A man in China has become the envy of many after winning a full year of paid leave in a company draw held over the weekend.
The lucky winner reportedly works as a manager at the unnamed Shenzhen-based company, which conducted the draw as part of an annual dinner that had been postponed for three years due to COVID-19.
A video posted on Weibo shows the moment the unnamed manager won the prize.
Sitting back in disbelief, he held a big cardboard sign that said “365 days of paid leave.”
An administrative employee identified as Ms. Chen said the winner repeatedly sought to clarify whether the prize was real. Apparently, he was “too shocked” to imagine someone could actually win it.
The draw was reportedly incorporated into the dinner to help employees de-stress. Aside from the 365-day paid leave grand prize, there were other smaller wins.
Ms. Chen reportedly said that the company will discuss with the winner whether he wants to take his paid leave or cash it in.
But while some congratulated him for his win, others questioned whether he would still be relevant when he returns to work.
“Everyone a year later: ‘Who are you? I’ve never heard of this person,’” one Weibo user imagined.
“Definitely discounted, come back after taking a year off, the position is not yours anymore,” another wrote.
Interestingly, this was not the first time a Shenzhen company offered a similar prize, according to the Straits Times.
In January 2022, an employee won the same 365-day paid leave, which he then partly converted into cash and donated some of it to charities.
