How to be a Good Employer?

Human resources are crucial for the sustainable development of enterprises. As the business environment evolves and competition for talent intensifies, attracting talent has become a strategic development focus of enterprises.

To establish a good employer brand and image, implementing employee-oriented good human resource management practices is fundamental. Building an open corporate culture, adopting employee caring employment measures, and fostering good communication with employees are key to achieving harmonious labour relations.

Besides, everyone has a family. Employees are not only members of the organisation but also members of a family with their own roles. Implementation of family-friendly employment practices not only enhances work-life balance of employees and provides a more humanistic and family-friendly working environment, but also boosts employee engagement and loyalty, thereby contributing to workforce stability and long-term competitiveness of the organisation.

Becoming a good employer that is employee-oriented is not difficult. Organisations can refer to the following examples and try to implement effective good human resource management practices that meet the needs of both the organisation and its employees:

Employment practices to support employees’ family needs

Offering part-time / split jobs (e.g. mother-shift)
Flexible work arrangements
Flexi-working place (e.g. work from home or hybrid working mode)
Special leaves to cater for employees’ family needs, e.g. childcare leave, parental leave (for attending school functions of their children), leave on family grounds, filial leave (leave on parents’ / grandparents’ birthday), marriage leave, compassionate leave, etc.
Maternity leave benefits better than statutory requirements
Paternity leave benefits better than statutory requirements
Allowing employees to bring children to work in case of need
Lactation room in workplace
Child care / elderly care support
Scholarship or education allowance for children / grandchildren
Special festive work arrangement (e.g. leave early on holiday eve)
Family-participatory activities (e.g. workplace visit, family fun day)
Medical insurance for employees’ family members
Publishing written guidelines or policy on family-friendly employment practices

Employment practices to care for employees

Flexi-rostering
Five-day work week / compressed work week (e.g. longer daily working hours for shorter work week)
Avoid working overtime and provide overtime compensation to employees if needed
Arranging suitable position / work for elderly and middle-aged persons, persons with disabilities and ethnic minorities
Make work arrangements in times of adverse weather and “extreme conditions”
- Implement the arrangement in writing (e.g. employment contract, staff handbook, notice)
- Provide adequate safety facilities and equipment to employees who report for duty at workplaces
- Do not deduct the wages and leaves of employees who are unable to report for duty at workplaces or resume work timely
- Grant duty allowance to employees who report for duty at workplaces
Adopting alternatives to wage reductions or retrenchments as far as possible during poor business
Improving work condition / equipment
Emergency financial support
Participating in the employment programmes of the Labour Department for assisting job seekers with different employment needs
Participating in the publicity activities of the Labour Department for promoting occupational safety and health
Establishing occupational safety and health rules and providing related personal protective equipment
Facilities in workplace (e.g. rest room, staff canteen, fitness room, recreation room, etc.)
Interest classes, voluntary service teams, sports and recreational activities (e.g. travel, meal gathering)
Festival or birthday celebration (e.g. gifts, email greetings, etc.)
Stress and emotional counselling services

Employee benefits that are better than statutory requirements

Special leaves to cater for employees’ needs (e.g. birthday leave, study leave, etc.)
Leave benefits better than statutory requirements (e.g. annual leave, sick leave, sick leave for work injuries, entitlement of public holidays, etc.)
Travel allowance
Study allowance
Retirement protection scheme / employer’s additional contribution for Mandatory Provident Fund
Other extra compensation / payment for termination of employment / retirement
Medical insurance
Employees’ compensation benefits for work injuries which are better than statutory requirements

Good communication with employees or their organisation(s)

Formal communication and consultation mechanism (e.g. standing committee)
Informal communication and consultation mechanism (e.g. tea gathering)
Recognising / awarding employees’ performance and contribution
Regular meeting with trade union(s) or employees’ organisation(s)
Disseminating company information to employees regularly (e.g. staff newsletter, email)
Channel for employees to express their views on company policies (e.g. opinion box, employee opinion survey, staff consultation meeting)
Encouraging employees to express their views with incentives
Consulting affected employees before making any changes in work or employment matters
Employees’ code of conduct
Transparent performance management / promotion system
Transparent grievance / disciplinary procedures

Let’s join fleet to be an employee-oriented good employer!