https://nypost.com/2023/12/18/news/chinese-company-links-annual-bonuses-to-how-many-miles-a-worker-runs-each-month/amp/

Quote:

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A Chinese paper company has introduced an unorthodox strategy to motivate employees to live a healthier lifestyle by tying bonuses to their levels of physical activity.

Guangdong Dongpo Paper Co., located in the southern industrial hub of Guangdong province, will pay out bonuses based on the number of miles each employee runs, hikes or walks each month, according to Guangzhou Daily.

Workers who log at least 62 miles each month will earn an annual bonus worth 130% of their monthly salary, while those who get in at least 31 miles per month will receive an annual bonus equivalent to a month's salary.

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I would be interested to see if this is actually cheaper for the company in the long term. Would you run two miles per day for a bigger bonus at the end of the year?

Yes I would.

Easy yes

This isn't really all that novel. The carrot and stick method has been used for well over 15 years in health insurance premiums at companies large and small in the US. Some of it started with the original fitbits, though there were scams where folks would put them on their pets etc.

I don't keep up with it that much but I know McKesson among others have used it for around that period of time. Huge bonuses? No, at least not generally, but we also pay a lot for health insurance from our take home salaries here.

Is "DongPo" a TOILET paper company?

My company offers a discount on health insurance based off results from your annual physical. If you're overweight, or for some other reason don't have a good physical, you can still earn the discount through physical activity (as measured through a smart watch). Even if you don't do the physical activity, you can still get the discount by attend health related learning sessions.

No effin way would I run 62 miles a month for just over a months pay. Too old, fat and rich for that nonsense.

My uncle ran marathons, triathlons and did iron man for most of his adult life and now he has a bunch of jacked up joints, an enlarged heart and dementia at about 72. All that crap did was give him endorphins for a short while each day. He was hard to live with on days he didn't get to run or bike.

2 miles a day is hardly the same thing as a marathon, triathlon, or iron man, though. It takes about 20 minutes out of your day and improves your cardiovascular health.

At one point my health insurance company offered incentives including discounts if you tied their tracking app to your Apple Watch or Fitbit, Garmin, etc. the incentives were escalated the more active you were, for example I got more points for doing a 75 mile bike ride than I did a 50 mile one as long as the cycling app reported it. You could also forgo discounts and get gift cards to various companies which is what we did, using my cycling to supplement Christmas gifts.

Meanwhile we are over here clamoring for Shamu to get more seats on an airplane…

Yeah, we a ****ed!

Wait, where is this energy going to come from after working 14-16 hours per day?

LOYAL AG said:

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At one point my health insurance company offered incentives including discounts if you tied their tracking app to your Apple Watch or Fitbit, Garmin, etc. the incentives were escalated the more active you were, for example I got more points for doing a 75 mile bike ride than I did a 50 mile one as long as the cycling app reported it. You could also forgo discounts and get gift cards to various companies which is what we did, using my cycling to supplement Christmas gifts.

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I've ridden over 7,100 miles this year. I wish I could just provide a yearly summary from my Garmin and get a months pay. Would be a lot easier.

I've worked for a tech company that gives bonuses for steps taken per day, i.e. 10k or more on average. Only problem is that unless you're running daily, people take "walk breaks" instead of "smoke breaks". Is it a net positive? Who know but it sucks when you need a team member and they're out on a walk to get a little extra cash.

Dunder Miffrin?

Genius! Running 62 miles a month in a Chinese industrial city's air will kill them off pretty quickly and make room for younger, cheaper employees.