Company distributes "filial piety" money for workers' parents

Wang Weijin, a resident of Boxing coty in east China's Shandong Province, recently received 500 yuan (79 U.S. dollars) from his son Wang Tiehua's company ahead of the upcoming Seniors' Day holiday, which falls on Tuesday this year. However, the payment was not a one-off gift, but part of Shandong Chambroad Holding Co. Ltd.'s efforts to encourage its workers to value and pay more attention to their parents. The company has issued similar payments to the parents of each of its 6,300 workers every month since April 2010. "The parents of every worker in the company can get 200 to 500 yuan in accordance with their son or daughter's position in the company," said Wang Mingkui, director of the company's human resources department, adding that the company has given the parents more than 44 million yuan to date. "Filial piety is part of the core culture of our company and distributing filial piety money is a way to realize this culture," said Li Jimao, vice president of the company. Li said he hopes the payments can make the workers' families more harmonious, as well as demonstrate to society that enterprises should shoulder some of the social responsibility of taking care of elderly people. In Chinese traditional culture, respecting and valuing one's elders is highly valued and encouraged. The National Committee On Aging and relevant departments in August issued a series of action standards for filial piety, calling for people to spend holidays with their parents, cook for them and call them every week. The standards will not be enforced, but are intended to act as a moral code. The act of the company has been warmly welcomed by the workers of the company. Liu Jimin, a resident of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and an employee at Shandong Chambroad, said she has felt guilty since leaving her hometown to work at the company, as they has been unable to keep her parents company. However, the company's filial piety payments have allowed her to bring some comfort to her parents, she said. "We have seen that contact between the workers and their parents has become more frequent," Wang said. Li Ai, a researcher at the Shandong Academy of Social Sciences, said giving money to the parents of a company's employees can play a positive role in society, especially in rural areas. "The filial piety money can provide material support and spiritual comfort for parents, as well as inspire employees to work harder," said Wang Zhongwu, a professor from the Philosophy and Social Development School of Shandong University.