A Chinese woman was recently terminated for bizarre reasons. Lou, employed at an educational institution in Shanghai, was recently fired after she refused to comply with her supervisor Liu’s demands to bring her a hot Americano, an egg, and keep a bottle of water available every morning, according to South China Morning Post.
She later took to the social media platform Xiaohongshu, detailing how she was fired without compensation by the human resources department after addressing these unreasonable requests in a work chat group, triggering a widespread outrage.
Lou was later reinstated and her supervisor Liu were fired for misusing her power and pressuring subordinates to assist with personal matters.
Additionally, Wang, the company’s HR head, stated that Lou’s termination was Liu’s decision and did not align with company policy.
The incident shed light on the widespread problem of workplace bullying in China, with related discussions garnering over 2 million views on Weibo. A 2020 survey by Zhilian Zhaopin found that 64% of respondents had experienced workplace bullying, often in the form of forced task completion, verbal abuse, and sexual harassment. More than half of those bullied chose to resign, while 6% used social media to expose the issue.
Chinese law lacks a clear definition of workplace bullying, and penalties vary. Lawyer He Bo advised employees to collect evidence, such as screenshots and recordings, to protect themselves. He said that employees have the right to refuse unreasonable work requests and seek legal counsel if necessary.
“For instance, forcing employees to work overtime violates labour laws, and sexual harassment can result in administrative or criminal liability for the offenders. In combating workplace bullying, employees should gather evidence such as screenshots, audio recordings, and video,” said Bo.