ESG (Social) Survey Report
Towards a Sustainable Future:
An Evaluation of Employee Wellness and Training in Hong Kong
Measuring Social Performance to Build a Sustainable Future
Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) is becoming an increasingly important topic for businesses around the world, and expectations for excellent performance are no longer solely limited to multinational companies. In recent years, the focus on ESG has expanded to include small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), recognising their significant role in driving sustainable development and social progress. To delve deeper into the social aspect of ESG performance in SMEs, we conducted a survey with Bowtie Life Insurance and Dialogue in the Dark to gain valuable insights into the social performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Hong Kong.
In late 2023, we conducted a research focused on understanding the employee experiences across key areas like workplace culture, benefits, training and work-life balance. Through an anonymous survey distributed to employees in various sectors, we evaluated current practices and identified opportunities for improvement.
The Aim
Our goal was to provide SMEs – the backbone of Hong Kong’s economy – with actionable recommendations against the Future-Fit Business Benchmark on how they can better support employee well-being, even with limited resources.
The results provide important benchmarks and a roadmap for continuous progress. If you are an SME interested in strengthening your social impacts, or an employee looking to share your perspective, read the full report for more insights.
The overall survey results indicate that companies in Hong Kong have good ESG performance in the social aspect. Most of the questions received an above-median scores as assessed by the respondents.
Companies prioritise employee health and well-being, focusing on physical well-being, mental well-being and physical activity as part of their commitment to employee health and well-being.
Key Findings
86% of respondents agreed there is a zero-tolerance policy in regard to bullying and harassment.
Only 46% of respondents agreed their company gives priority to disability inclusion at work.
What is Future-Fit Thinking?
To help corporations design, build and operate a truly sustainable business sector, a systemic, future-fit way of thinking needs to be adopted to improve our collective business decisions.
The Future-Fit Business Benchmark (FFBB) is a unique, open-source, systems-science-based strategic management tool which can equip any business to set better ambitions, improve day-to-day operational decisions, and enrich ESG impact and risk data management. The Benchmark sets out a series of 23 Break-Even Goals that help companies identify the break-even point that they must reach to ensure they do not contribute to system condition breaches.
In this survey, a list of recommendations are provided based on the break-even goals relating to employee well-being.
How to Elevate Your
ESG Performance?
Do you know where your business stands in terms of ESG performance? Are you clear about potential risks and areas needing more focus? Check your ESG readiness now by using be-fitter.
be-fitter is an assessment tool that helps companies to evaluate the “Social” aspect of their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performances.
It aims to encourage companies to embrace and incorporate sustainability into their business strategies, which is key to stimulating growth and increasing profits.