Fired for Sleeping on the Job, Awarded $48,000 Compensation

The court in the city of Taixing, China recently dealt with an exceptional case: A Chinese man, who had worked for more than 20 years at a chemical company, sued his employers following his dismissal. The employee, named Zhang, was fired after security cameras recorded him sleeping for an hour at work.

According to reports, the incident took place after Zhang worked extra hours until midnight. The company's human resources department investigated the case and reported that Zhang violated company policy, which includes "zero tolerance" for sleeping on the job. As a result, it was decided to dismiss him for what was defined as a "severe disciplinary breach."

Zhang claimed in court that the dismissal was unjustified, considering it was his first offense in two decades of impeccable professional work. He noted that his fatigue was due to increased effort at work and extra hours that were required of him.

The court ruled that while employers have the right to enforce their rules, the dismissal in this case was an "excessive measure." The judge emphasized that no significant harm was caused to the company due to the incident and that it was the employee's first offense. Accordingly, it was ruled that the company would compensate Zhang with 350,000 yuan (around $48,000).

The judgment sparked widespread public discussion in China, mainly concerning workers' rights and discipline policy at work. Experts argue that the case may set a precedent for other workers who feel unjustly affected by their employers' strict policies.