Chinese man to get Rs 40.78 lakh compensation after being fired for ‘caught sleeping on the job’

A Chinese court ruled that a company must compensate a former employee after firing him sleeping on the job. The man, identified only as Zhang, worked at a chemical company in Taixing, Jiangsu province. He was fired after being caught napping at his desk after working late at night.
Zhang had worked for the company for 20 years and had a good performance record. He was fired after the company said he violated their policy because security footage showed him sleeping at his workstation that lasted until midnight the following evening. .
A fortnight later, the HR department issued documents noting that Zhang had been “caught sleeping on the job due to exhaustion”, which he acknowledged with his signature. In a documented WeChat exchange, when questioned about his resting period, Zhang confirmed that it was “about an hour or so”.
The organization, after consultation with the labor union, proceeded with a formal termination, citing serious policy violations.
The dismissal notice read: “Comrade Zhang, you joined the company in 2004 and signed an open-ended employment contract. However, your behavior of sleeping on the job is a serious violation of the company’s zero-tolerance disciplinary policy. Consequently, with the approval of the union, the company has decided to terminate your employment by terminating all labor relations between you and the Company.”
Zhang sued the company, arguing that the sentence was too harsh. The court agreed, saying that sleeping on the job does not harm the company. The court ordered the company to pay 350,000 yuan (Rs 40.78 lakh) to Zhang, the South China Morning Post reported. The Court acknowledged the rights of employers to terminate contracts for violations of the rule but emphasized the need for substantial damages to justify such actions. “Sleeping on the job was a first-time offense and did not result in serious damage to the company,” said Judge Ju Qi of the Taixing People’s Court.
The case has sparked debate on social media in China. Some believe the company was too harsh in firing Zhang, while others believe it was wrong to sleep on the job. “Napping on the job is really wrong, but the company’s actions were too harsh. If small mistakes can lead to dismissal, it makes it very easy to fire employees,” said one user. Others responded enviously, “What kind of luck is this? Waking up to find 350,000 yuan deposited in your bank account!”