For several weeks now, the lights in the research department of the Chinese drone manufacturer DJI have been going out at exactly 9 p.m. That's when employees stop working and literally leave the company. Until recently, they had been working until 10 or 11 p.m.
This new rule was introduced after China's state and party leadership called for employees to get a well-deserved rest, reports German public broadcaster ARD. But there's more to it: it's believed that when people work less, they'll start spending more money in their free time.
Xiao Hua, 27, works at DJI and approves of the new regulation. Until recently, he used to come home from work when everyone at home was already asleep. Now he can still play with his children when he gets home. He thinks he can spend a little more money in the future because now that he has more time for his family, he is in a better mood, the young man admits to ARD.
People prefer to rest, not shop
Another DJI employee preferred to remain anonymous when talking to German television. He says that he no longer has to go home and go straight to bed. Will he have more time for shopping, though? He doesn't believe it. After all, leaving work at 9 p.m. doesn't mean you can walk around the shops.
A 28-year-old woman who also works for the company says that she now watches more TV and spends more time on Chinese social networks. She hopes that she will be able to start filling her time with more meaningful things. Another employee says she has started exercising more.
Apparently, the fact that they are already finishing work earlier does not automatically mean that employees will necessarily start spending more.
Plan to stimulate domestic demand
However, this is exactly what the communist state and the party leadership are hoping for. In March, they presented the so-called "Action Plan to Stimulate Domestic Demand". Now it is especially important in view of the trade war with the US. Everything that is not exported must be sold on the Chinese market - this is the goal of the authorities.
In fact, in China the law assumes an 8-hour working day, notes ARD. That is why the specific request to reduce people's working hours is strange. But in reality, before the introduction of the new regulation, a 12-hour working day was something normal. Why?
Mostly because no one punishes them. According to Chinese politics expert Katja Drinhausen, there are various reasons for this. For startups, for example, it is a matter of honor to work as much as possible. On the other hand, especially in manufacturing, workers from foreign countries are dependent on working outside the normal working hours and rely on the extra money.
According to the expert, the main question now is how the new rules will be implemented. Drinhausen also shares the opinion that more free time does not necessarily mean more shopping or going to the cinema, restaurant, etc. The Chinese are careful with their money - especially now, given the situation in the world, the expert believes. And if you don't save for illness or a rainy day in China, in the worst case you will be left without money.
Many companies are already complying with the new requirements
DJI is not the only company in China that is already complying with the party's new requirements. Back in January, the white goods manufacturer Midea banned working after the end of the official working day. Industrial giant Haier has also banned weekend work, and overtime will only be approved with a week's notice.
The shopping mall and grocery chain Pangdonglai recently made headlines in China. The company's founder, Yu Donglai, introduced a special regulation: anyone who is fed up with work can take up to ten days off without having to give a specific reason. The corporate culture at Pangdonglai is also unique: a seven-hour workday, 30-40 days of vacation per year, and no weekend work. Conditions that most Chinese can still only dream of.
Author: Caroline Voigt (ARD)