A growing number of young employees in China are choosing to turn down promotions, challenging the long-held belief that moving up the corporate ladder is the clearest sign of career success.
Many express gratitude for the opportunity while citing a lack of readiness, inadequate compensation or a belief that their contribution is better recognised in their existing roles. The trend reflects growing concerns over whether higher titles are worth the additional workload, responsibility and workplace pressure that often accompany them. One employee, identified as June, has reportedly declined promotions three times during her decade-long career. Her first opportunity came while working as a management trainee at an internet company, but she chose to travel instead of taking on the new position. Later, after being promoted to lead a training centre at an education company, she returned to her previous role within two weeks as the pressure became overwhelming. In April, June rejected another promotion after finding that the new responsibilities would not come with a substantial salary increase. After being promoted, she found herself handling several responsibilities alone. Her boss, however, reportedly described the pressure as an opportunity to “develop the ability to work independently. Instead, it may represent an attempt to avoid the pressures of middle management, where employees often find themselves caught between senior leaders and frontline workers. British recruitment firm Robert Walters has described a similar global workplace trend as “conscious unbossing. Lucy Bisset, director at Robert Walters North, warned that declining interest in management roles could create challenges for employers. She urged companies to rethink such positions by offering employees greater autonomy, stronger incentives and clearer opportunities for professional development.
(Also read: Chinese school’s unusual rule allows students just 1 bathroom break per term ) According to a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report , workers on mainland Chinese social media have been sharing scripts explaining how to politely refuse promotions. Its 2024 survey found that more than half of Gen Z respondents did not aspire to become middle managers, while 72 per cent said they preferred focusing on personal development rather than managing others.
Speaking to online media platform 36Kr, she said managerial positions frequently involve significant responsibilities without corresponding financial rewards. For Zheng, a product manager at another internet company, receiving a “senior” title turned out to feel more like an additional burden than a reward. Reflecting on her experience, Zheng said, “When you look around and see no one in this company whom you aspire to emulate, it indicates that the environment is no longer conducive to your growth. For many younger workers, refusing promotion does not necessarily mean giving up on ambition or embracing China’s so-called “lie flat” culture. “After becoming a temporary team leader, I earned only 100 yuan (US$15) more per month, but whenever something went wrong, I was the one held accountable,” one social media user said. (Also read: Husband fined ₹ 4.4 lakh, jailed for 5 months for using robot vacuum to record wife’s affair ) The phenomenon is not limited to China.
