"Only 6 Bathroom Visits a Day, 20,000 Won Deducted from Salary for Each Violation" - Chinese Company’s 'Absurd Rule'

Regulation Abolished After Government Investigation

A Chinese company sparked controversy by limiting employees' bathroom usage time.

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On the 22nd, the Chinese state-run English newspaper Global Times reported that a company in Foshan City, Guangdong Province, southern China, recently issued a guideline allowing employees to use the bathroom only six times a day, drawing heavy criticism. The company set specific bathroom usage times: before 8 a.m., from 10:30 to 10:40 a.m., from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., from 3:30 to 3:40 p.m., from 5:30 to 6 p.m., and after 9 p.m. for night shift workers. Outside these times, employees could only use the bathroom for urgent urination within 2 minutes. Violating the rule would result in a 100 yuan (about 20,000 KRW) deduction from their salary. Employees needing to use the bathroom outside the restricted times for specific health reasons had to obtain approval from the HR department.

The company explained that this measure aimed to improve work efficiency and was also based on the ancient Chinese medical text "Huangdi Neijing" (黃帝內經) to promote employee health.

However, a lawyer from a law firm in Guangdong pointed out that the rule endangered employees' health and violated labor laws. Local netizens also raised concerns about possible labor law violations, calling the policy "shameless" and "excessively strict." Local media criticized the regulation as a unilateral decision by management. As the controversy intensified, relevant authorities visited the company on the 13th for an investigation and found internal management issues. After the person in charge was summoned by the authorities, the company eventually withdrew the bathroom usage rule.

Meanwhile, earlier in January, another Chinese company caused controversy by taking and posting photos inside the bathroom because employees were spending too much time there. A company located in Shenzhen secretly photographed employees smoking or squatting and resting in the bathroom and publicly posted the images. A company representative explained, "Employees were spending too much time in the bathroom, smoking or playing games, which made other employees uncomfortable. An administrative staff member climbed a ladder to take photos inside the bathroom and posted them on the wall, but they were removed after two hours."