In Shanghai, a woman was briefly dismissed after declining to buy breakfast for her boss, sparking outrage on social media across mainland China.
Following the public backlash, the company rehired her and fired the supervisor.
The employee, known as Lou, a new recruit at an educational institution, shared her story on Xiaohongshu.
Lou explained that her boss, identified as Liu, insisted she bring a “hot Americano and an egg” every morning. Additionally, Lou noted that her supervisor demanded a bottle of water be available at all times.
When Lou raised these demands in a work chat group, she was admonished by a group admin. Later, HR dismissed her without compensation.
Lou sought repayment from Liu and described feeling “helpless and absurd” about the situation.
As the incident gained public attention, it faced widespread criticism.
One commenter observed: “This boss treated her subordinate like a free assistant, which is unethical and constitutes bullying.”
Another commented: “Lou showed great courage by exposing her boss’s misconduct.”
On September 12, the company stated that Lou’s supervisor was terminated for abusing authority and coercing staff into personal errands.
Lou was reinstated but it’s unclear if she will receive any compensation. Wang, the head of HR, informed Dafeng News that Lou’s firing was Liu’s decision and not company policy, yet HR initially acted to fire her.
Lou’s case has raised awareness of workplace bullying in China, with related discussions garnering over 2 million views on Weibo.
A 2020 survey by Zhilian Zhaopin revealed that 64% of Chinese respondents experienced workplace bullying, including being forced to perform unreasonable tasks, facing verbal abuse, and dealing with sexual harassment.
More than half of those bullied resigned, while 6% used social media to highlight the issue.
Chinese law lacks clear definitions of workplace bullying, leading to varied penalties.
He Bo, a lawyer at Sichuan Hongqi Law Firm, told the Post: “For example, forcing employees to work overtime breaches labor laws, and sexual harassment may lead to administrative or criminal charges.”
“To combat workplace bullying, employees should collect evidence such as screenshots, audio, and video recordings,” he advised.
He also mentioned that employees are not obligated to perform tasks unrelated to their job duties and can refuse unreasonable requests. Seeking legal advice may be prudent if needed.
