Why don’t Chinese workers get more leave? - Asia Specific podcast, BBC World Service

Key Concepts

• Tiao Xiu (调休): “Adjusted rest” – the Chinese system of adding weekend days to public holidays, requiring work on other weekends to compensate.
• Spring Festival (春节): The most important Chinese holiday, also known as Lunar New Year, characterized by mass migration.
• Make-up Days: English term for Tiao Xiu, referring to the weekend days worked to extend public holidays.
• 9.5 Billion Passenger Trips: The projected number of journeys during the 2024 Spring Festival travel rush.
• Work-Life Balance: The ongoing struggle in China between demanding work culture and personal time.
• Youth Unemployment: A significant factor contributing to the acceptance of demanding work conditions by young Chinese workers.

China’s Unique Holiday System and Work Culture

This episode of Asia Specific from the BBC World Service examines China’s unique approach to public holidays, particularly the Spring Festival (Lunar New Year), and the broader context of its demanding work culture. The discussion centers on the Tiao Xiu system – the practice of extending holidays by adding weekend days, but requiring employees to work other weekends in return.

The Scale of Spring Festival Travel

Stephen McDonell, BBC correspondent in Beijing, highlighted the immense scale of travel during Spring Festival. An estimated 9.5 billion passenger trips are expected during the 2024 holiday period. He clarified that this figure represents trips, not individuals, as one person can make multiple journeys. Specifically, rail travel is projected to account for 540 million passengers, and air travel for 95 million. McDonell described Beijing essentially emptying as those who work in the city return to their hometowns, reducing the population to less than half its usual size. He emphasized the logistical complexity of managing this massive movement of people, noting the scenes of travelers carrying gifts and food to their families.

The Mechanics of Tiao Xiu

Fan Wang, a BBC journalist in Singapore, explained the specifics of the Tiao Xiu system. This year’s Spring Festival offered a nine-day break (February 15th – 23rd), but included three weekend days, requiring employees to work on Saturdays, February 14th and February 28th. Effectively, this translates to only four actual weekdays off. The system is officially called Tiao Xiu (调休), meaning “adjusted rest.” While some companies require Saturday work regardless, Tiao Xiu formalizes it as a trade-off for longer holiday periods. The “big week and small week” system, where one weekend day is worked off in one week to grant a full weekend off the next, is also common.

Historical Origins of Tiao Xiu

McDonell traced the origins of Tiao Xiu back to the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s. The Chinese government sought to stimulate the economy by encouraging domestic travel during holidays. The logic was that longer breaks would incentivize people to spend money on transportation, accommodation, and local goods. The system has proven effective in boosting economic activity, particularly in hometowns receiving returning workers.

Growing Discontent and Limited Leave

Despite the extended holiday periods, Fan Wang noted growing discontent, particularly among young people, regarding the limited amount of annual leave. Chinese labor law guarantees only five days of annual leave for employees who are new to a job, increasing with tenure (10 or 20 years of service). This is significantly less than in many other countries. Social media platforms are filled with complaints about the lack of genuine time off, with many employees feeling obligated to remain accessible for work even during their holidays, responding to emails and requests from their superiors. The hierarchical nature of Chinese workplaces often prevents junior employees from declining such requests.

The Broader Context of Chinese Work Culture

McDonell emphasized the connection between the limited annual leave and the intense work culture in China. He pointed to high youth unemployment as a key driver, forcing young graduates to accept demanding conditions to secure employment. The pressure to succeed and the competitive job market contribute to a willingness to sacrifice personal time. He drew a parallel to Japan, where similar pressures lead employees to avoid using their full annual leave allowance.

Fan Wang highlighted the perception that the benefits of Tiao Xiu are often illusory, as the extended holiday is offset by the expectation of constant availability and the difficulty of actually disconnecting from work. The discussion also touched on the potential impact of this work culture on the country’s low birth rate, as people struggle to balance work and family life.

Potential for Change and Economic Considerations

Both journalists acknowledged the potential for change, driven by public discontent and the need to attract and retain talent, especially in the tech industry. McDonell suggested that increasing unemployment could shift the balance of power, forcing employers to offer better conditions. Fan Wang noted that the government has already increased the number of public holidays from 11 to 13, indicating awareness of the issue.

McDonell also pointed out the economic trade-offs, noting that increased time off could stimulate domestic tourism and spending, benefiting smaller towns and regions. He suggested that a more flexible approach to holidays could be beneficial, allowing individuals to choose when to travel rather than being constrained by the Tiao Xiu system.

Quote: “If you’ve got more days off in a row, the theory goes that you’ll travel somewhere. You might go to your home town, or you might visit a new place or something. Spend more money, plane tickets, hotels, you name it.” – Stephen McDonell, BBC Correspondent, Beijing.

Quote: “I think the problem is that those who are most shafted in all this are young people. Like they're coming out of university. Like I was saying, they're desperate. They want to get work and they'll just put up with the conditions because they have to.” – Stephen McDonell, BBC Correspondent, Beijing.

Conclusion

China’s Tiao Xiu system is a complex response to economic pressures and a desire to stimulate domestic tourism. While it provides extended holiday periods, it comes at the cost of working additional weekend days and contributes to a demanding work culture characterized by limited annual leave and a lack of work-life balance. Growing discontent, particularly among young people, suggests a potential for change, but economic factors and the competitive job market continue to reinforce the status quo. The episode highlights the ongoing tension between economic growth and the well-being of Chinese workers.