Human resource firms helped back to work

Ti Gong

All 318 human resources service companies in Jing’an District have resumed work with help from the district’s human resources and social security bureau.

“They are a key part of Shanghai’s efforts to develop its modern services brand, and one of the key areas for Jing’an to improve its core competitiveness,” said Wang Guangrong, director of the bureau.

“So we have done our best to help them speed up resumption of operations and explore new market opportunities,” he said. “Now all of them have fully resumed work and some have even expanded their business scopes, improved services and developed new growth areas.”

Before work resumed, the bureau held a video teleconference with the companies to ensure virus prevention measures were in place.

Since the extended Spring Festival holiday ended on February 9, officials from the city and district governments have visited at least 13 companies, including 51job, Randstad and Honghai Human Resources Group, to identify what they needed to get back to work.

The Jing’an bureau surveyed 80 major companies and found their biggest challenges were the high cost of salaries and social security fees.

“We also found there was an urgent need to illustrate the favorable policies the city and district had introduced to reduce the burden on enterprises, such as waiving social security fees, returning unemployment insurance fees, subsidies for online training, as well as deduction of housing rent and other financial support,” said Wang.

The district then organized livestreaming activities to explain the policies, provide guidance on applications and answer questions.

Meanwhile, some companies, especially smaller ones, faced cash flow problems due to a decline of business and delayed payments from clients due to the pandemic. 

One was Talent Spot International.

The bureau stepped up to connect it with the Jing’an branch of China Construction Bank. The bank visited the company and processed and approved its application within a week. The company received 4 million yuan (US$560,000) in low-interest rate loans and exemption of mortgage appraisal and registration fees.

“We are so grateful that the district’s human resources and social security bureau has offered its hand to us when we are at the most difficult time,” said Chary Zhu, CEO of Talent Sport.

House rents have been reduced in Jing’an’s Shanghai Human Resource Service Industrial Park. For example, Shanghai Talent Tower has told all its tenants that two months of rent will be waived. New Ideal Mansion, a private landlord, has waived about 1 million yuan in rent for several human resources companies it hosts.

The district’s special fund for promoting development of the human resources industry has also given more than 10 million yuan to 26 companies in various support programs.