Chinese Company Determines Each Employee’s Annual Bonus By The Number Of Miles They Run Each Month
The company's chairman admitted that he wants his employees to be physically fit.
GBJSTOCK | Shutterstock A Chinese company is trying out a rather peculiar way to give their employees bonuses, and it all comes down to their physical health and stamina. Guangdong Dongpo Paper Co., located in the southern industrial hub of Guangdong province, announced that instead of looking at an employee's performance, they would be determining bonuses based on their physical activity.
The idea came from the company's chairman, Lin Zhiyong, who is an avid fitness enthusiast. Apparently, Zhiyong wants his love of fitness to be something that drives the company and forces his employees to start thinking about their own fitness journeys, especially if they want to earn more money.
The company determines each employee's annual bonus based on the number of miles they run each month.
According to Guangzhou Daily, employee bonuses would be determined by the number of miles they ran each month. Workers who logged at least 62 miles each month would earn an annual bonus worth 130% of their monthly salary, while those who logged at least 31 miles per month would receive an annual bonus equivalent to a month’s salary.
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The bonuses correlate to the number of miles an employee runs, hikes, or even walks each month. Zhiyong, who is known as the "first person in Dongguan to climb the north and south slopes of Mount Everest," explained that the idea came after he spent more than three years trying to get his employees to step up their fitness regimen.
"My business can only endure if my employees are healthy," he claimed. The company, which consists of 100 employees, will have to track their exercise and log it on an app that will also track their progress.
Workers who can't meet the physical fitness requirements will have money docked from their bonuses.
Employees who run under 25 miles each month will see a 60% decrease in their total annual bonus. Employees who log just 12 miles per month will only take home 30% of their bonus.
To help encourage active participation from everyone, employees who are able to run 31 miles for six consecutive months will receive a new pair of running shoes. Zhiyong explained that this new way of giving bonuses has been well-received by his employees, with one unnamed worker telling Guangzhou Daily, "not only do they exercise, but they also get paid. It kills two birds with one stone."
In theory, this initiative seems to make sense. You have the potential to not only earn more money but also improve your health. That's, of course, good for any company that provides health insurance for its employees and is also driven to keep its staff working for longer.
What happens to employees who are not physically capable of running 25 miles a month? Factors like age, pre-existing health conditions and disabilities will inevitably bar individuals from money that they deserve based on what bonuses should be based on — the quality of their work.
There were many critics who called out the company for its bonus-earning initiative.
Business Insider reported that many of the 100 employees at Guangdong Dongpo Paper Co. were actually excited about the bonus structure. They reported that an unnamed employee was quoted as saying, "Not only do we get to keep fit, we also get paid for it as well. That's killing two birds with one stone."
If that sounds like a PR spokesperson to you, you're not alone. On the Chinese social media site, Weibo, people were quick to mock the entire plan. "100 kilometers a month and more than 3,000 meters a day? Does this require employees to become long-distance runners?" one user questioned. Another noted, "You can pay attention to the future direction of this company. I think it may go bankrupt in the next five years."
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While it's one thing to want your employees to care about their overall well-being because it definitely impacts the way they show up and work, it's entirely different to hold their bonuses over their heads if they don't complete a rigid exercise regimen. Perhaps Zhiyong could instead offer a variety of exercises and qualifying activities that would include everyone and encourage all capabilities to prioritize physical fitness.
Of course, it's only their bonuses, and it doesn't impact their regular pay, but if bonuses aren't going to be based on performance in the workplace, then the playing field needs to be leveled so everyone can participate.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
