An unconventional but effective way for a Chinese paper firm to encourage its workers to lead healthier lives is by issuing year-end bonuses directly tied to employees’ levels of physical activity.
According to Guangzhou Daily, employees at Guangdong Dongpo Paper Co., a company in Guangdong province’s southern industrial heartland, would get extra pay depending on how many kilometers they run, climb, or walk each month.
An annual bonus equal to one month’s income will be given to employees who put in at least 31 miles each month, and a bonus worth 130% of their monthly salary will be given to those who put in at least 62 miles per month.
Lin Zhiyong, chairman of the board and a self-proclaimed “first person in Dongguan to ascend the north and south slopes of Mount Everest,” is a fitness fanatic and the mastermind behind the concept.
This follows Lin spending over three years urging his staff to increase their physical activity levels, as stated in the Guangzhou Daily.
An app will record and monitor the workout activities of the company’s 100 workers.
Meanwhile, a significant portion of employees’ compensation will be withheld if they fall short of those ambitious targets. A worker whose monthly mileage is less than 25 miles will earn 60% of their entire bonus, while a worker whose monthly mileage is 12 miles or less would earn a pitiful 30%.
Employees who log 31 kilometers in six consecutive months will be eligible for a complimentary pair of running shoes as an incentive to participate.
An anonymous employee told the news source, “Not only do they exercise, but they also get paid to do it,” lending credence to Lin’s claims that workers are pleased with the new payment plan. It accomplishes two goals at once.
Many on social media have wondered if his company neglects to hire disabled people or discriminates against them with this business arrangement.
