https://www.scmp.com/rss/501248/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Tap here to launch the special feature https://www.scmp.com/hong-kong-25/culture/article/3183200/why-hong-kong-uses-bamboo-scaffolding-and-meet-spider-men-who?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/hong-kong-25/culture/article/3183200/why-hong-kong-uses-bamboo-scaffolding-and-meet-spider-men-who?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jun 2022 03:00:18 +0000 In the past two years, the emergence and eventual spread of Covid-19 has prompted us to stop and reflect. This pause, combined with the silence caused by lockdowns, has resulted in what has been called the “Great Resignation” – an ongoing trend of millions of people voluntarily resigning from their jobs. The phenomenon has been attributed to wage stagnation, the growing cost of living, job dissatisfaction and safety concerns brought about by the pandemic. Some have likened the Great Resignation... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3176323/antidote-covid-19-pandemics-great-resignation-could-be-found-spirit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3176323/antidote-covid-19-pandemics-great-resignation-could-be-found-spirit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 May 2022 14:00:25 +0000 A company in central China is in hot water for making its employees send screenshots of their phone battery status to management to ensure their staff is not wasting time when they could be working. The company, which is based in Wuhan, in Hubei province, and whose name was not disclosed, made their staff show their remaining battery power before getting off work for the day. A viral post on Weibo showed that the staff must send a direct message on WeChat with an attached screenshot of their... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/social-welfare/article/3174989/demand-chinese-company-check-employee-phone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/social-welfare/article/3174989/demand-chinese-company-check-employee-phone?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Apr 2022 05:10:30 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. The World Economic Forum website recently published an article by KU Leuven professor Galen Watts, who attributes the “Great Resignation” in the West to an awakening of the wish to pursue a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3170835/hectic-work-culture-means-hong-kong-great-resignation-unlikely?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3170835/hectic-work-culture-means-hong-kong-great-resignation-unlikely?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Mar 2022 06:30:18 +0000 Janice Chen used to be a mid-level employee at a multinational company in Shanghai until she was laid off in the summer of 2020 due to an economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Searching for work for over a year, she could not find a job until a few months ago, at a much smaller domestic company. Chen is 40 years old, and she said her age was one of the biggest obstacles she had to overcome during the hiring process. “I was prepared that it could be hard, but since I am not having... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/social-welfare/article/3169313/china-wants-its-people-work-longer-people-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/social-welfare/article/3169313/china-wants-its-people-work-longer-people-over?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Mar 2022 01:00:13 +0000 A young ByteDance employee in his late 20s died Wednesday afternoon, according to two internal company memos seen by the South China Morning Post, which said the person collapsed after a workout at a company gym. The company, China’s most valuable unicorn and the owner of short video platform TikTok, confirmed the authenticity of the documents but did not offer details about the incident. “We’re extremely saddened by the passing of our colleague and extend our deepest condolences to our... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3168057/bytedance-worker-dies-after-collapsing-gym-again-raising-996?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3168057/bytedance-worker-dies-after-collapsing-gym-again-raising-996?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Feb 2022 08:00:59 +0000 Covid-19 has driven a well-documented shift in working practices, with work-from-home policies providing flexibility to previously office-bound roles. However, employees are showing signs of missing the social interaction and professional work environment provided by the office. JLL’s latest Worker Preference Barometer, which asked respondents across Asia Pacific, revealed that employees would like to spend three days a week in the office on average, up from just two days in a year-earlier... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3158591/changing-work-dynamics-inject-new-life-hong-kongs-prime-office-sector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3158591/changing-work-dynamics-inject-new-life-hong-kongs-prime-office-sector?