Core Viewpoint - Tencent has introduced a unique "Honor Retirement" policy allowing employees to retire early after 15 years of service, providing a financial incentive of "N+6" (where N is the number of years worked) as a retirement bonus, which is seen as a response to the industry's age-related pressures and a way to retain talent while managing workforce demographics [6][9][21]. Group 1: Honor Retirement Policy - The "Honor Retirement" policy allows employees who have worked for 15 years to retire early and receive a one-time retirement payment equivalent to at least 21 months' salary, which can amount to over a million yuan based on average salaries in large tech companies [9][12]. - The retirement package includes a "long-term service appreciation bonus" of 6 months' salary and a "retirement honor bonus" of 15 months' salary, which is converted into Tencent stock with a four-year vesting period [12][25]. - Employees must meet specific conditions, including not having the lowest performance rating in their last evaluation, to qualify for this retirement option [11][25]. Group 2: Employee Experiences - An employee, referred to as Lily, shared her experience of retiring at 39 after 15 years at Tencent, highlighting the relief from workplace stress and the opportunity to focus on family and personal health post-retirement [15][19]. - Lily noted that the high-pressure environment of the tech industry often led to health issues, but after retirement, she experienced significant improvements in her well-being [19][27]. - The decision to retire was influenced by a desire for a better work-life balance and the realization that life is unpredictable, prompting her to prioritize family time [15][27]. Group 3: Industry Context and Implications - The average age of employees in major internet companies is around 30, with Tencent being slightly older at 29, reflecting a trend of younger workforce preferences in the tech industry [22][23]. - The "Honor Retirement" policy is seen as part of a broader strategy to manage aging employees while promoting a younger workforce, as companies like Tencent face pressure to maintain a dynamic and innovative environment [21][22]. - There are concerns that this retirement option may serve as a subtle form of workforce reduction, as older employees may feel compelled to leave under the guise of a generous retirement plan [21][25].

Group 1 - Tencent launched the first retirement plan in the domestic internet industry in 2021, called "Honorary Retirement," which offers more financial benefits and allows for earlier retirement compared to traditional plans [1] - The "Honorary Retirement" plan provides an additional one-time retirement payment of "N+6" on top of statutory retirement benefits, and employees can access this benefit after working for 15 years [1] - To qualify for the "Honorary Retirement," employees must have worked continuously for 15 years as formal employees, excluding internships and previous employment, and must not have the lowest performance rating in their most recent evaluation [1] Group 2 - A programmer at Tencent, who recently retired after 15 years, shared that she experienced 30 performance evaluations and changed teams five times, achieving a salary in the million range [1] - The high-pressure work environment at Tencent led to health issues for employees, such as neck and headaches, which improved significantly after retirement [2] - The retired employee noted that not working has positively impacted her health, indicating that the stress of the job had detrimental effects [2]