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A Chinese man who was fired for taking a nap at work after working late the previous day successfully sued his employer and was awarded 350,000 yuan (US$48,000) in compensation.
The man, identified only as Zhang, worked as a department manager at a chemical company in Taixing, Jiangsu province, and had been with the firm for 20 years. Earlier this year, he was dismissed after surveillance footage showed him napping at his desk for about an hour. The incident occurred after he had worked until midnight on a company-related task.
The company claimed Zhang’s behavior violated their strict no-tolerance policy against sleeping on the job. A formal dismissal notice issued to Zhang highlighted that his actions constituted a "serious breach" of company regulations, even though Zhang signed a report acknowledging his fatigue-driven nap. Following consultations with the labor union, the company terminated his open-ended employment contract.
Believing the dismissal to be unfair, Zhang filed a lawsuit. During the trial, the Taixing People’s Court acknowledged the company’s right to enforce workplace discipline but noted that dismissals must meet specific criteria, including demonstrating significant harm to the organization.
“Sleeping on the job was Zhang’s first offense and did not result in any substantial loss to the company,” stated Judge Ju Qi. The court also took into account Zhang’s two decades of service, during which he received promotions and salary increases, and deemed the company’s actions excessive.
Ultimately, the court ruled in favor of Zhang, awarding him compensation of 350,000 yuan for wrongful termination.
The case has stirred heated discussions online. Many netizens criticized the company’s inflexibility. “Napping at work is not ideal, but firing someone over this is overly harsh,” one commenter wrote. “If minor mistakes can lead to dismissal, it becomes too easy to fire employees.”
Others expressed amusement or envy over the outcome. “Imagine taking a nap and waking up to find 350,000 yuan in your bank account!” one user joked.
Source: SCMP