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Dec 2021 04:01:10 +0000 If your life currently feels dull – if you’re fed up with Netflix, video games, NFTs and bitcoin – there’s a place in Hong Kong where you can watch actual humans dicing with death. It’s in Sheung Wan, on the footbridge behind the Wing On department store. From this vantage point, you will observe a stream of people below trying to cross four lanes of traffic. They’re on foot, they’re not young and each of them is pushing a trolley piled, stinkingly high, with rubbish. Why did the rubbish... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3147696/they-dice-death-every-day-hong-kongs-streets-elderly-their?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3147696/they-dice-death-every-day-hong-kongs-streets-elderly-their?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Sep 2021 23:15:21 +0000 Birth rates throughout East Asia have fallen to critically low levels. South Korea’s rate fell to a record in 2020 – just 0.84 children were expected to be born per woman, versus the 2.1 needed for population stability. Korea is not alone; Hong Kong’s birth rate was just 1.05 in 2019 while Singapore’s had 1.1 births per woman in 2020. In Taiwan, women can expect to have just 1.05 children each. Japan, once the demographic laggard of East Asia, now has one of the highest birth rates in the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3131153/why-work-biggest-hurdle-solving-east-asias-population-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3131153/why-work-biggest-hurdle-solving-east-asias-population-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Apr 2021 22:45:13 +0000 Legally, China promises to cultivate a healthy work-life balance. Labor laws limit employees to work 8 hours a day, or 44 hours per week, with overtime limited to 36 hours per month.   The reality is the polar opposite. Many workers in China are subject to a grueling work culture that is so ingrained it is drawing serious concern from Chinese lawmakers.  But people are doubtful that the “996” culture - working from 9am to 9pm for 6 days per week - will change anytime soon.  One official, Li... https://www.scmp.com/society/china-may-not-be-able-stop-overwork-culture-even-if-it-wants/article/3125282?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/china-may-not-be-able-stop-overwork-culture-even-if-it-wants/article/3125282?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Mar 2021 15:17:39 +0000 This story about gender discrimination against job seekers is part of a series of stories on women’s issues in China and Asia to coincide with International Women’s Day. How many boyfriends have you had? That is the latest question to join as the long list of sexist and stereotypical questions levelled at women looking for work in China.  Last week a woman revealed on Chinese social media that when applying for a human resources job with a car service company she was asked how many romantic... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3124236/gender-discrimination-against-women-job-seekers-china-rife?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3124236/gender-discrimination-against-women-job-seekers-china-rife?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Mar 2021 23:30:09 +0000 China’s grueling 72-hour work week has become a defining feature of its rise into a modern tech powerhouse. But now, young entrepreneurs are hoping an older tradition can provide a guiding light. Known as “Buddhist entrepreneurs,” they are thumbing their noses at China’s controversial “996” work culture – which stands for working 9am to 9pm six days a week. Among those embracing the philosophy are Su Hua, the CEO of TikTok-like short video app Kuaishou, and Chen Rui, the chairman of one of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/chinese-work-culture-tries-find-its-zen/article/3122911?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/chinese-work-culture-tries-find-its-zen/article/3122911?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Feb 2021 10:37:20 +0000 There’s a dark side for women seeking employment in China – blatant gender discrimination. During job interviews, many women routinely face questions of whether they are single or married, while others are forced to sign contracts that state they won’t get pregnant for three years. “We’ve come across (job) ads that say ‘women under 30’,” said a women’s rights campaigner who goes by the alias Hepburn. She added that others state bluntly: “men preferred.” Hepburn is a member of the “Inspection... https://www.scmp.com/society/squad-women-fight-discrimination-chinese-work-culture/article/3122744?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/squad-women-fight-discrimination-chinese-work-culture/article/3122744?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Feb 2021 10:30:51 +0000 The Chinese government is getting tough on schools after a growing body of evidence shows students are severely sleep-deprived.  Education Minister Chen Baosheng said lack of sleep was taking a toll on China’s children, and the government would add sleep time in its annual appraisal of schools.  A 2019 study from the Chinese Sleep Research Society showed that 63% of Chinese children aged between 6 to 17 get less than eight hours of sleep a night due to the heavy burden of homework. The number... https://www.scmp.com/society/most-chinese-children-sleep-less-eight-hours-day/article/3121404?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/most-chinese-children-sleep-less-eight-hours-day/article/3121404?