- Zhejiang automaker offers paid leave without touching annual vacation or salary
- Move highlights growing focus on employee welfare amid industry “involution”
Hangzhou-based Lynk & Co, a car brand under Geely Auto Group, will give its nationwide frontline sales staff a paid spring holiday on April 1, the automaker announced, in response to the Chinese government’s call for adopting the “spring holiday” policy.
“March is over, the weather is perfect in April—go out and spend time with your family,” Lynk & Co executive vice president Zhou Xing wrote in a Weibo post, confirming the initiative.
Staff will not need to offset the day against annual leave, nor will it affect salary or require schedule adjustments. It remains unclear whether the leave will extend to non-sales employees or if Geely’s other sub-brands will follow Lynk & Co’s lead.
This gesture aligns with government directives from the 2026 lianghui — the annual gathering of the country’s top lawmakers and political advisors — encouraging paid, staggered leave to relieve the strain on working parents and expand employee benefits.
China’s auto industry, long criticized for excessive unpaid overtime and cutthroat “involution” competition, has faced mounting pressure to improve employee welfare.
While Geely chairman Li Shufu publicly called for “anti-involution” measures during the 2026 lianghui, he stopped short of proposing any policies to expand employee benefits.
Other carmakers are beginning to experiment with similar arrangements. Anhui-headquartered Chery, for example, has scheduled a spring holiday on April 3 this year, combining it with the Qingming Festival (April 4-5) to make a four-day break.
