Labour Department to promote good people management

The Commissioner for Labour, Mrs Pamela Tan Kam Mi-wah, said today (July 14) that the department would be fully committed in promoting an employee-oriented people management culture. This was because good people management would help bring about harmonious labour relations, a foundation for Hong Kong's success and prosperity.

Addressing the launching ceremony of the department's Good People Management Award (GPMA), Mrs Tan said: "The twenty-first century is marked by rapid development in information technology. Enterprises in Hong Kong must have adequate human resources in order to make the best use of innovative technology. To strive for success, they could not just rely on technology or neglect the precious human resources. Information technology and human resources are both indispensable."

"With the full support and co-operation of its employees, an enterprise will be able to respond promptly and effectively to all changes in environment. It can also survive in the ever-changing business environment and grasp every opportunity arising from our economic recovery."

Launched by the department today, the GPMA is to commend employers in achieving good people management and encourage them to go further, thereby fostering an employee-oriented culture. All non-civil service establishments in Hong Kong are welcome to join the competition. Entries can be made until September 8. 

The assessment would be made according to three highly transparent principles, i.e. whether employers had adopted employee-oriented management practices, were law abiding as well as equal and fair, Mrs Tan said.

"To be employee-oriented is to strengthen communication between management and staff through workplace consultation and surveys on staff opinions; and to provide employees with on-the-job training to enhance their career development," she said.

"In addition, retrenchment and wage reduction are never among the first to be considered in cost-cutting exercises. Instead, training and job transfer will be arranged to train employees to enable them to possess multi-skills and the ability to take up different posts. When retrenchment is unavoidable, voluntary exit programmes should be adopted to encourage employees to leave voluntarily, " she added.

As to the second principle, Mrs Tan said, law abiding means meeting the basis law requirements in granting employees' benefits.

"In fact, we hope employers can do more than the minimum requirements. Equally important is the safety and health at work. Most of the companies which take this seriously have signed the Safety Charter, committing themselves to providing employees with safe and health working environment," Mrs Tan said.

"Be fair and equal means to treat every staff member equally in recruitment, training and rewards and punishments. At the same time, companies have to set up more and different communication channels to let staff know how decisions are made and what the work processes are," she said.

On awards of the GPMA, Mrs Tan said, "As 89 per cent of the organisations in Hong Kong are small and medium enterprises (SMEs), we have set up awards to recognise their outstanding achievement in this area. Five awards will be presented to establishments employing 100 or less people." The other 10 will go to establishments with an employment size between 101 to 500 and those with 501 and above, she added.

The winners will receive a permanent momento. They will also be entitled to display the GPMA logo for two years on the establishment's letterheads, envelopes and other promotional materials.

The department will produce a souvenir publication to publicise the outstanding achievements of the winners in good people management. It will also invite the winners to share their successful experience with participants in seminars, workshops and other promotional activities organised by the department.

A panel of judges will be formed and they include the Reader of the School of Business of the University of Hong Kong, Dr Ng Sek-hong; the Professor of the Management Department of Marketing of the City University of Hong Kong, Dr Leung Kwok; Member of the Labour Advisory Board and the Legislative Council, the Hon Ho Sai-chu; Members of the Labour Advisory Board, Mr Leung Fu-wah, Mr Anthony Yeung Kwok-ki and Mr Poon Siu-ping; the President of the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management, Mr Mak Ping-on; and the Chairman of the Hong Kong Industrial Relations Association, Mr Garek Hui; Assistant Commissioner for Labour, Mrs Jennie Chor and Chief Labour Officer, Mrs Jenny Chan.

Entry forms are available at the department's Workplace Consultation Promotion Unit, 5/F Hennessy Centre, West Wing, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay. They can also be download from the department's Home Page on the Internet . Enquiries can be made at 2121 8690.

Apart from the launching ceremony, the department also organised a seminar on the Synergy of Information Technology and Human Resource Management today.

Sharing their experience in people management with participants are the Human Resources Director of JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong (a winning establishment of last year), Miss Sandra Ng; Human Resources Director of AT&T Asia/Pacific Group Ltd., Mr Francis T.K. Kwong; and Member of Kwun Tung District Council and President of HK SMEs Association, Mr Shi Kai Biu.