"You Don't Have to Go to Work When It Rains"... Chinese Food Company Offers Paid Rainy Day Leave

Mala Wangzi Holds Raffle Offering "Rainy Day Leave"
Customized Welfare Reflects Regional Climate with Frequent Rain

A Chinese food company has attracted attention for holding a raffle event offering "rainy day leave" as a prize to reduce the inconvenience of commuting on rainy days. The winner is entitled to up to seven days of paid leave, which can be used only on days when it rains.

A staff member who won a prize draw. SCMP

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on April 21 (local time), the spicy snack brand "Mala Wangzi," located in Changsha, Hunan Province, recently held a unique employee welfare lottery. In this event, a female employee won the "seven-day paid rainy day leave," drawing public attention. The leave can be used all at once or split up, and the winner is free to take it on any rainy day of their choosing.

From "Rainy Day Leave" to Tardiness Exemption... Rain-Themed Prizes

The event was planned by Zhang Zilong, son of company founder Zhang Yudong, who currently serves as head of online marketing. On his social networking service (SNS) account, Zhang Zilong stated, "Have you ever seen a city where it rains 82 days out of 90?" He explained that he organized the "rainy day leave lottery" to boost employee morale.

The accompanying video showed employees taking turns drawing prizes from a raffle box. All prizes were tailored to the theme of "rain." Some employees received home appliances such as dryers or dehumidifiers, while practical items like rain boots and umbrellas were also offered. Notably, the prize pool included benefits aimed at making work more convenient, such as a "rainy day tardiness exemption" and commuting subsidies. The tardiness exemption allows employees to be late up to twice on rainy days without any penalty.

Reflecting Monsoon Conditions... Welfare Designed for Work Convenience

This event is seen as a reflection of the unique climate conditions in southern China. In regions such as Hunan and Guangdong, frequent rain and high humidity in the spring often make commuting a challenge. As a result, the initiative is being praised not just as a simple event but as a "customized welfare" program that takes actual working conditions into account.

It was reported that there were no losing tickets in the raffle, so all 100 employees at the company received a prize.

After the news spread, local internet users responded with comments such as "A boss who truly understands employees," and "This is the kind of welfare every office worker dreams of."

Meanwhile, a variety of unique welfare programs are emerging in China to increase employee satisfaction. Some companies have introduced "unhappy leave," which can be used when employees are feeling low, and "grievance compensation," a system that rewards staff for stress experienced while dealing with customers. Moving beyond simple monetary rewards, employee welfare in China is gradually becoming more diverse and focused on real employee experiences.

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