"CEO's Entry" Sound Makes Employees Bow Down Saying "Welcome"... Absurd Power Abuse by Chinese Company

Chinese Education Company’s Abnormal Corporate Culture Revealed
Bowing to the CEO, Harsh Treatment Due to Declining Performance
Company Claims "Possibility of Fabrication"... "Bad Culture Is Common"

Employees prostrating themselves on the floor to their superiors and eating spicy chili peppers as punishment for poor performance have sparked controversy over the harsh culture in Chinese companies. On the 13th, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that "a video showing employees lying face down on the office floor to welcome their CEO has spread on Chinese social networking services (SNS)," highlighting the abnormal culture in some companies.

Employees of a Chinese education company are seen bowing and greeting their superior, and Chinese authorities are investigating the authenticity of the incident. Baidu

According to the report, a recent video posted on SNS by a Chinese netizen showed 20 employees of an educational company in a southern city of Guangzhou lined up in the hallway, lying face down while chanting slogans to welcome CEO Hwang. As the CEO passed by, the employees raised their heads and shouted, "The Qiming branch welcomes CEO Hwang! Our Qiming branch will never abandon our mission, whether in life or death."

The video rapidly spread on SNS, reaching 8 million views. Chinese netizens reacted by calling it "an act that tramples on employee dignity" and saying "harmful workplace cultures such as kneeling to welcome superiors or being forced to drink alcohol are widespread."

However, the company's legal representative denied involvement on the 2nd, stating, "We have never participated in such a welcoming ceremony," and added, "The video is continuously having a negative impact on the company. There is a possibility that the video has been manipulated." Chinese authorities are currently investigating the company's policies and the authenticity of the video.

The video recalls past workplace abuse incidents in China that sparked controversy. In October last year, a company in Guangzhou implemented a "health maintenance policy" forcing employees to walk 180,000 steps per month, imposing small fines if the step count was insufficient. An employee who reported this said, "I use the subway for commuting, so I couldn't meet the step count, and over 100 yuan (about 20,000 won) was deducted from my monthly salary. To avoid fines, I deliberately took longer routes, which caused significant inconvenience in daily life."

Additionally, in 2021, a company in Henan Province set the "standard weight" as the employee's height minus 105 and mandated maintaining weight within 10% of this standard. At the time, an employee said, "I have to lose 25 kg to meet the standard," and "500 yuan (about 100,000 won) was deducted from my monthly salary because of my weight." Such company policies effectively reduced employees' wages, causing controversy.

In China, forcing employees to comply with personal matters constitutes a violation of labor rights. If a company establishes unreasonable regulations infringing on individual rights, authorities may issue warnings and require the company to provide monetary compensation to employees.