This section is about money: how amounts are calculated, what you sign, and how deadlines run. The first three items cover pay you should receive while still employed; the next five cover leaving a job; the following seven cover occupational disease and work injury. Work-injury payouts are an order of magnitude larger than layoff compensation, and the deadlines are tighter. Damage from occupational disease cannot be undone. Ten more items close the section. The first four cover what to do if you are bullied at work, how to obtain a separation certificate, how individual income tax on severance is calculated, and how to transfer social insurance when changing cities for work. The middle three cover double wages without a written contract, employers failing to pay social insurance, and liquidated damages demanded on exit. The last three cover how to respond to reassignment or pay cuts, who owes wages and damages to dispatched workers, and what to do after signing a blank labor contract.
English, Russian and Spanish use dlgrv’s unofficial translations. Newly revised entries appear in the Chinese original until a checked translation is available. The author’s latest Chinese text is authoritative. Translation revision: dlgrv/HowToLiveBetter · b25fa8a
Weekday overtime is paid at 1.5 times your wage. Rest-day overtime without compensatory time off is paid at 2 times. Work on statutory public holidays such as New Year's Day, Spring Festival, Labor Day, and National Day is paid at 3 times, and the law does not allow compensatory time off to replace that pay. If the employer refuses, file a complaint with labor inspection. After a payment deadline is set and the employer still does not pay, the employer must also pay an additional half to the full amount owed on top of the arrears.
Cost
There is no direct cost. Simply keep copies of time‑card r…
Benefit
Normal working hours under the law are no more than 8 hours per day and no more than 44 hours per week on aver…
You qualify for annual leave after 12 continuous months of work; service across all employers counts. At least 1 but under 10 years gives 5 days yearly, 10 years gives 10 days, and 20 years gives 15 days. If the employer cannot arrange leave and you agree not to take it, those days are paid at 3 times the daily wage. Signing a voluntary annual-leave waiver leaves only normal wages.
Cost
There is no cost involved. Simply add up all the years you…
Benefit
Employees who have worked continuously for 12 months qualify for annual leave. The number of days is determine…
For a contract of at least 3 months but under 1 year, probation is at most 1 month; at least 1 but under 3 years, at most 2 months; 3 years or more, at most 6 months. The same employer may put you on probation only once; doing so again after a transfer following confirmation is illegal. Probation pay must meet the lowest pay grade for the same post or 80% of the contractual wage, and must also meet the local minimum wage.
Cost
Zero expense. Spend a few minutes before signing to verify…
Benefit
For a contract of more than 3 months but less than 1 year, probation must not exceed 1 month. For more than 1…
When a layoff occurs, the employer must pay severance compensation calculated as follows: one month’s salary for each full year of service; periods of six months or more but less than a full year count as a full year; periods of less than six months result in half a month’s salary. The monthly salary figure is the average over the 12 months prior to termination, including bonuses, allowances, and other benefits. If an employee’s monthly salary exceeds three times the local average monthly wage from the previous year, the cap is set at three times that average, and the maximum eligible service period is 12 years.
Cost
No cost at all. Just use a calculator — it takes about ten…
Benefit
This is the statutory severance payment mandated by labor law when an employee is laid off — commonly referred…
If the employer dismisses you because you cannot work after illness, cannot perform the job, or circumstances changed substantially, it must give 30 days’ written notice. Without notice, it must pay one month’s wage on top of N. That is the common N+1. In negotiation, list that month separately; do not let the employer fold it into N.
Cost
No cost at all.
Benefit
The Labor Contract Law gives employers two options when terminating under this article. One is “notify the wor…
If termination is unlawful, damages are double the economic compensation standard—commonly called 2N. Whether termination is unlawful depends on the facts. Ask legal aid or a lawyer first, then decide whether to negotiate with the company or go to arbitration.
Cost
There is no direct cost involved. However, arbitration can…
Benefit
Under labor law, employers who unlawfully terminate or end employment contracts must pay compensation equal to…
Signing a statement that you’re resigning voluntarily for personal reasons typically means you lose both severance pay and eligibility for unemployment benefits. Voluntary resignation isn’t covered under the circumstances that entitle workers to compensation, except in cases where the employer fails to pay wages or neglects social insurance contributions. There’s no need to sign immediately — take a night to think it over.
