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Two colleagues were terminated from their jobs after being caught having an affair and kissing at work, leading to a legal battle with their employer. The incident occurred at a pharmaceutical company in Meishan, Sichuan province, southwestern China.
The affair between Liu, a male employee, and Chen, a female colleague, came to light in March 2020 when Liu's wife discovered their romantic exchanges. Furious, she shared the chat records, which included messages like "I love you" and "I want to look at you all the time," with the company's tennis group and the general manager. This exposure led to both Liu and Chen being dismissed from their positions.
Following the scandal, Liu requested leave to "handle family issues," while Chen's husband confronted both her and Liu in front of their coworkers. Despite the public confrontation, the affair continued, and the two were spotted kissing again at work later in the year.
In October 2020, a female colleague intervened, asking Chen to stop her inappropriate behavior, which resulted in an argument. The next day, seven colleagues submitted a joint complaint letter to the general manager, prompting the company to take action. Liu and Chen were fired for "going off the rails" and violating the company's employee handbook, which prohibits behavior deemed morally corrupt and damaging to the company's reputation.
In response, both Liu and Chen filed lawsuits against the company, seeking compensation. Chen demanded 26,000 yuan (about US$3,700), while Liu, who held a senior position, sought over 230,000 yuan (around US$32,000). However, the court sided with the company, dismissing their claims.
The case sparked significant discussion on Chinese social media platforms like Douyin. One commenter remarked, "What a crazy world!" while another said, "Obviously, they didn’t work hard enough if they had time to find colleagues attractive." Others criticized Liu and Chen for suing the company, with one user commenting, "Shame on them."
Source: SCMP
