12.07.2024 16:20
The punishment given by a game company in China to its non-resigning employee astonished everyone. The employee was confined to a dark room without electricity for 4 days, and his mobile phone was also confiscated.
In China, new extraordinary events between workers and employers are added every day, and the news from the country once again brought attention to the harsh working conditions in China. It was revealed that a gaming company locked its employee in a room without electricity for 4 days in order to force him to resign.
The incident came to light when Guangzhou Duoyi Network, a gaming company, appealed a court decision against it. According to the allegations, the company noticed that Liu Linzhu, who worked as a game designer, couldn't enter the company systems because his access card didn't work. After informing this to the managers, Liu was asked to resign. When Liu refused, the next day the company managers told him that they would provide him with training and locked the game designer in a dark room with only a desk and chair, without electricity. According to Liu, his phone was also taken away from him. Liu was allowed to go home when the working hours were over, but the next day he was locked in the dark room again.
COURT RULED AGAINST THE COMPANY
The incident was taken to court when Liu's wife reported the treatment of her husband to the police on the fifth day. The court ruled that locking Liu in the dark room was illegal according to the Labor Contract Law, which obliges employers to provide suitable working conditions for employees. Additionally, the observers appointed by the court reported that the company collected its employees' phones during working hours and that it was forbidden for employees to communicate with each other during the day or after working hours. The court found the company guilty and ordered it to pay Liu 380,000 yuan (52,000 dollars) for the treatment he received.
DID HE LOOK AT INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT SITES?
The company stated on China's social media site Weibo that they would appeal the court decision. The company claimed that they found out that Liu was looking at sites with inappropriate content during his working hours. Liu firmly denied these allegations. The company had previously been sued for forcing its employees to reduce their salaries by 10% during a period when their income was good.