Cost
No monetary cost. The difficulty lies in resisting the pre…
Benefit
The Labor Contract Law specifies exactly which circumstances qualify workers for severance pay. Voluntary resi…
In China, employers bear the burden of proof for disputes such as dismissal and pay cuts, but you must first prove overtime, and employers only have to retain wage records for two years. Once the computer and account are returned, you lose access. Pay slips, attendance, social-insurance records and original chats give you evidence when the employer denies your claim.
Cost
No expense required. It takes about half an hour to save a…
Benefit
Once you return the computer and accounts, these materials are gone for good. Labor disputes follow “who asser…
When you sign a contract, the employer must truthfully describe any occupational hazards associated with the job, how to protect yourself, and what benefits you’re entitled to — there can be no concealment or deception. If such information is omitted, you have the right to refuse the job, and the employer cannot fire you for that reason. The employer must also arrange and pay for three occupational health examinations: before starting work, during employment, and upon leaving the job. If the pre‑termination examination is not performed, the employer cannot terminate or end your contract.
Cost
No cost involved. When signing the contract, read every cl…
Benefit
The Law on Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases requires that when signing a labor contract, the em…
Pneumoconiosis, noise-induced hearing loss, and chemical eye burns are all listed as statutory occupational diseases. Once lung tissue or hearing is damaged, there is no treatment capable of restoring it. You have the right to know exactly what hazards exist at your workplace and to demand that your employer supply protective equipment and facilities. You may refuse any job that fails to provide these safeguards. Any attempt by your employer to cut your pay or terminate your contract in retaliation for exercising these rights is legally invalid.
Cost
No monetary cost. The real challenge is consistently weari…
Benefit
The statutory list of occupational diseases, effective 1 August 2025, has 12 major categories and 135 conditio…
Injuries at work from the job count as work injuries. Being hit on the way to or from work, when you are not mainly at fault, also counts. Without work-injury recognition, medical costs, wages paid while you heal, and disability benefits all vanish. The employer should file within 30 days. If it does not, you, your family, or the trade union can file with the social insurance agency within one year.
Cost
There is no cost — just a trip to the social insurance aut…
Benefit
Without a work‑injury determination, all related benefits disappear: medical care, wage continuation while you…
Rushing to work when suddenly unwell does not necessarily bring extra compensation. Deemed work injury requires illness during working hours and at the workstation; illness on the way before arriving does not qualify. Resuscitation lasting more than 48 hours also falls outside this rule. Delaying medical care to meet the conditions reduces your chance of survival.
Cost
No cost at all.
Benefit
This rule states that a worker must suffer a sudden illness during working hours at their workplace, and then…
Even if your employer does not enroll you in workers’ compensation insurance, you are still entitled to all related benefits. Those benefits must then be paid in full by the employer, using the same coverage items and payment standards as if insurance had been purchased. Failure to enroll is penalized: the employer must retroactively pay premiums plus a daily late fee of 0.05%, and may face fines equal to 1–3 times the unpaid amount. The claim “the company can’t compensate you because it didn’t buy insurance” is simply untrue.
Cost
There’s no direct cost to you. However, if the employer re…
Benefit
Statutory rules clearly state that when an employer neglects to enroll an employee in workers’ compensation in…
After injuries stabilize, a work-capacity assessment turns grade directly into money. The lump-sum disability benefit uses your own wage: grade 5 — 18 months, grade 6 — 16 months, grade 7 — 13 months. Grade 8 — 11 months, grade 9 — 9 months, grade 10 — 7 months. Do not sign a “one-time settlement” agreement before the assessment result is out.
Cost
There is no monetary cost. However, completing the work ca…
Benefit
One-time disability benefits are paid out as a lump sum, calculated based on the individual’s own salary and t…
There are three distinct payments related to work-related deaths — don’t focus on just one of them. The funeral allowance equals six months of the average monthly wage of local workers from the previous year. The survivor’s pension is paid monthly based on the deceased worker’s wage: 40% goes to the spouse, while other eligible dependents each receive 30% of that wage. The one-time death benefit is a fixed amount nationwide: it equals 20 times the per capita disposable income of urban residents across China in the prior year.
Cost
No cost involved;
Benefit
Work-related death money comes in three parts. First, funeral allowance: 6 months of the prior-year average em…
People bullied at work later had about 60% higher risk of heart disease or stroke; more bullying meant higher risk. They were also more likely to develop suicidal thoughts years later.
