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A recent incident at a company in Shenzhen, southeastern China, has sparked widespread criticism and debate over workplace practices and gender equality. The company’s executive officer, identified as Luo, sent a message in a group conversation on WeChat to his team, which included five women, requesting female staff to wear light makeup to work. He justified the request by claiming it would help “motivate” their male colleagues.
The situation escalated when Luo, noticing a lack of response from the group, re-sent the message with a more pressing tone. He threatened that ignoring the message could result in a reduction of the employees’ performance bonuses. This action further amplified concerns over the appropriateness of his demands and the implications for workplace equality.
The message went viral after being shared online by an influencer who is friends with an unidentified member of the company’s staff. The story gained traction in local media, leading to widespread outrage and a re-examination of workplace dynamics in China.
In response to the backlash, Luo claimed that his message was merely a joke and had been misunderstood. He stated that such light-hearted interactions were common within the company, both online and in person. However, this explanation did little to quell the public outcry, with many questioning the validity of his claims and the underlying attitudes toward female employees.
Luo also acknowledged that the majority of the company’s 300 employees were male and admitted that the company often failed to consider the needs of its female staff. He claimed that the firm made efforts to provide additional benefits for women employees, though he did not specify what these were.
The incident has reignited discussions on social media platforms in China about workplace sexism and the rights of employees. Users expressed their frustration and disbelief, questioning the sincerity of Luo’s explanation and the broader implications of such requests in a professional setting.
This is not an isolated incident in China, where stories about employers imposing unreasonable demands on their employees frequently emerge. From threats to cancel weekends off for ignoring messages during a break to forcing new hires to perform unrelated tasks, these stories highlight ongoing challenges in employee rights and workplace equality in China.
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