One of Tencent’s gaming studios, Lightspeed & Quantum Studios Group, has launched “overtime work management regulations” in a move to tackle the overtime culture widespread across China’s tech giants.
The guidelines entitle employees to full weekends off work and guaranteed vacations on national holidays. In addition, employees should not leave the office later than 9 pm on weekdays and should finish at 6 pm on Wednesdays. The new regulations, which will be implemented from 14 June, also state that teams who work ‘illegally’ on weekends will not be allowed to work overtime for four consecutive weeks.
Lightspeed & Quantum Studios Group is one of Tencent Interactive Entertainment Group’s four studio groups and developed the popular games Peace Elite and Happy Landlord.
The company is responding to the growing ‘burnout’ among young Chinese due to long overtime working hours and intense job competition. ‘996 culture’ (working from 9 am until 9 pm six days per week) is prevalent in the tech, gaming, and sales industry.
Some netizens praised the company for taking a lead in encouraging employees not to work overtime, especially in the high-intensity gaming industry. On the other hand, some Weibo users commented that getting off work at 6 pm shouldn’t be newsworthy and that Tencent is making employees’ right seem like a company benefit.
Tencent’s new works regulations were trending on Weibo under the hashtag “#Tencent pilots compulsory get off work at 6:00” (#腾讯试点强制六点下班) and gained 700 million views.
“Isn’t it normal to get off work at 6 pm? Why do you need to pilot it?”
“I assume they will continue working somewhere else?”
“What’s the point? If I can’t finish my work, I still need to take my laptop with me and finish it at home.”
Netizens’ comments on Weibo
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