“Adjusting Work Schedule to Resist Consumerism” became a hot topic on Weibo on September 20th, sparking discussions on the internet. Prior to the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day holiday, the “work 5 days, off 1 day” scheduling system once again stirred discontent among mainland Chinese office workers. Some netizens linked the adjustment of work schedules to concentrated consumption during holidays, pointing out that the adjustment did not actually increase the total number of rest days but rather rearranged weekends to create longer holidays, leading to discussions on stimulating consumption.
Today, on September 20th, although it is a Sunday, for many office workers in mainland China, it is not a typical weekend day off.
According to the arrangement previously announced by the State Council’s General Office of the CPC, this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival holiday spans from September 25th to 27th (3 days off); the National Day holiday from October 1st to 7th (7 days off), with 4 days being made up by adjusting the work schedule. Therefore, September 20th (Sunday) and October 10th (Saturday) are designated as working days – solely to stretch the National Day holiday to a continuous 7 days.
Starting from September 14th, discussions revolving around this arrangement have been escalating on social media platforms.
On that day, “work 5 days, off 1 day; work 5 days, off 3 days; work 3 days, off 7 days; work 3 days, off 1 day” soared to the top of Weibo’s hot search list. This series of numbers illustrates the work and vacation rhythm from mid-September to mid-October: working continuously for 5 days from September 14th to 18th, one day off on the 19th; working on the 20th; then working for 5 days until the Mid-Autumn Festival break of 3 days, working for 3 more days before the National Day holiday of 7 days, working again from October 8th to 10th, and finally off on the 11th. Media outlets like The Paper reported on these trending topics at the time.
Many netizens expressed exhaustion from the frequent switching between work and rest schedules. Some complained on social media, saying “Just as we get into work mode, we have to go on leave, and as soon as we return from leave, we have to go back to work again.” Others commented, “I’m feeling dizzy,” while some mentioned planning to take annual leave to connect the Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays.
On September 19th, another relevant topic “Mid-Autumn Festival holiday feels like no holiday at all” trended, with reports from various sources like News Workshop generating over 100 million views.
Numerous posts summarized the pre and post Mid-Autumn Festival schedule as “work 1 day, off 1 day; work 5 days, off 3 days,” emphasizing that there are only 4 days off over two weeks, indicating that the actual rest experience during the Mid-Autumn holiday is not significant. Some netizens calculated on the calendar and believed that working on September 20th disrupted the originally planned weekend.
In Weibo content compiled by Sina, some netizens noted that although the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday lasts for 3 days, it includes the usual Saturday and Sunday; other netizens thought that working on Sunday, September 20th, disrupted the rest rhythm around the Mid-Autumn Festival.
By September 20th, the hot topic “Adjusting Work Schedule to Resist Consumption” emerged on social media platforms.
Some netizens felt that the adjustment of work schedules moved the dispersed weekends to before and after holidays, creating a situation where long holidays are followed by working days. During extended holidays, people tend to travel, go sightseeing, stay in hotels, and consume, whereas the extra working days reclaim the originally intended days off.
This phenomenon is seen as an expression of discontent towards the adjustment of work schedules, using “consumption” as a means of protest.
Prominent blogger “Duan Lang Talks” with 4.063 million followers criticized the concept of “adjusting work schedules to stimulate consumption,” stating that it treats the essential right of workers to complete rest as a tool to boost the economy. Long holidays result in congested roads, overcrowded tourist spots, tripled hotel prices, and the realization that one ends up spending money and feeling more exhausted than when working. The post emphasized that the workers’ right to rest should not be used as a tool for economic stimulation.
One netizen’s post expressed, “Robbing Peter to pay Paul, and trying to appear generous: Look, I’m considerate of workers.”
“Originally exploitative camouflage, trying to boost consumption by taking two extra days off, not only working hard but also consuming more.”
“Instructions for leave are enjoyable to read, but soon after, work calls. Claiming to offer rest for a few days, but actually steering towards consumption.”
A massive number of netizens initiated campaigns, advocating for “no travel, no shopping during adjustment periods, buy groceries and cook at home yourself” or “only purchase discounted items,” firmly refusing to pay high holiday prices.
China’s current system of extended holidays through work adjustments can be traced back to 1999.
In 1999, the State Council of the CPC revised the “National Holiday and Memorial Day Leave Regulations,” extending the traditional Chinese New Year, May 1st, and October 1st holidays to 3 days each. By adjusting adjacent weekends, a continuous 7-day long holiday was created. The first 7-day holiday around the National Day holiday was formed in 1999.
In a CCTV report in 2005 recapping the Golden Week system, it was mentioned that the new statutory holiday system introduced in 1999 aimed to stimulate consumption and address the then tight monetary situation. During the first “Golden Week” in 1999, national tourism reached 28 million visits, with comprehensive tourism income of 14.1 billion yuan.
In 2000, the State Council’s General Office forwarded a document from the National Tourism Administration and other departments titled “Opinions on Further Developing Holiday Tourism.” The document specifically mentioned that after increasing the statutory holidays and creating the “Golden Week” by adjusting two weekends in 1999, holiday tourism rapidly expanded, propelling development in tourism, railways, transportation, civil aviation, catering, commerce, and related industries, effectively boosting domestic demand and increasing fiscal revenue.
Hence, the interconnection between long holidays, tourism, and consumption did not emerge in recent years.
In July of this year, the State Council of the CPC approved the “Expansion of Consumption during the 15th Five-Year Plan,” which specifically proposed “implementing the rest and vacation system,” encouraging employers and employees to combine paid annual leave with traditional holidays and arranging flexible staggered vacation times. The plan also aimed to expand cultural and tourism consumption and develop service consumption.
In reports on the plan by official media outlets, the opportunity for consumption was directly linked to the rest and vacation system. According to an expert from the China Cultural and Tourism Industry Research Institute at Beijing Foreign Studies University cited in the report, vacations imply that some people will travel and go on holidays, thereby driving consumption.