In response to the public consultation on the 2022 Policy Address, the EOC made a submission to the Government last week, providing a host of recommendations for making Hong Kong a more caring and inclusive city for diverse communities.

Some of the key recommendations are highlighted below:

Ensuring equity in education

The number of students with special educational needs has been on the rise in recent years. While school-based educational psychologists (EPs) have been able to make more frequent visits to the schools they serve since the Education Bureau implemented the Enhanced School-based Educational Psychology Service in 2016/17, there remains a relative shortage of professional support from counsellors, speech therapists and EPs. The EOC thus recommends that the Government should consider funding more university places within relevant programmes and enhancing existing policies to attract specialists from outside Hong Kong.

The playing field also needs to be levelled for primary and secondary students from non-ethnic Chinese backgrounds, whose higher education and career prospects are often limited because of insufficient Chinese proficiency. The EOC reiterates the recommendations in its 2019 Closing the Gap report, particularly that the Government should critically evaluate the effectiveness of the “Chinese Language Curriculum Second Language Learning Framework” introduced in 2014, and work towards developing a dedicated Chinese-as-a-second-language syllabus, complete with pedagogical methods, teaching tools and textbooks.   

Promoting equal opportunity in employment

According to data released by the Census and Statistics Department in 2021, the employment rate of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Hong Kong was 17.6%, three times less than that of the general populace (55.5%). The subsidy schemes currently in place to encourage employers to hire PWDs, such as the Work Orientation and Placement Scheme, are welcome efforts aimed at closing the gap, but in light of the nine-month allowance period and low retention rates, their long-term effect may be questionable. The EOC recommends that the Government consider introducing a pilot scheme, under which an employer of any size who has hired a person holding a Government-issued “Registration Card for People with Disabilities” may apply for tax deduction when filing tax return. The amount could correspond with the number of PWDs they hire and the duration of employment.

Workplace inclusion also entails the creation of a culture that welcomes and supports people with family status. Past research shows that employers typically perceive employees with caring responsibilities as taking too much leave, whereas the latter feel torn between their work and family. The dilemma can only be addressed by a wider adoption of family-friendly practices and policies, such as flexi-time, remote or hybrid working, parental leave and job-sharing. The EOC therefore recommends that the Government devote more resources to promoting good practice among employers, as well as raising awareness of the benefits that a family-friendly culture could bring to businesses.

In relation to employment opportunities for communities from diverse racial backgrounds, the EOC submits that many positions in the job market continue to place an emphasis on Chinese proficiency requirements, which present a major hurdle for non-ethnic Chinese. It is recommended that the Government set a stronger example of being a racially inclusive employer by taking positive action and creating trainee positions in the civil service for non-ethnic Chinese, building on the success of initiatives like the Internship Programme for non-ethnic Chinese university students run by the Civil Service Bureau. In addition, a more thorough review of the Chinese proficiency requirements for civil service positions, especially those in the professional grade, should be conducted. In-service language training could be explored for candidates who do not meet the relevant requirements but excel in other areas of expertise that are equally, if not more, essential to the job. 

Enhancing accessibility of environments, services and information

The EOC believes that Hong Kong has yet to fully realise the potential of universal design for empowering diverse groups to participate in various aspects of life independently. It is recommended that the Government should review and update the Design Manual issued by the Buildings Department in 2008 regarding barrier-free access to built environments, and fully incorporate the principles of universal design. Ideally it should be an all-in-one manual for practitioners, developers and business owners, providing accessibility standards tailored for a variety of user groups, including children, older adults, breastfeeding women, parents with baby prams and persons with disabilities.

As regards healthcare, it is concerning that not only have Hongkongers experienced a worsening of mental health amid the pandemic, but those from racially disadvantaged groups, including foreign domestic workers, have also encountered additional cultural and language barriers in seeking help and treatment. The EOC recommends that the language requirements for relevant practitioner and para-professional positions be reviewed, so that otherwise qualified non-Chinese-speaking talents can be hired to better cater to the needs of racially diverse patients. It is also advisable that the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority make appropriate accommodation for foreign domestic workers who often have their day-off on Sunday, i.e. when most non-emergency medical services are not available. 

Combatting sexual harassment

In the past three years, more than 75% of the sexual harassment complaints received by the EOC allegedly took place in employment contexts. A 2022 study by EOC further indicated that one in eight people in Hong Kong might have been sexually harassed at work in the preceding 24 months. In order to urge employers to assume a more active role in addressing the problem, the EOC recommends that the Government consider amending the Sex Discrimination Ordinance to introduce a positive duty on employers to take reasonable and proportionate steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. There is a similar duty in other jurisdictions, including mainland China and Australia’s State of Victoria.

To learn more about our other recommendations, please click the link below.

• Read the EOC’s submission