Pay · 03 Editorial guide
China Working Time, Pay and Social Insurance
Hours, overtime and pay systems decide most recurring disputes. Reconcile the contract with the actual record.
First job Identify the applicable working-time and compensation arrangement.
Start here
Key considerations
The first questions are about urgency, governance and preservation — before collection expands or interviews begin.
- Which working-hour system applies?
- How is overtime recorded and paid?
- Are leave and social-insurance records aligned?
Direct answer
What this page decides
02
This page owns recurring operation of the labour relationship: working-hour system, overtime, pay evidence, leave interaction, and employer social-insurance duties (EMP03). It does not publish national contribution percentages or a single housing-fund rate — those are local and change. Foreign-employee SI treatment is a current-rule question, not a slogan. Annual leave and maternity (EMP05/06) are flagged here as pay/leave interfaces; detailed protected-leave and local extras belong with counsel and local rules, not city clone pages.
At a glance
Which fact changes the next route
Use the fact that changes ownership or urgency to decide the next move.
| Question | Why it matters | Next route |
|---|---|---|
| Standard, comprehensive, or irregular hours? | Overtime math follows the system. | Identify the approved system before arguing hours. |
| Unpaid overtime WeChat? | Evidence will show up in arbitration. | Workplace disputes L4 for the claim path. |
| SI arrears or audit? | Local bureau practice. | This page for duties; city only if implementation differs. |
| Maternity or annual leave? | Pay and protection overlay. | Stay here for payroll interface; do not mint city leave clones. |
Scope
What this page owns — and what it does not
Practical workflow
Action, evidence, legal gate, output
| Action | Documents / evidence | Legal gate | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lock the hours system | Approval if comprehensive/irregular | Contract vs actual roster | System memo |
| Define pay base and overtime | Payslips, roster, WeChat OT | Do not average illegally | Pay file |
| Register and maintain SI | Local account, base, headcount | No invented % | SI file |
| Leave and protected periods | Requests, medical proof, local rules | Termination L4 if exit during protection | Leave log |
| Keep payroll evidence | Fapiao is not a payslip | Arbitration will ask for records | Evidence pack |
Documents
What to gather before the next call
These items help clarify the file; they are not a legal requirement list.
| Item | Why needed | Who holds it | Risk if missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hours-system approval if any | OT legality | HR | Standard-hours OT by default |
| Payslips and bank proof | Wage claims | Payroll | Cash undocumented |
| SI registration and contribution proofs | Arrears and exit | HR / vendor | Employee claim plus bureau |
| Leave records | Pay during leave | HR | Unpaid protected leave |
Common failure points
Where files usually break
Hard-coding last year’s city SI percentages into a national page or handbook.
Calling all staff ‘flexible hours’ with no approval.
Paying OT as a flat ‘allowance’ with no record.
Skipping SI for foreign staff based on an outdated exemption story.
FAQ
Narrow follow-ups owned by this page
What is the national SI rate?
This page will not publish one. Bases and rates are local and change. Use the current bureau rules for the city of insurance.
Where is annual leave calculated?
Service-year entitlement is statutory; scheduling and unused leave at exit need records. Confirm current Regulation on Paid Annual Leave — no invented day counts here.
Decision map
Keep the question bounded.
- Identify the hours systemStandard, comprehensive or irregular.
- Reconcile pay recordsSalary, overtime and leave.
Quick answers
Need the short version? Start with one narrow question.
These explainers answer one question. They do not replace this topic route or a deep guide.
Curated resources
Open the asset that matches this job.
Helpful to prepare
Facts that make the next conversation clearer.
These items are orientation aids, not a legal requirement list.
Counsel hand-off
What to bring when you instruct
Instruct employment counsel (and a local SI agent for the city). Bring: hours system, sample payslips, SI account evidence, and the disputed months.
Local context
Add the city only when it changes implementation.
Social insurance, labour-bureau practice and arbitration forums vary by city after the national framework is clear.
Open city and province guidesCounsel hand-off
Need employment counsel?
This hub organises workforce questions. It does not decide status, grounds, severance or a dispute outcome on your facts.
Find employment counselLegal review
Who reviewed this guide
Need qualified counsel?
Move carefully. Move with a record.
Use the portal to identify counsel for this practice and related China-side issues.