Why is it still so hard to take a vacation?

为何休假仍然如此艰难?

Round Table China

2026-08-13

34 分钟
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单集简介 ...

Paid annual leave is a legal right in China, yet many workers choose not to take it. The reasons are nuanced. Concerns about falling behind, disappointing a manager, or the weight of a culture that values presence over performance all play a part. Provincial governments are introducing new measures to encourage companies to let employees step away. On the show: Fei Fei, Steve & Yushan
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单集文稿 ...

  • discussion keeps the world turning.

  • This is Roundtable.

  • There's a job perk in China that 40% of workers never touch.

  • Paid annual lease.

  • Not because they can't afford it, but taking it feels like career suicide.

  • Or even worse, they feel the shame before even asking.

  • So where does this anxiety come from?

  • And more interestingly, many Chinese provinces and regions are trying to make companies to let people leave.

  • But when your boss thinks rest equals disloyalty, Who's really going to be there to enforce this go-home memo?

  • Coming to you live from our studios in Beijing, this is Roundtable.

  • I'm Fei Fei, and for today's show, I'm joined by Steve, Heather Lee, and Yushan.

  • But before that, for the upcoming Qixi Festival, we want to check with you, our dear listeners, about two questions.

  • What is it like dating your city or country?

  • And what do you look for in a partner in today's age?

  • Do share your stories with us through an email or voice memo to roundtablepodcast at qq.com.

  • And first, on today's show.

  • Something rather interesting has been happening in China this year.

  • One after another, local governments have been coming up with policies encouraging workers

  • to actually take their annual leaves and even trying to change some of these long-standing workplace habits

  • that make people feel guilty about taking time off.