The EOC announced on 4 September 2014 the findings of the “Study on Discrimination in the Hong Kong Workplace”, which was conducted to assess the types and extent of workplace discrimination, identify the common forms of stereotyping, and solicit views from employers and employees on the effective ways to redress the problems. The exploratory study was both quantitative and qualitative, featuring a random sampling of 2,008 successful household telephone interviews as well as interviews with employees and focus group discussions with employers and human resource practitioners. The telephone survey revealed that 18% of the respondents alleged to have experienced discrimination or harassment when seeking a job or at work. Among them, the most common type of discrimination encountered was age discrimination (64%), followed by those due to gender (21%), sexual harassment (17%), family status (14%), pregnancy (10%), and marital status (9%). The statistics also showed that 57% of workplace discrimination occurred in small-and-medium-sized enterprises, which tend to have less resources in building an inclusive working environment. “Creating an equitable and fair work environment that embraces the differences of people not only improves the competitiveness of the company, but also provides a major boost for the economy and builds a better Hong Kong,” noted Dr. John TSE Wing-ling, Convenor of the EOC’s Policy and Research Committee.

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On 28-29 August 2014, local and overseas experts gathered to discuss the issues and experiences relating to the protection of equal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons in Hong Kong and the European Union at the international symposium, “Working Together for an Inclusive Society: LGBTI Rights in Comparative Perspective.” This groundbreaking initiative was co-organised by the EOC, the European Union Office to Hong Kong and Macao, and the Gender Research Centre of the Hong Kong Institute of Asia Pacific Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, with the support of the British Consulate General Hong Kong, the British Council, and the Netherlands Consulate General in Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR.

The event featured an Expert High-Level Roundtable Meeting on 28 August as well as a full-day conference the following day. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the full-day conference, Dr. York CHOW, the EOC Chairperson, said, “Through this symposium and bringing together people across different sectors and views, it is our hope to be able to push beyond the confines of Hong Kong’s understanding on the subject of LGBTI rights and translate the newfound knowledge into practical steps, suitable for our context, which can be taken for our own journey ahead.”

Over 200 participants from the academia and legal profession, private and public sectors, religious groups, NGOs and concern groups attended the Symposium, where they were able to share their views as well as reflect on the progress in protecting LGBTI rights, and the way forward. To broaden the reach of the Symposium’s message and the knowledge shared, conference materials have been uploaded to the event’s website, available at the below link. A report on the conference will also be available in due course.

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In July 2014, the EOC launched a three-month public consultation on the Discrimination Law Review (DLR), in order to consider how the current anti-discrimination ordinances can be improved to better prevent discrimination and promote equality for everyone in Hong Kong. To ensure that different communities in society can participate in the process and voice their views, the EOC, in collaboration with various organisations including consulates and religious bodies, has arranged a series of meetings throughout the months of August and September for different ethnic minority communities with appropriate language interpretation. In addition, on 4 August 2014, the EOC organised a special session targeted at NGOs providing services to ethnic minorities to gather their observations and experiences, as well as answer any arising questions. The EOC Chairperson, Dr. York CHOW, and other EOC representatives also met with the Network on Ethnic Minorities Services of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service on 2 September 2014 to discuss the proposed changes to the existing four anti-discrimination ordinances and hear participants’ feedback. Additionally, the EOC has also met with a wide range of stakeholders, including women’s groups, people with disabilities, businesses, and legal professionals. To share their views, members of the public may make written submissions to the EOC by fax, email or through the DLR’s website on or before 7 October 2014.

Visit the DLR’s website

For another year, the EOC is taking part in the “Mental Health Month”, a city-wide mental health educational campaign jointly organised by the Labour and Welfare Bureau, in association with a number of government departments, non-governmental organisations and public organisations, including the EOC. The purpose of the campaign is to publicise the importance of mental health, and to raise awareness, knowledge and acceptance of people with mental health issues. This year, the Mental Health Month will focus on the mental wellness of the elderly, in light of Hong Kong’s aging population. The launch ceremony will be held on 18 Oct 2014 in Southorn Stadium, Wanchai, followed by the Mental Health Walk. The walk allows community members who care about their own, their family members’ and friends’ mental wellness to come and show their support for the promotion of mental wellness.

More about the Mental Health Month on the Labour and Welfare Bureau Website (in Chinese only)

Community Business’ flagship Diversity & Inclusion in Asia 2014 Conference is taking place on 11-12 November 2014 in Hong Kong with the theme “Diversity & Inclusion – Driving Competitive Advantage.” Organised by Community Business, a non-profit organisation which supports businesses to improve their positive impact on people and communities, the Diversity & Inclusion in Asia Conference is the leading forum for discussion of diversity and inclusion issues in Asia. By bringing together leaders, experts and practitioners, it aims to provide thought leadership, facilitate best practice sharing and empower participants to drive positive change within their organisations. For more information, click on the link below.

In addition, Community Business will be organising the ‘Work-Life Balance Week 2014’ on 20-24 October. Companies in Hong Kong and the rest of Asia representing all industries and sizes are encouraged to take part by holding some kind of work-life balance initiative throughout the week. Please find more details at the link below.

Work-Life Balance Week 2014