BEIJING: Camera company Insta360, based in Shenzhen, China, is offering cash incentives to single employees to encourage them to go on dates, with the aim of fostering a stronger sense of belonging and promoting overall happiness.
The Guangdong General Labour Union recently highlighted the initiative by the company, which is based in Guangdong province.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the initiative is part of the company's efforts to help its staff form romantic connections.
Insta360 promised 66 yuan for every valid post that introduces a single person to others outside the organisation on its online dating platform.
"If an employee successfully matches with an outsider and the relationship lasts for three months, both the employee and their matchmaker will each receive a reward of 1,000 yuan (US$140)," SCMP reported.
The report said according to an employee, nearly 500 posts had been shared on the company's online forum by Nov 11.
The report said the company had distributed almost 10,000 yuan to employees who shared posts about singles.
According to an employee, the campaign had been running for less than three months, so no dating bonuses had been awarded yet.
SCMP quoted an employee as saying: "My company is more eager than my mum to find me a partner!"
The initiative comes amid growing concerns about declining marriage and birth rates in China.
In the first three quarters of 2024, 4.74 million couples registered marriages, which is a 16.6 per cent drop compared with the 5.69 million registrations in the same period last year.
China's birth rate hit a record low last year, falling from 6.77 births per 1,000 people in 2022 to 6.39 births per 1,000 in 2023.