February 24th 2025.
In China's Shandong province, a company caused quite a stir when it released a notice mandating its employees to get married by September or face termination. The company, Shandong Shuntian Chemical Group Co. Ltd., had reportedly instructed its 1,200 employees, aged between 28 to 58, including those who were previously divorced, to tie the knot by the end of September. Failure to do so would result in having to submit a self-criticism letter by March, followed by an evaluation in June. And if they were still single by September, they would be let go. The reason behind this policy, according to the company, was to promote qualities such as diligence, kindness, loyalty, filial devotion, and cultural values among its employees.
As news of this directive spread on Chinese social media, it caused a wave of outrage. People were quick to criticize the company for infringing on labor laws and interfering in its employees' personal lives. One user wrote, "Company rules should not take precedence over laws or social morality," while another pointed out that China's marriage law guarantees the freedom of choice in such matters.
As the backlash continued to grow, the local human resources and social security bureau stepped in and issued a rectification order, ultimately canceling the notice. They confirmed that the policy was indeed in violation of labor laws. The company then came forward and acknowledged its mistake, stating that their intention was to encourage their older employees to focus on important life decisions, but their approach was flawed. A company representative added that they would be improving their internal management and reviewing legal guidelines to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