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Feb 2021 08:29:10 +0000 Is 35 suddenly becoming “over the hill” in China? It certainly feels that way to some workers.  As the competition for jobs becomes more fierce among a pandemic-related economic slowdown, a growing number of employment ads are posting age limits of 35 for fresh applicants.  The problem is so widespread that state media has even branded it the “age 35 phenomenon.” In his forties, David Huang is one of the scores of Chinese workers above 35 feeling increasingly vulnerable.  After the small... https://www.scmp.com/business/35-may-be-too-old-find-work-china/article/3121279?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/35-may-be-too-old-find-work-china/article/3121279?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Feb 2021 11:17:54 +0000 Throughout months of pandemic-induced restrictions, city- or nationwide lockdowns, and intermittent office closures, working from home in one form or another has become commonplace all over the world. But what did this employment variant look like in the past, in Hong Kong and elsewhere, and how have the socio-economic realities for stay-at-home workers shifted? Physical separation between work­place and home has largely evolved in industrial societies over the past three centuries. Before then,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3120652/hong-kong-working-home-was-once-lot-societys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3120652/hong-kong-working-home-was-once-lot-societys?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Feb 2021 02:15:13 +0000 Chinese women are choosing money over marriage - and it’s all because of what’s on TV, according to a recently released study. The report released by research firm Bernstein found that as television dramas become more focused on wealth and materialism, so too have young Chinese women. Their idea of success has switched from “marrying well” to “being the architect of your own success.” In the last four decades, China has experienced an unprecedented rise in prosperity as one of the world’s... https://www.scmp.com/style/chinese-women-are-redefining-success-and-television-thank/article/3120045?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/style/chinese-women-are-redefining-success-and-television-thank/article/3120045?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Feb 2021 11:16:35 +0000 Allegations of China’s brutal work culture have been thrown under the spotlight again after two work dispute cases came to light this week. The debate was re-ignited after a man was fired for attending his father’s funeral and a woman dismissed when she refused to stay back at work to practice dancing for the company’s annual Chinese New Year party. The disputes have sparked an evaluation on social media over China’s ingrained culture of overwork. Chinese people are criticizing work expectations... https://www.scmp.com/society/two-firings-put-chinas-extreme-work-culture-under-microscope/article/3119594?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/two-firings-put-chinas-extreme-work-culture-under-microscope/article/3119594?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Jan 2021 10:06:07 +0000 A Chinese employee has complained of feeling “naked at work” after discovering that bosses were collecting data from her posterior without her knowledge. The administration employee, Wang, who worked for Hangzhou-based, high-tech company, Hebo Technology in China’s eastern Zhejiang province, was shocked and upset to learn that the ‘smart cushion’ her bosses had given her and nine other employees, supposedly for their wellbeing, was instead being used to monitor their behavior at work. The... https://www.scmp.com/society/i-felt-naked-chinese-worker-claims-she-was-gifted-surveillance-cushion/article/3116968?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/i-felt-naked-chinese-worker-claims-she-was-gifted-surveillance-cushion/article/3116968?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Jan 2021 10:17:19 +0000 A company in China has imposed a controversial rule by fining employees who take more than one bathroom break during their shift. The factory said it imposed the regulation to improve efficiency after discovering that some workers were spending time in the bathroom playing games on their phones or smoking cigarettes.  According to photos published online by disgruntled employees last week, the factory in the city of Dongguan, in the province of Guangzhou fined six workers US$3 for using the... https://www.scmp.com/society/chinese-company-fines-workers-who-take-more-one-bathroom-break/article/3116452?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/chinese-company-fines-workers-who-take-more-one-bathroom-break/article/3116452?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Jan 2021 09:01:38 +0000 Young people in China have recently embraced new ‘unofficial’ laziness rules in the workplace to protest against a modern work culture they believe is far too demanding without sufficient rewards.  In a snub to China’s rat race and expectation to work long hours, Generation Z is calling on their comrades to start slacking off, or as they have dubbed it, “touching fish,” or “mo yu.” Among the rules for laziness are doing stretches in the office pantry, using the most toilet paper in the company... https://www.scmp.com/business/touching-fish-becomes-unusual-work-philosophy-chinas-gen-z/article/3116314?