Employee in China fired for napping during work, sues company for S$64K compensation

Employee in China fired after taking 1-hour nap during work

Recently, a department manager at a chemical company with 20 years of service, was fired for taking a one-hour nap during work hours.

The company claimed his behaviour was a serious violation of company regulations, leading to the termination of his employment contract.

Sued company & won S$64K in compensation

Feeling tired from driving late the night before, Mr Zhang took a one-hour nap at his workplace the next day and made sure to sign the company’s form acknowledging his action.

However, the company saw this as a violation of company policy. His employer even consulted the opinions of a labour union, who supported the termination of his contract.

Mr Zhang, on the other hand, believed the company’s actions were not righteous, prompting him to take legal action.

According to Chinese news media NetEase News, the court ultimately ruled that the company had violated labour laws and ordered it to pay Zhang over RM350,000 (S$64,000) in compensation.

Netizens slammed company for harsh punishment

The company reportedly failed to consider the reasons behind Zhang’s actions and did not try to properly measure the impact of his actions. Instead, it immediately resorted to a severe punishment.

Many netizens believe that Zhang should not have been fired for a single mistake given his 20 years of service, and they viewed the company’s actions as too harsh.

Others have questioned the company’s management approach, arguing that companies should adopt more humane and flexible measures when dealing with employees.

Also read: Employee In China Fired For Using Medical Leave To Go On Vacation, Now Has To Return S$116K To Company

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Featured image adapted from NetEase News and Harvard University, for illustrative purposes only.