A Chinese company has introduced cash incentives to encourage single employees to go on dates in a bid to promote overall happiness at the workplace. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the firm behind this idea is Insta360, a tech company based in Shenzhen, southern China. The company has promised to award its workers 66 yuan (approximately Rs 770) for each valid post that introduces a single person outside the organisation on its online dating platform. If an employee successfully matches with someone via the platform and maintains a relationship with them for three months, both partners and the matchmaker will be rewarded 1,000 yuan (approximately Rs 11,650) each.
According to SCMP, a company representative said the initiative aims to enhance employees’ sense of belonging and overall happiness. They also disclosed that nearly 500 posts had been published on the company’s forum since the launch of the campaign. The company had distributed cash awards totalling nearly 10,000 yuan to individuals who shared posts about singles, they added.
The staff member mentioned that because the campaign began less than three months ago, no dating bonuses had yet been awarded, per SCMP.
Employees have expressed mixed reactions. While one joked, “My company is more eager than my mum,” another questioned whether monetary incentives were the right approach.
“Does the company have any recruitment plans?” one user asked. “The government should follow suit,” quipped another.
However, not all reactions were positive. One individual disapproved of such incentives, stating: “Love should not be measured by money.”
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Meanwhile, the company’s initiative comes at a time when China is facing a significant drop in both marriage and birth rates. Recent government data revealed that only 4.74 million couples registered their marriages in the first three quarters of 2024 which is a 16.6% decline compared to the same period last year when 5.69 million marriages were recorded.
The country’s birth rate has also hit a low. In 2023, it fell to 6.39 births per 1,000 people, down from 6.77 births in 2022, per the outlet.
This alarming trend has raised concerns among policymakers. In October, Shanxi province introduced a new policy offering 1,500 yuan (nearly Rs 17,500) to couples registering their first marriage as long as the woman is 35 or younger. However, the policy quickly sparked backlash as women voiced their frustrations on social media.
