Henan's paid-leave order needs institutional enforcement, not just leading officials

Henan province issued a notice requiring employers to enforce paid annual leave, with leading officials taking vacations first — a move commentators say needs binding institutional support to succeed. The notice names unit heads as first responsible persons and urges all workers to take full entitled leave. China's 1995 Labor Law and 2008 regulations guarantee paid annual leave, yet many workers, especially in private firms, still fear or face barriers to taking it. Similar initiatives in Yunnan and Guizhou echo prior calls dating to 2015. Analysts urge linking compliance to evaluations of officials and company compensation, plus stronger enforcement and incentives for voluntary employer adoption.