For many professionals, asking for time off often triggers hesitation and guilt. This probably happens most often in understaffed offices, where bosses view vacation requests as a lack of commitment. A Chinese man caught the Internet’s attention after he found an unusual way to apply for sick leave, but was fired from his job.
According to South China Morning PostChen, who worked at a company in Jiangsu province, was fired after his boss discovered he had walked 16,000 steps while on sick leave due to foot pain. The report stated that Chen first applied for sick leave in February and March 2019 due to a back strain he suffered while working.
He returned to work a month later and applied for another sick leave after half a day due to pain in his right foot. In addition to the mail, he also submitted a doctor’s note suggesting he rest for a week. Later, Chen was diagnosed with a callus in the heel and extended his leave, the report added.
Days later, security at his company stopped Chen when he visited the office to submit his medical records. The company fired him, claiming Chen provided doctored medical records and also provided data showing he walked more than 16,000 steps on the day he applied for leave.
The incident came to light recently when Chen, who filed a labor arbitration case against the company in 2019, won a legal battle against his former employer, with the court awarding him compensation of 118,779 yuan (about Rs 15 lakh).
The SCMP report added that the company provided surveillance footage of Chen running toward the office and software logs showing his step count. Chen said the evidence was invalid and that he provided original hospital records, including medical examinations of his waist and foot.
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(tags for translation) Chinese work culture