Cost
There’s no monetary cost. However, it does take time to re…
Benefit
From a health perspective: three Swedish and Danish cohorts comprising 79,201 working adults aged 18–65 were s…
Whether you were dismissed, the contract expired, or you resigned, the employer must give you a termination certificate when you leave and transfer your personnel file and social insurance within 15 days. The certificate must state contract term, separation date, position, and how many years you worked there. You need it for unemployment registration. If the employer refuses, labor authorities order correction and must compensate any loss they caused.
Cost
No cost. Ask in person before you go, or send a written me…
Benefit
The Labor Contract Law requires the employer to issue a certificate when the contract is terminated or ended.…
One-time compensation from ending an employment relationship is tax-free up to three times the local prior-year average employee wage. Amounts above that are taxed on their own, not added to your annual comprehensive income. If the employer lumped the whole payment into monthly wages and withheld tax that way, ask the employer first, then call 12366 for the tax bureau.
Cost
No cost. Look up the local prior-year average employee wag…
Benefit
A Ministry of Finance and State Taxation Administration circular covers one-time compensation income from term…
When you move to another city for work, pension and medical insurance generally can move with you, and previous contribution years continue to count. Before pension eligibility age, you cannot withdraw from pension insurance to take the money out. If employee medical insurance contributions lapse for more than 3 months, you may have to wait up to 6 months for reimbursement at the new location, so avoid a long gap.
Cost
No money needed. After enrolling and paying contributions…
Benefit
Under the Social Insurance Law, when you move elsewhere for work (formally, across pooling areas), your pensio…
If the employer has not signed a written contract one month after you start, from the second month it owes an extra month's wage each month, up to 11 extra months. After a full year without a contract, it counts as if you already signed a contract with no end date. Sign when the employer hands you the contract; if you deliberately stall and refuse to sign, you cannot claim this money.
Cost
No cost. Keep evidence that you worked: wage bank records,…
Benefit
The Labor Contract Law requires a written labor contract when an employment relationship is established. If it…
If the employer did not enroll you in social insurance or did not pay enough, you can complain and require it to make up the payments, plus late fees. If no contributions were paid for you, you can also notify the employer in writing that you are ending the contract and claim economic compensation. The notice must state the reason is that the employer did not pay social insurance as required by law; if you write “personal reasons,” you get nothing. An agreement that “the employee voluntarily waives social insurance” does not count.
Cost
No cost. First check your social insurance payment records…
Benefit
The Social Insurance Law requires the employer to declare and pay social insurance on time and in full. Except…
A contract line that “leaving early means you pay” is allowed by law in only two situations: the company paid for specialized technical training for you, or non-compete. Where there really was special training, damages cannot exceed training costs, and must be prorated for the unfinished service period.
Cost
No cost. Pull out the labor contract, training agreement,…
Benefit
The Labor Contract Law provides that except for a service period after special training and non-compete, the e…
Changing post or wage is changing the contract; both sides must agree, and it must be in writing. But if you stay silent and work at the new post and wage for more than a month, courts generally will not void the change just because it was not in writing. If you disagree, say so in writing on the spot; you can email it and keep a record.
Cost
No cost. After a reassignment or pay-cut notice, send an e…
Benefit
The Labor Contract Law provides that only when the employer and worker agree through consultation may the agre…
A dispatched worker’s contract is with the dispatch company, and the host workplace where you work each day also has statutory duties. Wages must be calculated the same way as for people in the same type of post at that host; overtime pay and performance bonuses are also paid by it. If you are harmed at that host, both companies pay together; you may claim the full amount from either one. In months with no assignment after you are returned, the dispatch company must still pay at least the minimum wage.
Cost
No cost. Check the labor contract for which company’s seal…
Benefit
The Labor Contract Law provides that the labor dispatch company is your employer;
You and your employer must each hold a copy of the labor contract. If mandatory terms such as pay and duration are missing, the employer can be ordered to correct it. If you signed a blank contract and cannot prove it, an arbitration tribunal may accept the version the employer filled in later. Ask for a completed copy as soon as you sign, and record that it was blank at signing.
Cost
No cost. Read the whole contract before signing. If the em…
Benefit
The Labor Contract Law provides that a contract takes effect when both parties sign or seal the contract text.…
