Chinese company offers workers huge bonus if they run two miles a day

A company in China has come up with a novel way for its employees to get paid a healthy year-end bonus: going for a run.

The Dongpo Paper company in Guangdong province has said it will work out its employee bonus scheme based on how many miles they have run each month.

Chairman Lin Zhiyong said the plan will keep his workers in shape. He added: “My business can only endure if my employees are healthy.”

However, it’s no walk in the park.

Employees need to run 62 miles each month if they want the highest annual bonus, which works out at 130 per cent of a month’s wages. That equals out to about two miles-per-day.

Those who don’t quite hit those heights will also get a month’s wages if they run 31 miles each month, 60 percent for 24 miles and 30 percent for 18 miles.

Users of the Chinese social media platform Weibo were split on whether the scheme was a good idea.

One person wrote: “The intention of the company’s policy is good but it should take into consideration any existing conditions or health issues among its employees.”

Another said: “The company should add an extra bonus to the employees who do exercise, instead of using the existing bonus as a bargaining chip.”

A third person said: “You'd have to run two miles a day to meet the monthly target of 62 miles. So, the company wants their staff to be track athletes?”

However, some of the 100 employees on the paper company’s payroll who spoke to Guangzhou Daily indicated that they’re happy with the premise.

“Not only do we get to keep fit, we also get paid for it as well. That's killing two birds with one stone,” an unnamed employee told the publication.

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