“Many of my workers with heavy mortgage burdens want to earn more money to have a good Chinese New Year,” said Yang Bingben, whose factory in the eastern city of Wenzhou makes valves for industrial use.
Yang, who was referring to China’s biggest holiday, which falls in January next year, added that authorities had given him little guidance on what to do if his plant, with a workforce of more than 30, was hit by a mass infection.
As he stockpiles medicines against such an eventuality, he has told staff to follow new guidelines to stay home if they got infected, in which case he plans to pay them half their wages.
To avoid disruption from any infections, Yang initially considered shutting the factory early ahead of the Chinese New Year, but ultimately set aside that option.
In Beijing, some state firms and banks are grouping staff into teams to ensure work continues despite any outbreak, sources told Reuters.
Andy Chen, an employee of a state-owned company, said the move came after someone in his office tested positive, adding, “Staff are now divided into half and take weekly turns to work in the office.”
In the southern city of Dongguan, Agilian Technology, a contract manufacturer of consumer electronics, will continue to require arriving workers to display health codes, while drawing up a more comprehensive plan against a big outbreak.
“I am confident it will be a mess for about 3 months,” said the firm’s executive vice president, Renaud Anjoran. “We will see.”
