Since late February, the employees of DJI – China’s premier drone maker – have conducted an unusual nightly ritual.
At precisely 9pm, human resource managers fan out across its Shenzhen headquarters, herding workers from their cubicles as if leading a fire drill. Stragglers are quickly prodded from their desks in service of a new rule; employees must clock out by nine.
The scene just minutes later – vacant parking garages, a silent campus – was previously unheard of at the tech company, long known for keeping the lights on well past midnight.
The move, which followed recent vows from the government to crack down on China’s relentless rat race, has led to heated discussion online and off. Social media has been flooded with anecdotes, with staff members sardonically commenting on the phenomenon. One remarked upon “being kicked out of the office for the first time”.
Last Wednesday, Premier Li Qiang vowed China would launch a “comprehensive crackdown on neijuan” in his work report to the National People’s Congress.
