A company's leader(left) in South China's Guangdong Province presents extraordinary year-end bonus: a new apartment worth 2 million yuan ($287,000), to two employees who left their children in their rural hometowns to work for the company in the city of Dongguan. (Photo: Global Times)

A company in Guangdong Province is getting a lot of media attention for the extraordinary yearend bonus it has given to two of its employees. 

Two workers, who left their children in their rural hometowns to work for the company in the city of Dongguan, have each been given a new apartment worth 2 million yuan ($287,000). 

The extravagant gifts are part of a tradition of Spring Festival that has many employees across China waiting to hear if their boss thinks they are worthy of a big fat bonus that will help them celebrate Chinese New Year in style.  

Many companies give their employees an extra month's salary, but some also give some employees extra bonuses, to get others to work harder during the coming year.

It's unknown if the apartment-giveaway by the company in spurred jealousy among its several hundred employees.  

The company said it didn't use performance in deciding who would receive its largest altruistic gift. News reports said the company's key criteria were the employees' character and family ties.  

The two workers are from Hunan and Hubei provinces in Central China, whose parents were left to care for their grandchildren in hometowns. 

An online poll by Caijing.com.cn posted on Sina Weibo on Thursday, showed that only 20 percent of the 15,000 respondents felt satisfied with their yearend bonus.