A new joinee at a Chinese educational firm with a surname Lou was fired after refusing to buy "Hot americano and an egg" for her boss. This situation came to light after she shared her experience on social media on a platform called Xiaohongshu. This incident sparked conversations about workplace boundaries.
Tensions arose when Lou refused to get Liu (Lou's supervisor) breakfast. She felt these demands and favors were not a part of her job description. With frustration, she expressed her thoughts on social media.
She stated, "I wasn’t hired to be a personal assistant, yet my boss expected me to handle her breakfast needs every morning."
A user commented, “This boss treated her subordinate like a free assistant, which is unethical and constitutes bullying.”
Another said, “Lou displayed significant bravery by exposing her boss’s misconduct.”
When the issue was taken up with the human resources department for a fair judgment, she was fired from the company with no compensation.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the HR fired her for refusing to bring her boss coffee and breakfast. This decision caused an uproar among the netizens as they criticized the firm and demanded an internal investigation to be conducted. Many people felt that employees must not be treated that way.
The company had to respond and take action in response to the backlash. They had to reinstate the dismissed employee and terminate the supervisor who made unreasonable demands.
After issuing a public statement in early September to confirm the supervisor's termination, they also ensured that they would not let similar incidents occur again.
In a 2020 survey conducted by Zhilian Zhaopin, a mainland recruiter, 64 percent of respondents in Chiana reported experiencing workplace bullying. It was common for individuals to face bullying in the form of being coerced to perform unreasonable tasks, receiving verbal abuse, and experiencing sexual harassment.
The majority of people who experienced bullying resigned, while 6 percent turned to social media to raise awareness.
Workplace bullying is not clearly defined in Chinese law, and penalties vary from case to case.
Reference:
1. “Outrage after China Firm Fires Woman for Refusing to Buy Breakfast for Boss.” South China Morning Post, September 25, 2024. https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3279487/outrage-after-china-firm-fires-woman-refusing-buy-breakfast-boss-results-reinstatement.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Gayatri Prakasan)
