The staff in the media toilet once late in the evening, but now they are asked to leave by 6:20 pm. The company’s page on the social media app WeChat also shows a picture of people listening to a band with a caption that says: “What do you do after work? It is after work when life actually starts.”
In China, it is counted as a radical corporate messaging, a sharp contrast for “996” or the practice of working from 9 am to 9 am a week from 9 am to 9 am in a week-“huge blessings” by Jack MA, co-founder of Alibaba and an integral limb of its technical field for the last 15 years.
Other companies have also made changes, even if it is not enough as dramatic.
In Fellow Equipment Maker Higher, employees have celebrated five-day work week on social media.
The world’s largest drone manufacturer, DJI workers have posted about their happiness on a new policy, in which offices should be evacuated by 9 pm.
A DJI activist said, “There is no concern about remembering the final metro, when I reach home, I don’t worry much about awakening the wife,” a DJI activist said he often worked at midnight.
Higher and DJI did not respond to the remarks requests.
In another sign of how the zitgist for China Inc. is gradually changing, a Beijing Law firm was fined in March, as it does not take corrective measures after illegally extending the working hours of the employees – a rare allegations of punishment by the authorities who make extensive praise on social media.
But will these newborn corporate efforts turn into the winds of change, remain to be seen.
Analysts say that the compulsory clock-band feels that instead of social pressure within China, the labor laws of the European Union have been motivated.
And while “996” was considered illegal by China’s apex court in 2021, many people still work exceptionally for a long time in technology and finance. In recent years, even a new word, the emergence of “007” has been seen, either being at work or making a call every day, every day.
Significantly, however, the Chinese government is calling companies to follow the country’s 44 -hour weekly work limit.
To promote unveiling consumer expenses in March, the action plan of a state council, said that the rest of the workers’ rest and leave rights should be guaranteed and the payment holiday should be encouraged. The state media has also run articles to create those points.
It fits with Chinese policy makers’ desire to look at the world’s second largest economy, which is more operated by consumption and low dependence on exports-a target that has only taken more urgency with applying additional heavy American tariffs under President Donald Trump.
Shujin Chen, an economist of China of Jefferies, says that when the government is buzzing about promoting change, it will not be easy how the country’s economic growth and lack of jobs have fed financial insecurity.
“They want people to relax more, have more holidays and consume more,” he said. “If you do not have enough income, and if you rarely keep your job, it is very difficult for people to do so.”
According to the International Labor Organization, China’s long average task is the week – 46.1 hours in 2024. It compars 38.6 hours in South Korea, 38 hours in the United States and 36.6 hours in Japan.
Chinese government data is more than 49.1 hours in January, above 46.2 in April 2022, the oldest date for which data is publicly available. Rapid growth can be explained by increasing job insecurity, increasing people’s will to do more overtime.
Before this year, some, although rare, were pushbacks against excessive work hours within China.
Tech Workers launched online protests against “996” in 2019 and 2021. And last year, a PR executive in the search engine veteran Badu was designed to apologize after demanding the employees, who place their phones in 24 hours a day and be ready to respond to always.
Two employees said that one tech beam, social media and gaming firm Tensent also cut back on overtime in at least some units, which means that many workers are no longer behind, two employees said.
Tencent did not respond to the remarks request.
Beijing-based independent industry analyst Liu Jingliang said that some companies stems from adopting new rules of European Union during this year’s compulsory clock. Rules ban the sale of products made with forced labor, a definition that incorporates excessive overtime.
“These large companies are afraid to lose foreign orders due to violations,” Liu said, “Given the manufacturers of the goods feeling pressure from this law, China’s internet and software firms are less likely to be affected.”
Midea formalized its new rules, banning the “protesting overtime” in January, and the employee response “has definitely been very positive,” Zhao Lei, the company’s home air conditioning division vice -president Zaho Lei said in a statement.
“We want to focus on generating innovation and creating value within eight hours of working day, instead,” he said.
However, not all employees are completely confident.
“I am not sure the changes are durable,” an employee said, who refused to be recognized for fear of the results.
The employee said that he was usually on a 24 -hour call and was pulled into meetings even when he was on first holiday.
($ 1 = 7.2632 Chinese Yuan)
overtime ban
