The more you run, the more you earn; is the new groundbreaking move, introduced by Dongpo Paper, a paper-making company based in China. The company has unveiled its revolutionary bonus policy for its employees. The staff members will get bonuses based on their levels of physical activity.
This innovative bonus unlike the traditional performance-based annual bonuses is aimed at promoting employee well-being.
As reported by the South China Morning Post, the newly-implemented policy outlines specific criteria for bonus eligibility. Employees stand to receive a 100 per cent monthly bonus if they accomplish a remarkable 50 kilometres of physical activity within a month.
Similarly, the rewards scale down to 60 per cent for 40 kilometres and 30 per cent on achieving 30 kilometres. Furthermore, those who go above and beyond by covering 100 kilometres earn an additional 30 per cent bonus on top of their full monthly reward.
Furthermore, the scheme accommodates various forms of exercise or physical activities such as hiking, contributing 60 per cent and speed walking adding 30 per cent to the overall exercise requirements.
To accurately track and calculate the distances covered, the company has equipped employees with a dedicated app installed on their smartphones.
The company believes that an organisation can only last long when its employees are healthy. This is a part of the company’s commitment to the long-term well-being of its workforce.
Employees have responded positively to the new policy, with one expressing how it ‘kills two birds with one stone,’ enabling them to attain both health benefits and financial rewards. Another employee highlighted the positive impact on personal health, citing a reduction in blood sugar as a tangible outcome of the exercise-oriented bonus structure.
In 2021, Zerodha, an Indian financial services company, also came up with a similar strategy to get its employees to meet their health goals and become fitter. The company motivated employees to enhance their health and vitality by encouraging them to set and achieve a 12-month health goal, involving significant lifestyle improvements.
Successful goal achievers were rewarded with a month’s salary as a bonus, with an additional chance to win Rs 10 lakh in a lucky draw. The initiative, driven by CEO Nithin Kamath, was sparked by the realisation that post-lockdown, employee fitness levels were at their lowest.