As the public utility with the longest history in Hong Kong, The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited (Towngas) has provided safe, reliable and clean energy along with a wide variety of energy applications to the community for more than 160 years, whilst developing green energy with a view to utilising ¡§Smart Energy for a Brighter Future¡¨.

Towngas believes that ¡§Happy Employees Lead to Happy Customers¡¨ and strives to offer its people an unrivalled and distinct world of opportunities to thrive. Studies show that happy employees are more creative and productive. When employees feel happy, they naturally transfer that positive energy to customers, creating a more pleasant customer experience.

Rooted in Hong Kong for over 160 years, Towngas has been widely recognised for its remarkable HR practices, and has scooped ¡§The Employer of Choice Award¡¨ for the tenth consecutive year, along with two new accolades ¡V ¡§Family Friendly Work Culture Award¡¨ and ¡§Appreciation Culture Award¡¨ this year. Bonny Tam, General Manager ¡V Group Human Resources at Towngas, said it was an honour and a rare achievement to have received the awards for ten years in a row. ¡§¡¥Putting people first¡¦ has long been our philosophy. At Towngas, we care about the career development and the mental and physical wellbeing of our employees. Therefore, we¡¦ve made persistent efforts to create a family-friendly and appreciation culture with comprehensive policies and facilities, so that colleagues can enhance their work performance and excel in their strengths in a friendly and supportive workplace. We hope our employees can work happily, appreciate each other, gain a sense of satisfaction, make continuous progress and grow together.¡¨

Creating a Warm, Inclusive Atmosphere With an Array of Activities

The company¡¦s family-friendly culture is reflected in various activities, as Tam pointed out. Every year, Towngas organises a wide range of company activities, such as Christmas Fun Day, Mid-Autumn Festival Parent-Child Environmental-friendly Lantern Design Competition, Movie Watching Night and interest classes. These activities also welcome staff and their family to participate, fostering a warm and inclusive atmosphere. The company also holds multicultural sharing sessions, for example, inviting ethnic minority organisations to share their customs and cultural taboos, and organising sign language classes to enable staff to conduct basic conversations with hearing-impaired colleagues. ¡§Through these activities, we hope to motivate colleagues to communicate with and support each other for a more connected and cohesive team,¡¨ she explained.

Gloriane Kam, Senior Engineer at Towngas, participated in the company¡¦s Christmas Fun Day with her two sons last year. She said with a smile, ¡§It was a dynamic activity with lots of colleagues bringing their family to share the joyful vibes together. My boys and the other children had so much fun, as there were booth games, toy claw machines, and refreshments, etc. They also had the opportunity to meet my colleagues and visit my office, knowing about the environment in which I work every day, which helps strengthen our relationship.¡¨

Comprehensive Facilities to Cater for Employees¡¦ Needs

Kam also praised the company for being thoughtful of employees¡¦ needs. ¡§A Mother Care Room is provided in the office for working moms. It¡¦s clean and well-equipped with independent locks and a refrigerator for storing breast milk, so that new moms can take good care of their babies while working at ease,¡¨ she said.

Furthermore, Towngas provides comprehensive facilities for employees with special needs. For instance, automatic doors at the office entrance and exit, accessible toilets, and adjustable office desks are prepared for wheelchair users. A series of barrier-free facilities not only satisfy the needs of disabled employees, but also foster a more inclusive culture.

Flexible Working Hours to Support Caregivers

To help employees balance their family and work commitments, Towngas implements flexible working hours and work-from-home arrangements for staff in need. Flexible working hours can be arranged for employees who have to take children to school or attend parent activities organised by their children¡¦s schools. In addition, employees who have unexpected family needs can also apply for short-term work-from-home arrangements that allow them to take care of their loved ones. ¡§At Towngas, there are positions that allow staff to work from home. An example is that we¡¦ve recruited working moms to join our team as customer service officers who are arranged to work from home answering customer enquiries from our customer service hotlines. Such arrangement makes it easier for them to work while looking after their children,¡¨ Tam added.

A Culture of Appreciation Motivates Peer-To-Peer Recognition

As an employer of choice, Towngas values its people and aims to fill its workplace with positive energy by building an authentic culture of appreciation, one in which employees feel heard, respected and acknowledged for extraordinary work. Tam believed that such a culture is conducive to strengthening employees¡¦ confidence and sense of achievement, motivating them to be more engaged at work to deliver excellent customer experience. It is a win-win-win situation for the company, its staff and its customers that reflects two of the company¡¦s core values ¡V Positive Communication and Teamwork.

¡§Last year, we launched an online platform named ¡¥We Appreciate You¡¦. Colleagues are encouraged to share positive experiences they come across at work and appreciate other colleagues¡¦ strengths and achievements through peer-to-peer recognition. There¡¦s also an ¡¥Appreciation Corner¡¦ in the office where colleagues can share stories, leave thank you notes on the bulletin board to appreciate colleagues for their help, encouraging one another and spreading positive energy,¡¨ she said.

Kam added that Towngas holds the ¡§Outstanding Employees Award¡¨ every year to honour individuals who have made significant contributions to the company, or who have outstanding leadership skills or innovative ideas. Awardees are elected by one person, one vote among the entire staff to ensure impartiality and fairness. ¡§Our company has always emphasised a culture of innovation that fosters an innovative mindset. The Hall of Innovation located in Towngas Headquarters showcases original concepts developed by colleagues. Moreover, the ¡¥SQS Festival¡¦ is held every year to encourage colleagues from different departments to offer suggestions for enhancing service level. A series of workshops and seminars are held to inspire innovative thinking. Selected proposals will be presented through performances like drama or dance by the participating teams on ¡¥Group SQS Day¡¦ and will be recognised with awards, which encourages a great sense of accomplishment among colleagues.¡¨

¡§Towngas has made every effort to provide multiple positive communication channels to understand and fulfil employees¡¦ needs, and thereby create a joyful workplace with a warm and inclusive culture. We hope to see colleagues get along in harmony, respect and appreciate one another, and work together towards shared success,¡¨ Tam concluded.