Chinese employee fired for napping wins $48,000 in compensation after lawsuit

According to the South China Morning Post, the man, identified as Zhang, worked as a department manager at a chemical company in Taixing, Jiangsu province, China, for two decades.

Earlier this year, following a midnight work-related task, he was caught on surveillance footage napping at his desk for an hour. Two weeks later, the company’s HR department released a report citing Zhang’s exhaustion as the reason for the nap, which he acknowledged by signing.

In a WeChat exchange, Zhang admitted to HR that his nap lasted "about an hour." After consulting the labor union, the company dismissed Zhang for a "serious violation" of its strict no-tolerance policy.

Believing the dismissal was unjustified, Zhang sued the company. The Taixing People’s Court ruled that while companies can terminate employees for rule violations, such breaches must meet specific conditions, such as causing significant harm.

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

The court also considered Zhang’s 20 years of service, deeming the termination unreasonable. The ruling awarded Zhang 350,000 yuan (USD $48,000) in compensation for wrongful termination.

The case has sparked widespread debate on Chinese social media about workplace policies and employee rights.

"Napping at work is indeed wrong, but the company’s actions were too harsh. If minor mistakes can lead to dismissal, it makes firing employees far too easy," one online user commented.

Another joked: "What kind of luck is this? Waking up to find 350,000 yuan deposited in your bank account!"