Chinese Company Photographs Employees In Toilets, Shames Them For Taking Too Long

Last Updated:February 01, 2025, 11:44 IST

The company said it was a necessary step to warn employees who smoked and played mobile games in the restroom,

The step backfired hugely as many voiced concerns about privacy violations. (Photo Credits: X)

A Chinese company in Shenzhen has received massive criticism after it took extreme measures to punish employees for spending too long in the restroom. Lixun Diansheng in Southern China’s Guangdong province resorted to photographing employees using the toilet and subsequently posting the pictures on the restroom wall.

The company’s justification? It was necessary to warn employees who smoked and played mobile games in the restroom, according to a report in the South China Morning Post. The company further explained that some employees used to occupy the restroom for too long and would not respond when others needed to use the facilities. So, in response to these activities, the staff used ladders and captured photos of these employees.

The company, however, claimed that the photos were removed a few hours later because “they did not look good.”

The practice backfired, with many voicing concerns about privacy violations. The South China Morning Post, in its report, mentioned that lawyer Zhu Xue from Celue Law Firm, while speaking to a Chinese media outlet, Jimu News, echoed these concerns and said the company’s actions were a clear infringement on employee privacy.

He added, “The companies should not record and manage their employees’ laziness but not illegal behaviour with illegitimate methods.”

Soon enough, people on social media expressed anger and called out the company for violating the privacy of its employees.

“The company should be punished for abusing surveillance cameras,” commented a user.

Another questioned, “Don’t they know there are devices called smoke detectors that are useful for catching smokers?”

“The employees should sue the company and guarantee themselves a fat paycheck,” read a comment.

An account remarked, “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.”

“Are they employees or slaves?” posted another.

This was the first time a Chinese company crossed boundaries. In November 2021, a major Chinese electrical appliance retailer, GOME, faced similar criticism for monitoring employee internet activity and punishing those who used work hours for personal entertainment. The company also posted a punishment notification stating the employees had violated the terms in the employee handbook.

Location :

Delhi, India, India