Is your company’s annual Chinese New Year dinner coming up? Perhaps you too will have a lucky chance to win a ‘layoff exemption pass,’ like the employees of Chinese cybersecurity company, Qihoo 360.

On January 8, The Paper reported that Zhou Hongyi, chairman and CEO of Qihoo 360, posted a picture of the pass on his WeChat Moments with a caption giving details of the special prize.



Image via The Paper

The terms of the gift outline that the validity period is from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020, while also saying that it’s for personal use only and cannot be traded on the dark web.

Image via Sina

Qihoo 360 reassured the public that they currently have no plans for layoffs, but in fact, Hongyi’s humorous post is to encourage innovation and a bold sense of trial and error.

The marketing division of Qihoo 360 further explained that the original intention of the WeChat Moments post was to encourage innovation, breakthrough and adventure.

In response, employees of the company opined that the exemption pass should be valid for a lifetime or at least five to 10 years, as one year is too short. Sina Tech explains that, from a legal perspective, the coupon will not be of much practical use. If a large company really wants to lay off employees, they’ll give them the boot with or without the coupon.

READ MORE: 7 Bizarre Things to Expect at Your Annual Office CNY Banquet

[Cover image via Pexels]