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/touching-fish-becomes-unusual-work-philosophy-chinas-gen-z/article/3116314?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Jan 2021 11:09:56 +0000 Motherhood is still a barrier to Chinese women in the workplace, a survey has warned.  Researchers questioned more than 8,000 professional women, and found that almost half (48%) took at least a year off work after giving birth with one in five becoming stay-at-home moms for several years.  "I never thought one day I would become a full-time mom, but it actually happened," said one woman, who was looking to get back to work after spending three years at home.  A third of the mothers admitted... https://www.scmp.com/society/chinas-working-moms-still-being-held-back/article/3110370?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/chinas-working-moms-still-being-held-back/article/3110370?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Nov 2020 09:57:43 +0000 Taking a day off in China can often be tricky. Peer pressure from colleagues and bosses often means workers stretch themselves to the breaking point, spending long hours in overtime or dragging themselves to work when they don’t feel well.  Shenzhen, the southern megacity in China, is trying to change the work culture by forcing companies to respect their employees’ mandated days off. The guidelines are part of a larger plan to improve Shenzhen’s living standards by fighting air pollution,... https://www.scmp.com/society/shenzhen-residents-told-take-time-improve-city/article/3110216?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/shenzhen-residents-told-take-time-improve-city/article/3110216?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Nov 2020 11:06:25 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS “From its first day, DingTalk has been an iron thorn whip. It turns employees into instruments, it’s a tool of enslavement.” Based on these harsh words alone, you might think DingTalk is a medieval torture device deployed by corporations to punish employees for missing deadlines. But this is actually one of many negative comments left on a local forum describing one of China’s most widely used work communication platforms. It’s used the same way in the... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3086778/dingtalk-chinas-answer-slack-and-stuff-office-nightmares?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3086778/dingtalk-chinas-answer-slack-and-stuff-office-nightmares?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2020 15:05:57 +0000 “From its first day, DingTalk has been an iron thorn whip. It turns employees into instruments, it’s a tool of enslavement.” Based on these harsh words alone, you might think DingTalk is a medieval torture device deployed by corporations to punish employees for missing deadlines. But this is actually one of many negative comments left on a local forum describing one of China’s most widely used work communication platforms. It’s used the same way in the country as Slack is in the West. But just... https://www.scmp.com/culture/dingtalk-chinas-answer-slack-and-stuff-office-nightmares/article/3086596?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/dingtalk-chinas-answer-slack-and-stuff-office-nightmares/article/3086596?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2020 15:05:54 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Just six weeks into my shiny new programming job at a Hangzhou tech startup, I was thrown into a moral dilemma: Should I agree to the proposed firing of my senior coworker, who had been hospitalised after weeks of late-night working – or should I speak up to the CEO, who was clearly annoyed by the growing pile of unfinished work? I chose to go against the boss. And then the game was over. My Office 996 is a new mobile game that puts you at the heart of... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3077663/experience-damaging-reality-chinas-996-work-culture-new-game?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/games/article/3077663/experience-damaging-reality-chinas-996-work-culture-new-game?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2020 21:00:16 +0000 Just six weeks into my shiny new programming job at a Hangzhou tech startup, I was thrown into a moral dilemma: Should I agree to the proposed firing of my senior coworker, who had been hospitalized after weeks of late-night working -- or should I speak up to the CEO, who was clearly annoyed by the growing pile of unfinished work? I chose to go against the boss. And then the game was over. My Office 996 is a new mobile game that puts you at the heart of a notoriously common work culture in... https://www.scmp.com/games/experience-damaging-reality-chinas-996-work-culture-new-game/article/3077591?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/games/experience-damaging-reality-chinas-996-work-culture-new-game/article/3077591?