Employees Lace Up As Chinese Company Ties Bonuses To Fitness – News18

Employees in various industries are accustomed to receiving bonuses based on their performance, with each company having its policies governing such rewards. However, recent changes to bonus policies have left employees at a Chinese company, The Dongpo Paper, in shock. According to a report from the South China Morning Post, The Dongpo Paper has shifted its performance bonus criteria from work habits to fitness, a move that has prompted employees to focus more on their physical well-being to secure bonuses.

Situated in Guangdong Province, China, The Dongpo Paper Company recently implemented a notable alteration to its traditional performance bonus policy. Instead of assessing performance, the bonus is now determined by the fitness levels of employees. According to reports, employees will receive a full monthly bonus only if they run 50 kilometres within a month. Additional bonuses include a 60 per cent reward for running 40 kilometres, a 30 per cent bonus for a 30-kilometre run, and an extra 30 per cent for those achieving a 100-kilometre run in a month.

Notably, the new policy extends beyond running, incorporating activities such as speed walking and mountain hiking. These activities can contribute 30 or 60 per cent of the total exercise tally and will be tracked through a dedicated app on employees’ phones. As news of this policy went viral on social media, the company’s leadership clarified that the intention behind the change was to promote employee health. Employees have expressed contentment with the new approach, emphasising that it not only encourages fitness but also provides a financial incentive.

In a separate development ahead of Diwali, the Indian government’s Finance Ministry made a significant decision regarding non-productivity-linked bonuses for central government employees in the fiscal year 2022–23. The Finance Ministry set the ceiling for computing a non-productivity-linked bonus (ad hoc bonus) at Rs 7,000. An office memorandum from the Department of Expenditure under the Finance Ministry stated that the non-productivity-linked bonus (ad hoc bonus) equivalent to 30 days of emoluments for the accounting year 2022–23 has been granted to central government employees in Group C. The bonus is also applicable to all non-gazetted employees in Group B who were not covered by any productivity-linked bonus scheme.