Hong Kong has the toughest work environment in the Asia-Pacific region, with 68 percent of all employers expecting staff to work during their vacations. The regional average for such a working environment is 40 percent, with 45 percent in Singapore, 22 percent in Australia, the Robert Half workplace. Robert Half International, one of the world’s leading specialized recruitment firms, extrapolated its findings from answers provided by more than 1,600 internationally mobile professionals working in the financial, accounting, and human resources sectors in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. Surveys have found that 68 percent of employers in Hong Kong expect their staff to be available while on annual leave or after work hours. At 20 percent, the percentage in New Zealand is the lowest among the four. Robert Half International’s Managing Director Andrew Morris mentioned that cultural differences are a key factor in the difference in figures. As Hong Kong’s work ethic becomes intensified, employers learn to give their employees a break.