About 200 staff members at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) will benefit from a new policy on working hours starting from 1 January 2015.

With the University’s proactive efforts in providing a better working environment for staff to improve the quality of work life, a proposal initiated by the University management and approved by the Council aligning the working hours of staff members in the Junior General Grade and Minor Grade with those of non-academic staff will be put in place.

Under the new policy effective from 1 January 2015, the working hours of staff members in the Junior General Grade and Minor Grade will be 44 hours per week including meal breaks, while the net working hours will be 39 hours per week.

“CityU is among the first UGC-funded institutions to adopt an ‘including meal breaks’ model for their junior staff,” said Ms Helen Leung Lai-wa, Director of Human Resources. “The new policy demonstrates the University’s continuous effort in improving the quality of work life of its staff, the most valuable asset of the University.”

The proposed working hours will apply to all the serving and new staff appointed under the Junior General Grade and Minor Grade, including Senior Artisan/Artisan/Office Assistant/Semi-skilled Labourer/Labourer and equivalent grades, on regular or temporary terms of appointment.

To facilitate a smooth implementation of the new policy, departments will initiate work simplification and other productivity improvement measures.