Huawei is reportedly giving staff $286m in bonuses for sticking through US ban
Huawei's R&D teams will likely see the extra cash, a report says.
- I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.
Huawei is reportedly rewarding its R&D and supply chain teams for assisting through the US ban.
Huawei is reportedly dishing out 2 billion yuan ($286 million) in staff bonuses to workers who helped it through the US ban. The Chinese tech giant also told its 190,000 employees that most will be paid double this month, Reuters reported Tuesday.
The bonuses are most likely going to Huawei's R&D arm and to the teams working on finding alternate supply chains after being banned in the US, according to Reuters citing a company spokesperson.
Huawei was blacklisted in May when it was added to the United States' "entity list" (PDF). In addition to adding Huawei to the list, US President Donald Trump at the same time signed an executive order essentially banning the company in light of national security concerns that Huawei had close ties with the Chinese government. Huawei has repeatedly denied that charge.
Huawei didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last week, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei said the company is coping fine with the US trade ban, CNET sister site ZDNet reported. Just days later, Trump's tech chief criticized countries for "opening their arms" to Huawei after the UK apparently delayed the decision on whether Huawei will have access to its 5G networks.
On Oct. 28, the US Federal Communications Commission announced it would cut off funding to any carriers that use equipment from Huawei and fellow Chinese tech company ZTE . But last week US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said licenses allowing US companies to sell equipment to Huawei "will be forthcoming very shortly."
