TOPIC

Chinese work culture

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Chinese work culture. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

last updated:

9 September, 2024

Hong Kong at 25

Explainer | Why Hong Kong uses bamboo scaffolding, meet those who climb it

An ancient practice, suitable only for people with nerves of steel, remains alive and well in a modern city full of skyscrapers.

28 Jun 2022 - 11:00AM

Coronavirus pandemic

The View | ‘Spirit-preneurship’ could be antidote to pandemic’s Great Resignation

4 May 2022 - 10:13AM

Smartphones

Privacy debate after Chinese company demands to check employee phone battery status

21 Apr 2022 - 1:10PM

Jobs

Letters | Hong Kong work culture means a ‘Great Resignation’ here is unlikely

Readers discuss the differences in work values between generations in Hong Kong and the global ripple effects emanating from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

20 Mar 2022 - 2:30PM

An SF Express delivery staffer moving an order at Nan Fung Plaza in Tseung Kwan O on March 4. Photo: Dickson Lee

Ageing society

China wants its people to work longer, but people over 35 cannot get hired

Despite China trialing a scheme to allow people to work beyond their official retirement age, 60 for men and 55 for women, many workers over 35 are already finding it difficult to get work.

6 Mar 2022 - 9:00AMvideocam

ByteDance

ByteDance worker’s death after workout trends on Weibo

The employee in his late 20s died after an hour-long workout at a company gym, making him the latest tech worker to reignite online debate about pressures in the industry.

23 Feb 2022 - 5:53PM

Hong Kong property

Concrete Analysis | Need for work-life balance fans flight to quality in Hong Kong office market

A JLL study has found that working from home has taken a mental toll on workers. Many are craving a better work-life balance and a sense of belonging afforded by the office environment.

7 Dec 2021 - 12:01PMvideocam

Fatigue caused by working from home regime has prompted more workers in Asia-Pacific to crave for a return to offices. Photo: Bloomberg

Photography

Elderly trolley pushers dice with death on Hong Kong’s roads

They perform an essential task, moving bulky loads – of household waste and other things – on Hong Kong’s crowded streets, dodging traffic every day. Six photographers set out to draw attention to their plight.

13 Sep 2021 - 2:58PM

China's ageing population

Opinion | Why work is the biggest hurdle to solving East Asia’s population crisis

For China, lifting birth restrictions is no guarantee of a baby boom as long working hours come at the price of long-term population growth. When parents can spend quality time with their children and not be consumed by stress, fertility rates will rise.

28 Apr 2021 - 6:45AMvideocam

China society

‘How many boyfriends have you had?’ The reality for women jobseekers in China

Jobs for ‘Men only’, pregnancy tests, and being asked about dating history are common for women looking for work.

12 Mar 2021 - 3:13PM

Unlucky in love can mean unlucky at work in China as employers demand dating history from women applicants to prove ‘emotional intelligence’. Picture: Shutterstock

Old Hong Kong

Then & Now | In Hong Kong, working from home was once lot of society’s poorest

Piecework was commonplace during the city’s post-war industrial boom, allowing families to earn extra and their employers to sidestep safety and labour regulations.

10 Feb 2021 - 10:15AM

An elderly woman assembles plastic flowers at the Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter in 1970. Photo: SCMP

Alibaba

DingTalk is China's answer to Slack -- and the stuff of office nightmares

Alibaba’s office tool has been called a weapon of micromanagement, but China’s work culture plays into its unpopularity

29 May 2020 - 11:05PM

Video gaming

Experience the damaging reality of China’s 996 work culture in a new game

My Office 996 parodies work practices once championed by Alibaba founder Jack Ma, JD.com’s Richard Liu and Huawei

31 Mar 2020 - 5:19AM

Coronavirus pandemic: All stories

Will remote working last?

People forced to work at home in China are saving time and money, but some say it also brings distractions and reduced efficiency

26 Feb 2020 - 9:31PM

Even in Hong Kong’s central business district, few people are seen on the streets as lunch hour approaches because of the coronavirus epidemic. (Picture: SCMP)

WeChat

WeChat is ruining work-life balance, and one local government wants to fix it

In China, WeChat is for both work and play, but one Zhuhai district wants the right to disconnect

20 Sep 2019 - 9:04AM

Trending in China

Jack Ma and Richard Liu defend China’s overtime work culture, but ordinary workers can’t relate

Alibaba and JD.com founders call for full devotion to work

20 Sep 2019 - 9:01AM

Trending in China

Chinese browsers block protest against China’s 996 overtime work culture

996 culture refers to working from 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week -- and one Chinese developer decided to speak out against the dangerous practice through a project on GitHub. China's tech industry is notorious for a punishing work culture; one VC used to tell me how she was regularly booked for meetings at midnight. The most shocking thing about it was that she said it as boast, implying that others should follow this example.

20 Sep 2019 - 9:00AM

Trending in China

Follow China’s “996” work hours and you’ll end up in an ICU, says Chinese developer

“996” means 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week

20 Sep 2019 - 9:00AM

“Developers’ lives matter,” says the developer. (Picture: 996.icu)

WeChat

Don’t use WeChat for work, says the Communist Youth League

Tencent’s WeChat is often used as a work tool in China

20 Sep 2019 - 8:53AM

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW