Chinese Woman Fired For Leaving Work One Minute Early Wins Legal Battle

A Chinese woman who was fired for leaving work a minute early on six days in a month has won the lawsuit against her former employer. The woman, surnamed Wang was fired by the unnamed company, based in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, earlier this year, where she had been working for three years with a "rather good performance record'.

According to a report in South China Morning Post, a local court ruled that the company had sacked Ms Wang illegally and that she should be paid compensation, the amount of which is not clear. The court cleared that Ms Wang knocking off one minute from her work schedule did not amount to her "getting off early".

The court also stated that the company did not issue any warning to her, nor did they attempt to correct her behaviour. The verdict said that sacking Wang was illegal because it lacked evidence and was not reasonable.

As per Ms Wang, it was at the end of last year that a human resources manager called her to inform that office surveillance records showed she had left her desk one minute earlier than the designated time for six days in a month of the year.

After being fired, she lodged a complaint with the local labour rights authority, and sued the company.

Also Read | Cops Dressed As Batman And Robin Nab Gambling Suspects In UK, Video Goes Viral

Previous instances

In November last year, a Chinese man was awarded 350,000 yuan (Rs 41.6 lakh) in compensation after he was fired for taking a quick nap, having already worked overtime. Mr Zhang had served as a department manager at a chemical company in Taixing, Jiangsu province, for more than 20 years when he was unceremoniously dismissed from his position.

The court acknowledged that while employers have the right to terminate contracts for regulatory violations, such actions must meet certain conditions, such as causing significant loss to the company.

Similarly, in March this year, a Beijing law firm was fined for not taking corrective measures after it illegally extended staff working hours - a rare imposition of a penalty by authorities that drew widespread praise on social media.

Latest Stories