Nearly a Tenth of Chinese Firms Use Forced Clock-Out Systems, Survey Finds

(Yicai) Dec. 23 -- Almost 10 percent of Chinese companies have implemented forced clock-out measures to "fight the rat race," where employees feel they must compete with others at the workplace to achieve more, according to the findings of a survey carried out by online recruitment platform Zhaopin.Some 8.4 percent of firms in China have begun using a forced clock-out system, the report published on Dec. 20 showed. In addition, almost 80 percent of workers would consider resigning if they have been in an excessively competitive environment for a long time, with 32 percent being "more inclined to seek out healthier companies."More and more Chinese workers are starting to reconsider whether their jobs are worth sticking with when their workplace competition starts squeezing room for individual growth, eroding quality of life, and leading to burnout, the report pointed out.Leading Chinese manufacturers, including DJI Technology, Haier Group, and Midea Group, have introduced "anti-rat race" measures since the start of this year, including forced clock-out at closing time, ineffective overtime resistance, and strict bans on non-essential meetings. In addition, some companies in Zhejiang province have voluntarily implemented a 4.5-day workweek.Just over half of the surveyed firms maintain a stance of "neither forcing nor encouraging overtime," while 41 percent retain a corporate culture that advocates overtime, the report said. Companies have not yet formed a unified consensus in the work ecosystem optimization process, with the shift in management philosophies still needing time.The 2025 Zhaopin Employment Relations survey was carried out over the past year, but the number of participating companies and employees was not disclosed.Editor: Martin Kadiev