More than half of workers feel their compensation is unfair compared to similar roles in their industry, according to research from Aon.
By Maggie Mancini
Almost one in five employees (17%) in Hong Kong feel undervalued in their current roles compared to 7% in mainland China and 13% globally, according to recent research from Aon. The firm’s 2025 Human Capital Employee Sentiment Study finds that more than half of workers in Hong Kong are considering changing employers within the next year.
More than half (60%) of employees in Hong Kong do not believe their compensation is fair compared to similar roles in the industry, a figure significantly higher than the global benchmark of 37%. Further, more than one-third of the workforce (35%) in Hong Kong is not confident there is adequate investment in their skills development—double the global average. These results point to growing employee dissatisfaction in the Hong Kong market and may explain why the majority (63%) either plan to switch jobs or are considering doing so within the next year.
Competitive pay and meaningful benefits are identified as the most influential factors when deciding to stay with or join a company, signalling the need for employers to act swiftly to improve employee benefits and offer competitive rewards.
The study identified the top five benefits valued by employees in Hong Kong:
- paid time off;
- medical coverage;
- work-life balance programs;
- retirement savings; and
- dental insurance.
Medical coverage was the second highest valued benefit across all generations, with Gen X and Gen Z rating it higher than millennials. Rising cost of living and an ageing workforce has increased health and financial concerns, prompting employees to seek better medical coverage and support.
More than half of the employees (57%) would be willing to sacrifice existing benefits for a better choice of benefits, presenting an opportunity for employers to provide personalised and flexible benefit options to meet the needs of their workforce.
Three-quarters (75%) of employees in Hong Kong prefer office-based working arrangements, over 20% higher than the global average.
One-third (33%) of employees say employers should help them save for retirement or other long-term needs, while 28% believe employers should support employee well-being, 20% say employers should support women’s health, 19% believe employers should help them establish an emergency fund, and 18% say employers should support eldercare or family care.
