Hong Kong’s Citybus is offering contracts that allow drivers to take two days off after working three days straight in a first-of-its-kind industry move to attract younger drivers, with a senior manager saying the company hopes to bring in at least 100 recruits.
In an interview with the Post, Citybus general manager for people and culture Roger Wong Wai-yip said: “We want more young people to join and if they do, the natural result is that our age profile will automatically be lowered.
“This will infuse new blood and enough manpower for the company for our long-term route development.”
The company is offering HK$21,000 (US$2,690) a month if successful applicants work an average of 10 hours a day under the new arrangement, in addition to a one-off HK$6,000 bonus for newcomers.
The bus firm has said it aims to attract Gen Z talent, broadly defined as those who were born between 1997 and 2012, to diversify its workforce.
The push for young talent is part of efforts by the transport sector to grapple with a tight supply of drivers and an ageing workforce, with the industry previously bringing in drivers from mainland China to ease the staffing crunch.
Citybus recently imported 20 drivers from the mainland to work on non-franchised bus services, such as employee shuttles and city tours.
The company said the new arrangement reflected the fact that Gen Z workers saw work-life balance as a top priority and enjoyed being able to take more holidays.
Wong said the bus firm aimed to recruit 100 drivers under the three-day contract programme, but the number could be increased if the response was strong.
Citybus is one of the city’s five franchised bus operators. It has about 5,000 staff and operates more than 1,700 buses serving about 230 routes across the city.
Drivers under the new contract will work three days in a row, then be allowed to take two consecutive days off.
Their take-home pay is comparable to those who work full-time, with travel passes for dependents, insurance coverage, 24 weeks of full paid maternity and 2 weeks of full paid paternity leave included for both types of contracted drivers.
A full-time Citybus driver earns up to HK$29,000 if they work five days straight for an average of 10 hours a day, with only a single day off.
The arrangement is the latest effort by the public transport operator to hire young workers, following the launch of a half-day bus driver contract two years ago.
Half-day drivers work up to six hours a day from Monday to Friday, covering peak hours as required by the company.
They still earn up to HK$17,000 per month, provided they work an average of six hours per shift.
The company has previously said that the arrangement targets “slashers”, also known as gig workers, and homemakers.
Wong said the company had recruited about 200 people since the contract launched in September 2022, about double the expected result.
“When we offer a new employment option, do we meet the demands of the market? It is quite obvious that we do,” he said.
Angus Lam Ming-chak, 25, joined the company on a half-day contract in November 2022.
“The good thing is that I go to work on Mondays to Fridays and it does not take up a lot of time, I only work six hours a day at most,” he said.
Lam said he had been interested in buses and driving from a young age, as his father was also a bus driver.
However, he did not want to work full-time, as he believed it would be too tiring. He valued his spare time, when he could go travelling, pursue personal interests or meet up with friends, he said.
In response to the Post’s queries, KMB – the city’s largest franchised bus operator with about 9,000 drivers running almost 440 routes – said it saw a growing need for work-life balance in the labour market.
A spokeswoman for the company said last year it had introduced a five-day work week as part of a package which meant a driver effectively worked eight hours a day, including one paid meal hour, and enjoyed an overtime allowance.
These drivers enjoyed the same benefits as full-time bus drivers, she said.
“Since the launch of full-time bus captains with a five-day work week, the number of applications and hires has continued to rise, reflecting the attractiveness of the job conditions,” she said.
The spokeswoman added that the company also provided the option for drivers to be hired according to hourly rates, or on six-day- or five-day-per-week contracts.
