Chinese firms resist 'rat race', end overtime work for employees
Chinese Internet and manufacturing companies are advising their employees to refrain from working overtime.
TroibNews 
Several Chinese internet and manufacturing firms are encouraging their employees to avoid overtime and prioritize a healthy work-life balance. Notable companies such as Haier, Midea, and DJI are actively promoting on-time departures from work and discouraging weekend attendance.
To facilitate this shift, various measures are being implemented to ensure adherence. These include closing canteens on Saturdays, having HR managers remind employees to leave at the end of their shifts, and even turning off the lights as a signal for employees to depart.
According to the Cailian Press, Midea has put in place regulations to prevent team leaders from scheduling meetings outside of official working hours and to discourage unproductive overtime. Meanwhile, DJI has mandated that employees finish their workday by 9 pm.
Furthermore, Haier has issued a directive for all departments to enforce a mandatory two-day weekend, prohibiting employees from coming in on Saturdays. The company also stated that any required overtime under special circumstances must receive approval one week in advance, with a cap of 3 overtime hours on regular workdays.
Xu Fenghui, deputy director of the Department of Labor Economics at the Capital University of Economics and Business, commented to Cailian Press that these practices indicate a growing respect for talent and labor in China's development process, as well as a heightened focus on protecting workers' rights and interests. He noted that such initiatives promote fair employment practices and social justice.
Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told WallstreetCN that this trend reflects companies' concern for their employees' rights, interests, and well-being, as well as their proactive approach in response to market competition and policy pressures.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
To facilitate this shift, various measures are being implemented to ensure adherence. These include closing canteens on Saturdays, having HR managers remind employees to leave at the end of their shifts, and even turning off the lights as a signal for employees to depart.
According to the Cailian Press, Midea has put in place regulations to prevent team leaders from scheduling meetings outside of official working hours and to discourage unproductive overtime. Meanwhile, DJI has mandated that employees finish their workday by 9 pm.
Furthermore, Haier has issued a directive for all departments to enforce a mandatory two-day weekend, prohibiting employees from coming in on Saturdays. The company also stated that any required overtime under special circumstances must receive approval one week in advance, with a cap of 3 overtime hours on regular workdays.
Xu Fenghui, deputy director of the Department of Labor Economics at the Capital University of Economics and Business, commented to Cailian Press that these practices indicate a growing respect for talent and labor in China's development process, as well as a heightened focus on protecting workers' rights and interests. He noted that such initiatives promote fair employment practices and social justice.
Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told WallstreetCN that this trend reflects companies' concern for their employees' rights, interests, and well-being, as well as their proactive approach in response to market competition and policy pressures.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
