A company based in China’s Shandong province caught the attention of government officials after it threatened to fire its single and divorced employees if they remained single by the end of September. According to a report in South China Morning Post, Shandong Shuntian Chemical Group Co. Ltd., issued a notice to its 1,200-odd employees, emphasising that they work well and establish families.
The notice required single employees aged 28-58, including those divorced, to get married and settle down by the end of September this year. Those who do not by the end of March need to write a self-criticism letter. If they do not get married by the end of June, the company will conduct an “evaluation” of them. If they are still single by the end of September, they will be fired.
The company said the move was intended to promote the spirit and cultural values of “diligence, kindness, loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness”.
As the news went viral, Chinese social media users slammed the decision, stating the company was violating several laws.
“Corporate rules should not override laws or social morals,” one user commented, while others pointed out that the Chinese marriage law guarantees freedom of marriage.
“This crazy company should mind its own business and stay away from the personal lives of employees.”
Notice revoked
As the controversy snowballed, the local human resources and social security bureau issued a correction order, revoking the company’s notice. As per the officials, the notice violated relevant provisions of the labour law.
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The company confirmed that the notice had been halted and the regulations revoked, adding that it would strengthen internal management, study relevant laws and regulations, and prevent such incidents from occurring again.
A company representative said the intention behind the move was to encourage “older unmarried employees to focus on important life decisions and motivate them to marry and settle down”. However, the approach was overly simplistic, and the company mistakenly transformed this initiative into a rigid policy
