Hong Kong is well known for its intense and pressurising work conditions. Now a survey on the finance, accounting and human resources sectors in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand has added weight to this reputation. Many employees would stay in contact and continue working through their supposedly ‘leisure’ times, while many employers expect the employees to be reachable outside normal working hours. The hard-working ethic is no doubt a cornerstone of Hong Kong’s economic success, and working long hours and being constantly in touch with colleagues or bosses are facts of life when there are deadlines to meet. But when Hong Kong employers become over-reliant on placing exigent demands on employees all the time, one has to wonder if they have overlooked other important factors in lifting workplace performance and business competitiveness, such as improving efficiencies in certain processes or the overall workflow. There are many other effects of such demanding workloads. T