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2020 21:00:14 +0000 For nearly a month, millions of people in China have had no choice but to work from home as authorities have locked down cities and restricted traffic to contain the coronavirus outbreak. It has been a jarring transition in a country where remote work policy is a novelty in many businesses. Mercer, an American human resources consultancy, said about half of the 516 companies it surveyed in China asked their employees to work remotely after restarting operation this month. “For many companies in... https://www.scmp.com/business/coronavirus-outbreak-forces-millions-china-learn-work-home/article/3052911?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/coronavirus-outbreak-forces-millions-china-learn-work-home/article/3052911?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Feb 2020 12:20:53 +0000 Telecommuting remains the current choice of operation for more than half of Chinese companies coping with the shutdown brought about by the coronavirus, despite figures in recent days showing a slowing in the spread of the deadly disease inside China. More than 60% of companies in major Chinese cities have not reopened offices since the Lunar New Year holiday, allowing employees to work remotely from home, statistics from Baidu showed.   The massive shift in work mode to try and contain the... https://www.scmp.com/culture/more-60-chinese-companies-keep-offices-closed-amid-coronavirus-epidemic/article/3052703?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/more-60-chinese-companies-keep-offices-closed-amid-coronavirus-epidemic/article/3052703?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Feb 2020 09:23:23 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS While Silicon Valley might have embraced a flexible remote-work culture, workers in China have suddenly found themselves without a choice. During the 2020 Lunar New Year, more than 18 million companies in China resorted to remote work online, with more than 300 million people using remote work apps, according to a report by Chinese research firm iiMedia. Hashtags like “why am I more tired working from home” and “different states of working from home”... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3052539/will-remote-work-be-long-term-habit-after-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3052539/will-remote-work-be-long-term-habit-after-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Feb 2020 13:31:40 +0000 While Silicon Valley might have embraced a flexible remote-work culture, workers in China have suddenly found themselves without a choice. During the 2020 Lunar New Year, more than 18 million companies in China resorted to remote work online, with more than 300 million people using remote work apps, according to a report by Chinese research firm iiMedia. Hashtags like “why am I more tired working from home” and “different states of working from home” have repeatedly become trending topics on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/will-remote-work-be-long-term-habit-after-coronavirus/article/3052521?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/will-remote-work-be-long-term-habit-after-coronavirus/article/3052521?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Feb 2020 13:31:38 +0000 Each winter, about 100 workers toil on the frozen Songhua River in Harbin to harvest ice for the city’s famed Ice and Snow Festival, the largest of its kind in the world. The blocks will be moved to the capital of China’s northeastern province of Heilongjiang where they will be shaped into giant crystal palaces and sculptures at the event opening in early January. https://www.scmp.com/china/frozen-chinese-icemen-brave-cold-harbin-festival/article/3043192?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/frozen-chinese-icemen-brave-cold-harbin-festival/article/3043192?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Dec 2019 10:32:14 +0000 Chinese tech giant Huawei said a former employee had the right to sue the company, amid allegations that he was wrongly detained for eight months on extortion charges. Li Hongyuan, 35, claimed that he was detained for 251 days from December last year and formally charged in January after he negotiated a severance package with the company. Li, who worked for Huawei for 12 years, said his director decided not to renew his contract at the end of 2017, after he reported to company management about... https://www.scmp.com/culture/huawei-says-employee-who-claims-he-was-wrongly-detained-has-right-sue/article/3040350?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/huawei-says-employee-who-claims-he-was-wrongly-detained-has-right-sue/article/3040350?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Dec 2019 13:24:22 +0000 Foreign workers in China have long complained about the bureaucracy and paperwork involved in getting a working visa, but that may be about to change after the authorities unveiled plans to streamline the application process. A policy document released on Sunday outlined plans for a series of pilot programs to reduce the red tape as part of a project to boost the Yangtze River Delta region, which includes major commercial cities such as Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nanjing. The plans, rubber-stamped... https://www.scmp.com/society/china-aims-cut-work-permit-red-tape-foreigners-yangtze-river-delta/article/3040384?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/china-aims-cut-work-permit-red-tape-foreigners-yangtze-river-delta/article/3040384?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Dec 2019 09:34:36 +0000 Meituan Dianping, an on-demand delivery app, is developing a recruitment service, according to Chinese tech news site 36Kr.  