Business and Money Tips

Pang Dong Lai: The Ultimate Human Employer For years, technology companies such as Google have symbolised the dream workplace: beautiful offices, generous benefits, free food and impressive salaries. But perhaps one of the world's most interesting employers today isn't a Silicon Valley technology company. It is a supermarket chain from Henan, China: Pang Dong Lai (胖东来) . And what makes Pang Dong Lai extraordinary isn't free coffee or a fashionable office. It gives employees something much harder to provide: dignity, time, trust—and a share of the wealth they create. When You Are Unhappy, Don't Come to Work Imagine telling your boss: “I'm unhappy today. I need a day off.” At many companies, that could become an uncomfortable conversation. At Pang Dong Lai, employees can take up to 10 additional days of “unhappy leave.” Management is not supposed to reject the request. The philosophy is startlingly human: A person is not a machine. Employees also reportedly work aro...