CUHK
News Centre

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has received three awards, for the second consecutive times, in the Family-Friendly Employers Scheme organised by the Home Affairs Bureau and the Family Council. They are “Meritorious Family-Friendly Employers 2017/18”, “Special Mention 2017/18” and “Award for Breastfeeding Support 2017/18”. These awards acknowledge the University’s impressive practice in the implementation of family-friendly employment policies and provisions, and in the promotion of family core values.

The Director of Human Resources, Ms. Corinna Lee, received the awards and expressed appreciation on behalf of CUHK at the presentation ceremony last Saturday (8 December).  She said, “CUHK is honoured to be awarded the ‘Meritorious Family-Friendly Employers 2017/18’. The award recognises the University’s tremendous efforts in the communication and promotion of positivity and family-friendly culture in the workplace. The key to this is to show that the University genuinely cares for the needs of our staff and understands their roles in their own families.” 

CUHK has proactively reviewed its family-friendly employment practices to meet the needs of staff. Policies implemented in recent years included the provision of lactation breaks for nursing mothers, the extension of full-paid maternity leave to 14 weeks and enhancement of other family-friendly leaves, and continuous improvement in medical benefits provision to staff and their eligible family members.  The University has also explored different ways, such as gatherings and networking, to build up a supportive environment and enable staff to balance their responsibilities to their work and their families. There are parenting seminar topics and parent and child activities for staff and families, such as a parent-child brush pen lettering workshop, a pottery-making class, photography class, and others. 

The setting of the overseeing University committees, with their various initiatives and promotion campaigns, has demonstrated CUHK’s emphasis on and care for staff members and their families. In furtherance of its emphasis on a positive and family-friendly workplace, CUHK established the Committee on Positive Workplace and Staff Development (PWSD) in 2013 to promote the 5 core values of positive communication, teamwork relationship, mutual trust and respect, work safety, and continuous learning. The Task Force on Women and Family-Friendly Policies was set up in 2014 with the objective of providing a supportive environment in which our staff can work well while integrating their multiple roles. There are currently 6 nursing rooms on campus providing a comfortable and hygienic space for lactating staff. A day in December each year has been designated as Staff Appreciation Day to express thankfulness and appreciation to colleagues in the festive season. The inaugural “Positive Workplace Service Award” was launched in the year 2016/17 to recognise staff who radiate positive energy in the workplace. To give a strong signal to staff members about the importance of cultivating a positive workplace, the University has launched its Positive Leadership and Staff Well-being Survey on a biennial basis. 

About the Family-Friendly Employers Scheme

Launched by the Home Affairs Bureau and the Family Council in 2011, the Family-Friendly Employers Scheme, held biennially, aims to raise awareness among employers of the importance of family core values. It encourages employers to implement family-friendly employment policies and practices and recognise good practices so to foster a family-friendly culture and environment in the community.