A source quoted said that Mantou Zhipin (“Steamed Bun Recruitment”) will start by helping businesses already using Meituan, such as restaurants and gyms, recruit blue-collar workers like waiters and trainers. Job seekers will be able to browse listings on Meituan’s app and a dedicated mini program on WeChat. An estimated 80 million job seekers in China used recruiting apps... https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/meituan-dianping-wants-help-people-find-jobs-restaurants/article/3027054?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/meituan-dianping-wants-help-people-find-jobs-restaurants/article/3027054?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Sep 2019 07:59:02 +0000 How much should a text affect your job prospects? In China, an employee was fired from a bar after replying to her manager with the 👌 emoji on the messaging app WeChat, online outlet Btime reported. The manager had asked the employee to send over some meeting documents. She responded with the OK emoji, and he took issue with it. “You should use text to reply to the message if you have received it,” the manager replied. “Don’t you know the rules? Is this your way of acknowledging receipt?” A few... https://www.scmp.com/culture/chinese-employee-fired-sending-emoji-her-boss/article/3015232?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/chinese-employee-fired-sending-emoji-her-boss/article/3015232?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jun 2019 10:28:10 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Technology has improved many aspects of work, but mobile tech has also introduced one major problem for people trying to enjoy their time off the clock: Being constantly available. Now a district in one Chinese city is fed up with people who keep texting about work after hours and wants to put a stop to it. The local government of Xiangzhou district in Zhuhai (the Chinese city across the border from Macau) proposed banning the practice for government... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029350/wechat-ruining-work-life-balance-and-one-local-government-wants-fix?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029350/wechat-ruining-work-life-balance-and-one-local-government-wants-fix?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 May 2019 14:40:26 +0000 Technology has improved many aspects of work, but mobile tech has also introduced one major problem for people trying to enjoy their time off the clock: Being constantly available. Now a district in one Chinese city is fed up with people who keep texting about work after hours and wants to put a stop to it. The local government of Xiangzhou district in Zhuhai (the Chinese city across the border from Macau) proposed banning the practice for government employees at the beginning of the month. The... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/wechat-ruining-work-life-balance-and-one-local-government-wants-fix-it/article/3010093?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/wechat-ruining-work-life-balance-and-one-local-government-wants-fix-it/article/3010093?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 May 2019 14:40:26 +0000 Emailing people in China can be a frustrating experience for one simple reason: you rarely get a reply. In the West, emails are more likely to be overlooked because they become buried under other emails. In China, however, the concept just seems to be disregarded entirely, whether in business or personal life. And there’s a reason for this, one that’s tangled up in the history of China’s internet and the rise of Chinese tech companies. The early years of China’s internet At the turn of the... https://www.scmp.com/culture/why-chinese-people-dont-use-email/article/3007702?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/why-chinese-people-dont-use-email/article/3007702?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Apr 2019 12:32:06 +0000 If you love your job, you should be happy working from 9am to 9pm, six days a week -- or even longer. So said Jack Ma, whose rags-to-riches story has now become familiar to many, in a recent rallying call to his troops at Alibaba.   (Abacus is a unit of the South China Morning Post, which is owned by Alibaba.) China’s ordinary workers beg to differ. “I’m so angry I want to laugh,” wrote Weibo blogger Su Jianqi in a post that’s drawn more than 58,000 likes. “Boss Ma, sitting high up among the... https://www.scmp.com/big-guns/jack-ma-and-richard-liu-defend-chinas-overtime-work-culture-ordinary-workers-cant-relate/article/3006207?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/big-guns/jack-ma-and-richard-liu-defend-chinas-overtime-work-culture-ordinary-workers-cant-relate/article/3006207?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Apr 2019 12:30:42 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS If you love your job, you should be happy working from 9am to 9pm, six days a week -- or even longer. So said Jack Ma, whose rags-to-riches story has now become familiar to many, in a recent rallying call to his troops at Alibaba. From failing student to Alibaba founder: The story of Jack Ma (Abacus is a unit of the South China Morning Post, which is owned by Alibaba.) China’s ordinary workers beg to differ. “I’m so angry I want to laugh,” wrote Weibo... