Hong Kong  - Nearly one-third of office employees in wealthy, workaholic Hong Kong keep their earnings secret from their husbands or wives, a survey released Monday found.

Thirty per cent of office workers surveyed admitted they did not tell their spouses their exact earnings while almost half said they did not discuss office happenings at home.

Researcher Suen Lap-man said some husbands said they kept their earnings secret because they feared their partners would ask for more housekeeping money if they knew how much they really earned.

Other spouses, both male and female, said they believed they were entitled to privacy about their earnings even after they were married, Suen said.

Forty per cent of office workers interviewed said the biggest strain on their married life was Hong Kong's notoriously long working hours.

More than 500 married office workers in their 30s and 40s were interviewed for the survey by a Christian family support group that appealed to couples to be more open and sharing with each other. (dpa)