey shows employers are providing various benefits to staff to help them achieve a work-life balance as well as develop in their career.

5-Day Working Week
The survey finds that 67% of the respondents implemented a five-day working week in 2009, and a further 5% are expected to implement such working schedule next year, marking up a total of more than 70%.

Flexible Working Hours
Of the surveyed companies, 12% allow employees to work in flexible working hours, and a further 7% will introduce this practice in 2010. Among companies that provided flexible working hours, 30% of them allowed staff to work at home.

Leave
Besides annual leave and sick leave, most companies provided different types of leave for staff. The most popular types of leave include maternity leave (82%), compassionate leave (67%) and marriage leave (64%). 26% of the surveyed companies also provide study and examination leave and 22% of companies provided paternity leave.

Health-related Benefits
In 2009, 28% of the surveyed companies provided an ergonomic environment, and a further 7% expect to provide this practice in 2010. This includes monitors with adjustable height and ergonomic laptop stands. On the other hand, some companies provided family leave benefits (14%) and employee assistance program (10%).

Other Benefits
For insurance plan, 80% of the surveyed companies provided hospitalization, 79% provided clinical (out-patient) service, 65% provided Chinese bonesetters consultation & Chinese medical practitioners consultation and 48% provided life insurance.

Among the surveyed companies, 63% provided training to staff, and 37% provided both in-house and outsourced training to their employees in 2009. 41% of the companies provided education allowance to their employees this year and a further 10% intend to provide in 2010.

Other benefits mentioned in this survey include transportation allowance, purchase of company stock at discounted prices, rental reimbursement, personal loan, etc.