"Even for higher pay, I won't take a promotion"... Chinese workers turn down coveted roles [China.zip]

Gen Z's values and attitudes toward work are changing
They are focusing on life after work rather than taking on excessive workloads and responsibilities

Editor's NoteThis series delves into the fascinating stories behind China's vast and complex economy, society, and culture, and "unpacks" them to bring you only the most worthwhile insights.

The values of China's Gen Z, born from the late 1990s to the early 2010s, are changing their attitudes toward work. They prioritize personal freedom, hobbies, quality of life, and satisfaction over other people's opinions or unnecessary interference. The days when promotion and career advancement were seen as success are fading, and they are shunning excessive job responsibilities. They are focusing more on satisfaction with life after work than on personal growth or skills development.

"I like teaching, but I don't want to be a homeroom teacher"

AI-generated image.

For the past two years, the "reluctance to become a homeroom teacher" has been a hot topic on local social media at the start of each school year. The issue stems not so much from dissatisfaction with teaching as a profession as from the stress that comes with the homeroom teacher role.

Homeroom teachers are known to face an excessive administrative workload, including supervising morning study sessions, checking homework, preparing lesson plans, filling out various forms, and taking attendance. On top of that, guiding students is becoming increasingly difficult, and they also have to deal with parents, to the point that some say, "I can't take it anymore." Many say the responsibilities are enormous, while the rewards are neglected.

One social media post read, "Those who become homeroom teachers cry and make a big fuss as if they have lost all hope in life, while those who don't get the job are so happy they want to party and celebrate all week." Another post asked, "Is becoming a homeroom teacher a promotion?" A reply saying, "It makes my blood pressure rise," also became a hot topic.

Photo for illustrative purposes. Pexels.

One homeroom teacher said, "All my close colleagues around my age are mentally and physically exhausted. They all say the same things: there's too much work, and it's hard to communicate with the children." Another teacher lamented, "In addition to teaching, we have to handle safety, mental health, and communication between home and school, and we also have to organize various extracurricular activities."

A survey of homeroom teachers in one area of Shanghai by China's Shangguan News found that 92% of respondents did not want to take on the role. The survey also found that homeroom teachers at elementary and middle schools work more than 60 hours a week.

On November 2, Sina Finance analyzed the recent trend, saying it was "because homeroom teachers do not receive tangible compensation commensurate with their responsibilities and stress." It added, "Rather than saying the younger generation is rejecting hardship and adversity, we should face the difficulties commonly experienced by homeroom teachers and strengthen institutional protections and support commensurate with those challenges."

"Managing my own life matters more than managing a team"

AI-generated image.

Recently, a post on local social media seeking advice on how to politely turn down a department head's offer of a promotion became a hot topic. Others have also shared their experiences of voluntarily taking a lower-ranking position after being promoted. They said, "Managing my own life is more meaningful than managing an entire team."

Recently, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the trend, saying, "Young Chinese workers are turning down promotions to avoid the heavy workload and responsibility of middle-management roles." The report added that they believe "responsibilities and workloads increase, but salaries and working conditions do not improve by nearly as much."

This trend is particularly pronounced among workers born in 1995 or later. Whereas promotions were once seen as synonymous with higher pay and success, people increasingly recognize that they also bring greater responsibility. According to survey results, more than 70% of young people prefer positions that allow them to protect their personal time and happiness rather than become middle managers, while some actively avoid middle-management roles. A promotion may bring a 20% to 30% salary increase, but the time and effort required of the employee rise exponentially.

More people are also avoiding roles such as on-call server operators at IT and big tech companies, corporate customer complaint department staff, and senior researchers. Some analysts say that, amid China's economic slowdown and job market woes, a self-deprecating attitude has spread among young people, who feel that life does not improve no matter how hard they try. They say this has contributed to the spread of the "tang ping" ("lying flat") and "bai lan" ("letting things rot") cultures.

Local experts, however, take a different view. They say young people's reluctance to become homeroom teachers or accept promotions is not a sign of apathy, but rather "rational self-protection" and "a redefinition of workplace values." A professor at Renmin University of China said, "They have coolly weighed the increase in work responsibilities, stress, and overtime against the additional salary that comes with a promotion." The professor added, "The younger generation does not see work as a means of realizing personal values."

Photo to help readers understand the article. Pexels.

Meanwhile, young people are in fact focusing on life after work. According to data from one platform, 350 million users are active in more than 3,000 interest groups. More than 70% of them are relieving stress by sewing, tending plants, making Perler bead crafts, and folding origami. Hiking, birdwatching to enjoy nature, and fishing are also attracting attention. Posts related to "birdwatching" on local social media platforms have garnered nearly 1 billion views. Collecting movie tickets, train tickets, and tickets to exhibitions or concerts is also popular. Groups where people sample and discuss various cakes, wines, and other items are also springing up everywhere. 

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.