Employee Awarded $48,000 After Firing for Post-Overtime Nap



A man in China who was fired for taking a one-hour nap after working late the previous day won his case and was awarded 350,000 yuan (US$48,000) in compensation, sparking lively discussions among Chinese netizens.


The man, identified as Zhang, whose age remains undisclosed, worked as a department manager at a chemical company in Taixing, Jiangsu province in southeastern China. He dedicated two decades of service to the company.

Earlier this year, Zhang was dismissed after company surveillance cameras captured him napping at his desk following a work-related drive that extended until midnight the night before.

Two weeks after the incident, the company's HR department released a report stating that Zhang had been "caught sleeping at work due to exhaustion", a document that Zhang signed.

According to a WeChat conversation record circulated online, an HR staff member inquired: "Manager Zhang, how long did you nap that day?" to which he responded: "About an hour or so."

Subsequently, after consulting the labour union, the company issued a formal dismissal notice to Zhang, citing a serious violation of company regulations.

"Comrade Zhang, you joined the company in 2004 and signed an open-ended employment contract. However, your behaviour of sleeping on the job is a serious breach of the company's zero-tolerance discipline policy. Consequently, with the union's approval, the company has decided to terminate your employment, ending all labour relations between you and the company," the notice stated.

Believing the dismissal was unjust, Zhang promptly filed a lawsuit against the company.

In evaluating the case, the court recognised that while employers have the right to terminate contracts for violations of regulations, such terminations must adhere to specific conditions, including causing significant loss.

"Sleeping on the job was a first-time offence and did not result in serious harm to the company," explained Ju Qi, a judge at the Taixing People's Court.





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Editor: Crystal H


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