 "Toxic work culture in China; employees forced to lie on floor, eat chillies")
Work policies in China have recently drawn attention to extreme workplace practices leaving many people in a state of shock and outrage. Two Chinese companies made headlines for their absurd work culture and poor environment.
A video of the bizarre incident went viral revealing a company's disturbing rituals where employees were made to lie down on the floor to respect their boss. Also forced to eat 'death chillies' in case they failed to complete the task.
Praises Seniors with Slogans
One of the companies based in China's Guangzhou forced employees to do unusual practices at the office. The video shows that employees were coerced to welcome their superiors by lying down on the floor instead of casual greetings like 'Good Morning' or 'Hello'.
Employees were also asked to praise the boss by chanting slogans to show that they value work over everything else in their lives.
The reports quoted the employees as being made to shout: "Qiming branch welcomes Boss Huang! Qiming branch, whether in life or death, we will not fail our work mission," to save their jobs and follow the company's rituals.
Forced to eat death chillies
In another such incident, a Chinese company asked their employees to eat 'death chillies' as punishment for failing to complete assigned tasks.
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A finance company based in China's Chengdu region used this punishment on employees with poor performance in 2020. Two women were even hospitalised after they were forced to eat death chillies at work.
The video of the welcoming ritual has gone viral on Chinese social media with over 8 million views. The video has reignited public scrutiny of extreme workplace demands in China, with many recalling similar cases that reveal a troubling trend. Local authorities have launched an investigation into both the company’s policies and the authenticity of the footage.
In another similar case, a Henan property management company enforced unscientific weight standards and if any employee failed to meet the standards, the company deducted 500 yuan monthly from their salary. One employee claims that he lost 10,000 yuan in the last two years.
In October 2023, an employee in Guangzhou shared that her company required staff to walk 180,000 steps per month or face salary deductions.