CHAPTER 339: CHAPTER 339: THE ANTI-OVERTIME MOVEMENT

"Before I started my own business, I actually worked for several years and understand the hardships of being an employee.

So, after achieving some success in my entrepreneurship, I have been emphasizing with the management team: no 996, no overtime. We must not only give employees high salaries but also ensure they have time to rest, spend with their families, and cultivate their interests and hobbies.

However, over these years, everything went so smoothly for me that I forgot the road I initially traveled.

Today, after a thorough investigation, I realized that.

The overtime practices I strictly forbade have now begun to spread again in the companies under my name.

This makes me very guilty and deeply painful.

It’s a betrayal to my employees and also to myself.

Therefore, starting today, the company will strictly implement the eight-hour work system. Any employee who arrives more than twenty minutes early before nine in the morning will be severely criticized.

After five in the afternoon, any department with employees still working in the office will see their supervisors and leaders penalized.

In the company building, after five o’clock, water and electricity will be cut off, and staying in the office for any reason or by any method is strictly prohibited.

At the same time, to prevent some employees from losing overtime income and having reduced monthly salaries after banning overtime,

The company will adjust all employees’ salaries. The monthly salary after banning overtime must not be lower than the monthly salary when overtime was allowed."

When Chen Yiyang announced this decision in front of the whole company,

whether truly or not, applause filled the room anyway.

The world has suffered overtime for long enough.

They always say consumption is not picking up, it’s not picking up.

The reason consumption is not picking up is simple, too much overtime.

The real driver of consumption is not food, clothing, housing, and transportation, but various interests and hobbies.

Whether it’s gaming or various sports activities.

Once it becomes a trend, it can support a lot of people.

The most typical example is soccer.

Only eleven people are playing on the field, but off the field, the staff, trainers, and equipment manufacturers and all other related industries are the real drivers of consumption.

Even the most cost-effective entertainment for the elderly: square dancing, supports a bunch of dance leaders, audio equipment manufacturers, and clothing merchants.

The elderly, who are usually stingy about a few pennies for groceries, spend freely when it comes to buying audio systems and hiring dance leaders.

All of this requires sufficient personal time to achieve.

Not to mention that AI is rapidly developing now, and many jobs are starting to be replaced.

Having two people share one job in turns will be the trend of the future.

In response, Chen Yiyang officially proposed a no-overtime movement to align with the policies from above.

The main force of the domestic internet naturally consists of ordinary workers.

When the trending topic purchased by Chen Yiyang, ’Yiyang Automobile announces the launch of no-overtime movement,’ appeared,

it immediately sparked heated discussions among netizens.

However, the main point of discussion seemed to be off track, with everyone asking what Yiyang Automobile is and if it’s a foreign enterprise.

Uh...

Although Yiyang Automobile is somewhat famous in the field of new energy vehicles, it’s mainly known to the netizens through Biya Mansion.

Even emerging forces like Xiaopeng and Weilai are unknown to those not following new energy vehicles’ news closely.

Let alone Yiyang Automobile.

Fortunately, Chen Yiyang still holds a few well-known identities.

One as the boss of a livestream merchandise, gaming, and film company, and another as an investor in deepseek.

Under Chen Yiyang’s call, his invested companies also started to announce bans on overtime one after another.

This indeed created a trend that appeared to be forming of a no-overtime movement.

However, in reality, livestream merchandise companies, gaming companies, and film companies hardly do overtime.

When busy, they are busy, and during idle times, they can stare at their toes.

And deepseek, engaged in mental work, never really did overtime anyway.

Thus, the no-overtime movement created by Chen Yiyang, which involved spending a great sum on trending topics, began losing steam after a few days with hardly any discussion.

The truth is, the companies under Chen Yiyang don’t have the public perception of being sector-defining giant corporations.

When these few companies came forward claiming no overtime, people assumed it was merely the conscience of certain bosses or just a promotional stunt.

However, things quickly took a turn for the better.

After Chen Yiyang proposed the no-overtime movement, the drone-manufacturing Da Jiang Company promptly announced joining the no-overtime movement, strictly banning overtime for employees.

Soon after, an employee of Da Jiang posted online about forgetting to take a bag after work, and when they went back to the company, HR sent them away.

The participation of Da Jiang thoroughly popularized the no-overtime movement proposed by Chen Yiyang.

Chen Yiyang also quickly instructed a release stating that a factory supervisor at Yiyang Automobile was demoted for allowing employees to work an extra hour.

A few days later, the home appliance giant, Meidi, announced a ban on overtime, and their unique measures included prohibiting the use of PowerPoint for internal communication and banning performative overtime after work, as well as reducing WeChat groups.

Subsequently, another manufacturing giant, Haier, announced a mandatory double weekend policy, forbidding employees from coming to the office on Saturdays.

With various large companies successively announcing their policies, the no-overtime movement initiated by Chen Yiyang finally formed a trend.

Yiyang Automobile, as the initiator of this no-overtime movement, was thus firmly remembered online.

"Still, it’s impressive that you, little brother, have managed to start such an impressive no-overtime campaign that saves as much as Tencent’s 78 billion,"

Wu Changxun, who came to sign a contract with Chen Yiyang, gave him a thumbs up.

Tengxu responded to the call from above with real gold and silver.

Unexpectedly, Chen Yiyang just bought some trending topics and initiated a no-overtime movement, creating a bigger sensation than Tengxu.

"I just got the ball rolling," Chen Yiyang said to Wu Changxun. "If a giant company like Tengxu joined the no-overtime movement, I can guarantee that the credit would surely go to Tengxu."

"Well, let’s just forget it, the internal resistance at Tengxu is too great," Wu Changxun chuckled, brushing off Chen Yiyang’s suggestion.

The internal complexity at Tengxu is unimaginable for a small company.

Anyone in management daring to propose no overtime would be the first to take the fall if company profits subsequently declined.

Of course, compared to Ali and their 996 culture, Tengxu is somewhat better; they may have late working hours, but double weekends are still ensured.

Ali hasn’t made any moves, and naturally, Tengxu won’t either.

After signing the equity transfer agreement with Tengxu, Wu Changxun reminded Chen Yiyang, "Hurry up with the matter in France."

"Don’t worry, just a few phone calls," Chen Yiyang replied lightheartedly.

He is only signing an intention agreement with Tencent now. If things don’t work out in France, he doesn’t have to worry about giving the equity back.

But he had already talked to Schaefer about this, and Schaefer indicated that the matter wasn’t difficult and had already begun operations.