Chinese company photographed employees in toilets, shamed them for taking long breaks | Trending
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Jan 31, 2025 05:00 PM A Shenzhen-based company is under fire for taking photos of employees in restrooms to deter prolonged breaks and smoking. Lixun Diansheng, a company located in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, recently faced significant criticism after it was reported on January 20 that they had photographed employees using the toilet and displayed these images to discourage extended restroom breaks and smoking. The company justified its actions stating that some staff members occupied the restroom for extended periods, engaging in activities like smoking and playing mobile games, and would not respond when others needed to use the facilities, reported the South China Morning Post. Company personnel used ladders to capture photos of these employees in the restroom. (Pexel) Also read: IITian CEO slams Indian techies, says they don’t want to work 6 days a week ‘even with ₹1 crore salary’ In response, company personnel used ladders to capture photos of these employees over the stall doors and subsequently posted the images on restroom walls as a deterrent. The company claimed that the photos were removed a few hours later because “they do not look good.” Internet reactsThis practice has sparked a significant online backlash, with many expressing concerns over privacy violations. Lawyer Zhu Xue from Celue Law Firm commented that the company’s actions infringed upon the privacy of employees, stating, “The companies should not record and manage its employees’ laziness but not illegal behaviour with illegitimate methods.” Online reactions have been overwhelmingly negative, with one observer noting, “The first thing that the company thought of was that the photos did not look good rather than that they were illegal, evidence that the company lacked proper legal education.” Another questioned, “Are they employees or slaves?” This incident is not isolated. In November 2021, GOME, a major Chinese electrical appliance retailer, faced criticism after monitoring employees’ internet usage and punishing those who played games or chatted online during work hours. Additionally, in 2022, Shenzhen-based Sangfor Technologies faced backlash for promoting a system capable of detecting employees’ intentions to resign monitoring their visits to job-seeking websites and resume submissions. Also read: Anand Mahindra takes a jab at L&T chairman’s 90-hour workweek call: ‘You must study arts’ Recommended Topics News / Trending / Chinese company photographed employees in toilets, shamed them for taking long breaks See Less