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029283/jack-ma-and-richard-liu-defend-chinas-overtime-work-culture-ordinary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029283/jack-ma-and-richard-liu-defend-chinas-overtime-work-culture-ordinary?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Apr 2019 12:30:42 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Chinese developers are using GitHub to protest China’s punishing “996” overtime work culture -- 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week. But back home, Chinese companies are trying to kill the discussion. A number of Chinese browsers, including Tencent’s QQ Browser, Qihoo’s 360 Browser and the native browser on Xiaomi smartphones, have restricted user access to the 996.icu repository on GitHub.  The project was started by an anonymous Chinese developer who says... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029260/chinese-browsers-block-protest-against-chinas-996-overtime-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029260/chinese-browsers-block-protest-against-chinas-996-overtime-work?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Apr 2019 14:14:12 +0000 Chinese developers are using GitHub to protest China’s punishing “996” overtime work culture -- 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week. But back home, Chinese companies are trying to kill the discussion. A number of Chinese browsers, including Tencent’s QQ Browser, Qihoo’s 360 Browser and the native browser on Xiaomi smartphones, have restricted user access to the 996.icu repository on GitHub.  The project was started by an anonymous Chinese developer who says workers are risking their health when they... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinese-browsers-block-protest-against-chinas-996-overtime-work-culture/article/3004543?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinese-browsers-block-protest-against-chinas-996-overtime-work-culture/article/3004543?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Apr 2019 14:14:12 +0000 “My company recently started ‘996’, and I realized how much it ruins people.” That’s one Chinese developer’s message to the world: Follow the punishing “996” work schedule, and you will end up in an intensive care unit. “996” means 9am to 9pm every day, 6 days a week -- a common model in China’s tech industry. It’s an unspoken rule in China to clock up long hours, sometimes simply to show that you have a dedicated work ethic.  On Thursday, the topic sparked wide debate on Chinese social media... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/follow-chinas-996-work-hours-and-youll-end-icu-says-chinese-developer/article/3003702?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/follow-chinas-996-work-hours-and-youll-end-icu-says-chinese-developer/article/3003702?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Mar 2019 12:10:54 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS “My company recently started ‘996’, and I realized how much it ruins people.” That’s one Chinese developer’s message to the world: Follow the punishing “996” work schedule, and you will end up in an intensive care unit. “996” means 9am to 9pm every day, 6 days a week -- a common model in China’s tech industry. It’s an unspoken rule in China to clock up long hours, sometimes simply to show that you have a dedicated work ethic.  On Thursday, the topic... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029248/follow-chinas-996-work-hours-and-youll-end-icu-says-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029248/follow-chinas-996-work-hours-and-youll-end-icu-says-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Mar 2019 12:10:54 +0000 China loves WeChat. But now the Communist Youth League says it shouldn’t be used for work.   It’s not the first time we’ve heard something like that. Last year, for instance, Australia’s military put WeChat on a blacklist for security concerns. But there’s a bit of a difference between a foreign military and a state-run group like the Communist Youth League. In an article titled “Be aware: Using WeChat for work is risky!” the Communist Youth League of China said that government agencies should... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/dont-use-wechat-work-says-communist-youth-league/article/3000884?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/dont-use-wechat-work-says-communist-youth-league/article/3000884?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Feb 2019 13:41:50 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS China loves WeChat. But now the Communist Youth League says it shouldn’t be used for work. WeChat, the app that does everything It’s not the first time we’ve heard something like that. Last year, for instance, Australia’s military put WeChat on a blacklist for security concerns. But there’s a bit of a difference between a foreign military and a state-run group like the Communist Youth League. In an article titled “Be aware: Using WeChat for work is... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3029171/dont-use-wechat-work-says-communist-youth-league?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3029171/dont-use-wechat-work-says-communist-youth-league?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Feb 2019 13:41:50 +0000