Standard Working Hours Committee Held Its First Meeting

Further to our article entitled “No More Long Hours in Hong Kong?”in our January newsletter (Issue 1 of 2013), a committee on Standard Working Hours (“Committee”) has been set up and held its first meeting on 7 May 2013.

The Committee, which comprises of 23 members from the community, academia, labour and business sectors and the Government, “is tasked to follow up on the Government’s policy study on standard working hours, promote understanding of this complex subject and related issues, and advise the Chief Executive on the working hours situation in Hong Kong including whether a statutory standard working hours regime or any other alternatives should be introduced“.

As mentioned in our previous article, the regulation of standard working hours is a complex subject involving a myriad of social-economical issues. At its first meeting, members of the Committee expressed varied views on whether legislation on standard working hours is necessary for Hong Kong. The Committee agreed that wider consultation on the subject would be required.

In the meantime, a work plan will be developed for the Committee and it is hoped that a consensus on the subject will be reached within 3 years’ time.