A southern Chinese woman lost her job after arriving at work just one minute early six days a month. According to the South china Morning Post, she successfully sued her employer after taking the case to court.
The woman, whose last name was Wang, had worked for a corporation in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, for three years. She claimed to have kept "a rather good performance record" during her tenure.
She was fired after receiving a call from the HR manager of the company, who told her that surveillance footage revealed she had left her desk six times a little earlier than expected. Wang decided to take legal action in addition to submitting a complaint to the local labor authority.
The dismissal was declared unlawful in a recent municipal court decision. Wang did leave work one minute early, but the court ruled that this did not qualify as "getting off early" in a significant way. The abrupt termination was unwarranted because the employer had not issued any warnings or requested that she change her behavior.
Although the precise amount was not released, the court ordered the company—whose name has not been made public—to pay Wang's compensation. Generally speaking, depending on local labor regulations and salary structures, compensation in these situations could range from ₹1.5 lakh to ₹4 lakh.
Guangzhou Laixin Law Firm attorney Liu Biyun told the media that it was unreasonable to fire an employee for such a trivial matter. "Firing an employee under such circumstances was a stern punishment," Liu stated.
Social media Reacts
The case has sparked heated debate on Chinese social platforms, with many criticising overbearing workplace rules.
"Why did the company not offer subsidies to employees who come to work earlier?" one online user asked.
"This relentless company should be punished," said another.
This isn't the first time workplace policies have come under fire in China. In March, a company in Anhui province drew criticism for implementing "prison-style" rules, which included banning mobile phone use and forbidding staff from leaving the premises during working hours.
The woman, whose last name was Wang, had worked for a corporation in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, for three years. She claimed to have kept "a rather good performance record" during her tenure.
She was fired after receiving a call from the HR manager of the company, who told her that surveillance footage revealed she had left her desk six times a little earlier than expected. Wang decided to take legal action in addition to submitting a complaint to the local labor authority.
The dismissal was declared unlawful in a recent municipal court decision. Wang did leave work one minute early, but the court ruled that this did not qualify as "getting off early" in a significant way. The abrupt termination was unwarranted because the employer had not issued any warnings or requested that she change her behavior.
Although the precise amount was not released, the court ordered the company—whose name has not been made public—to pay Wang's compensation. Generally speaking, depending on local labor regulations and salary structures, compensation in these situations could range from ₹1.5 lakh to ₹4 lakh.
Guangzhou Laixin Law Firm attorney Liu Biyun told the media that it was unreasonable to fire an employee for such a trivial matter. "Firing an employee under such circumstances was a stern punishment," Liu stated.
Social media Reacts
The case has sparked heated debate on Chinese social platforms, with many criticising overbearing workplace rules.
"Why did the company not offer subsidies to employees who come to work earlier?" one online user asked.
"This relentless company should be punished," said another.
This isn't the first time workplace policies have come under fire in China. In March, a company in Anhui province drew criticism for implementing "prison-style" rules, which included banning mobile phone use and forbidding staff from leaving the premises during working hours.
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