"As outstanding young talents and the backbone of Shanghai Electric, you should be well assured that we are striving to bring you the best platform and environment to address your spiritual and material needs and realize your value. It is well-known that the lack of affordable housing is putting immense pressure on those living in Shanghai. We are currently working on a series of housing initiatives, including talent apartments for young employees." At the Shanghai Electric Innovation Forum, Mr. Zheng Jianhua, Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of Shanghai Electric (Group) Corporation, gave words of encouragement to young personnel once again.

  "This is my home," Ye Sang, an employee from Shanghai Electric Power Generation Group (SEPG) Shanghai Generator Works, said with emotion. Ye moved into one of the two dormitory buildings along with other colleagues from all over the country. What they have obtained from Shanghai Generator Works is not only a broad platform for career advancement, but also the warm homely atmosphere. Just as Ye mentioned, "It doesn't feel a bit cold this winter."

Though these young employees are yet to move into the talent apartments, they are satisfied with the existing dormitories remodeled as per unified standards. "The money spent on remodeling brings a brand-new look, as well as tangible comfort."

Homely warmth in the dormitories of Shanghai Generator Works

Two 3-story dormitory buildings of Shanghai Generator Works are located inside the Shanghai Electric Industrial Park. They were originally built in the 1960s, with aging structure and facilities. In 2016, heads of Shanghai Generator Works decided to renovate these buildings based on multiple field researches and employee feedback. The project was implemented as "Project Number One" among its ten projects for livelihood improvement. The renovation started in August 2016 and lasted for a year.

In September 2017, about 100 eligible employees moved into the newly renovated dormitories. On a recent visit to these buildings, this reporter found that the external walls are made of trendy glass curtain walls. Each dormitory unit covers around 20 square meters. Units on the ground floor can each accommodate three persons, while those upstairs are mostly for two persons. A standard dormitory unit for two persons has a bedroom with two single beds, and a living room with desks and chairs. Each dormitory also comes with a TV set, air conditioner, ceiling fan, network cables and other appliances.

As some employees prefer to cook on their own, two rooms in each building are designed as shared kitchens, each of which is supplied with 6 induction cookers. Such an arrangement makes home cooking possible, while avoiding potential safety hazards caused by open fire. A year-round hot water supply is ensured in the bathhouses in the buildings. In addition, quality human resources in the society are employed as security and cleaning personnel for the dormitory buildings. "After a day's work, we are welcomed with the kind smile of the security personnel, merry laughter from our dormmates, as well as a neat and clean environment—we return to a homecoming warmth," said an employee who has lived in the dormitory building for years.

The savings go well beyond the rent

Ye is from Zhejiang Province, and joined Shanghai Generator Works in 2017 as a college graduate. Without dormitories provided by the company, nearly a month's salary would go to rent. "Frankly speaking, I had my job-hopping intentions when I joined the company, because my salary was much lower than those of my peers working at foreign companies," said Ye. "However, it turns out I made the right move by joining Shanghai Generator Works. I need to pay RMB 300 each month for accommodation, including RMB 200 for the rent, and miscellaneous expenses such as electricity and water. Lately, electricity bills have gone up as the air conditioner heater is often needed to withstand the cold weather. Even with this increase, the total expense is capped at RMB 400 a month, which is a great deal less than the rent at off-site accommodation that could easily cost me thousands of RMB."

According to her dormmate, Xiao Ya, the savings go well beyond the rent. For one thing, the dormitory buildings are on the factory premises, so they do not incur transportation expenses commuting to and from work. For another, the inconvenience of shopping prevents them from dipping into their savings. Another benefit is that they have more leisure time after work. Ye swims regularly at the pool of Shanghai Jiao Tong University to keep herself fit, while Xiao Ya has plans to catch up with her reading. From their perspective, the dormitory experiences will become precious memories for them to cherish.

Employees are not the only ones who benefit

Comfortable living conditions benefit not only the employees, but also the company as well. According to the attendance records at various departments of the company, the proportion of employees being late for work or taking days off used to rise in the case of bad weather conditions or traffic jams. Now the dormitories have guaranteed the employee attendance, allowing more rest time for shift employees to work in a more efficient and safe manner. According to the HR Department, the employee turnover rate is much lower than that of other companies in the industry, which can be attributable to the dormitory housing provided to some extent.

In their dormitory inspection a while back, heads of Shanghai Generator Works requested the Logistics Department to take good care of the employees' housing conditions and pay close attention to and address their reasonable needs. However, the Department should timely intervene in and put a stop to any violations against the dormitory management regulations. As the company heads put it, the hard power for employees' livelihood is best represented by comfortable dormitories with decent conditions.

About 100 employees have moved into the remodeled dormitories. The "inhabitants" mainly include young college graduates in the Technology Department and employees working at the production line of the Manufacturing Department with commuting difficulties. The results of several random inspections have been satisfactory, and no employee complaint has been reported.