Too good to be true? Employee at Chinese company wins 365 days of paid leave at annual dinner

Too good to be true? An employee of an unnamed firm in Shenzhen, China was the envy of a nation when he won a year’s worth of paid leave at his company’s annual dinner on Sunday (April 9).

The man, who reportedly holds a managerial position in his firm, was seen in a viral video holding a big cheque with the words “365 days of paid leave” emblazoned on it.

An administrative employee at the company identified as Ms Chen can be heard in the video explaining that the winner had sought to clarify repeatedly if the prize was real. Even the boss was “stunned” someone had won the prize, she said.

The company’s annual dinner had not been held for three years owing to the pandemic, according to Chinese media, and a lucky draw was held this time round to provide its employees some relief from work stress.

Ms Chen added that the company will discuss with the winner if he would like to encash or enjoy his paid leave.

Local media reported that the man travels often as part of his job responsibilities.

Reports of the large prize have raised envy among Chinese netizens with some enquiring, tongue in cheek, about vacancies at the company.

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But the unusual nature of the prize left others discussing its practicality. One commenter on Douyin, TikTok’s sister app in China, said: “Dare he accept the prize? After a year, he might return to find someone else in his role.”

It was not the first time a Chinese company has offered a year off as a lucky draw grand prize.

In January 2022, a sales employee from another company, also in Shenzhen, similarly struck the jackpot of 365 days of paid leave. He ended up converting a portion of his award into cash, and also donated part of it to local charities, Chinese media reported.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.