China’s online retailer JD said on Dear Utol (2025): Doctor, Doctor I'm Sick Episode 41Monday morning that it plans to raise the annual fixed salary for sales and procurement staff to a 20-month package from the current 16-month over the next one-and-a-half years. The move comes days after founder Richard Liu warned employees that the company doesn’t tolerate poor performers who don’t hustle. “The company will always love you if you have good work performance even if you never work extra hours,” Liu said in a recent internal memo. He also noted that staff who prioritize their careers over their personal lives are not his “brothers,” a term Liu frequently uses to refer to his employees regardless of gender. China’s e-commerce market share, previously dominated by Alibaba and JD, is being rapidly eroded by Pinduoduo and Douyin, adding urgency to the need for change within the former giants. [JD, in Chinese]
