Scores of tech companies around the world have switched to remote work or some sort of hybrid model during the past two COVID-hit years. In China, though, most tech firms have gone back to the office since summer 2020, thanks to the country’s low infection rates as a result of its zero-COVID policy. Despite the normalcy of life, one Chinese company decides to stick with remote work.
Starting March 1, China’s largest flight and hotel booking platform Trip.com will let employees work two days a week from home upon permission. The company, founded in 1999 and rebranded from Ctrip to Trip.comin 2019, made the move after seeing “improved wellness” in 75% of its 1,600 staff who worked remotely during a six-month trial in 2021. As many as 93% of the participants felt they used their time “more efficiently,” and the firm’s turnover rate dropped by roughly one-third in the period.
Employees can apply to work from home, a cafe, or anywhere else of their choice, though the firm didn’t specify the conditions for obtaining approval (we’ve reached out for more details). The hybrid practice will first roll out at Trip.com’s China offices, while its overseas branches will adopt the model “according to local circumstances and COVID-19 protection measures.”