Threat of dismissal

China: Company wanted to force employees to marry

(Bild: Dennis - stock.adobe.com)

Under pressure from the authorities, a company in China has withdrawn a new rule according to which employees should either marry or leave the company. As the Hong Kong newspaper "South China Morning Post" reports, the chemical company from the eastern Chinese province of Shandong wanted to increase the marriage rate among its approximately 1,200 employees. It therefore introduced a new guideline in January.

Anyone who had not married by the end of March would have had to write a letter of self-criticism. If the marriage had still not taken place by the end of June, the company would have carried out an "assessment". It remained unclear what exactly was meant by this. Anyone who was still single by the end of September was to be dismissed.

The company also planned to enforce rules that required employees to adhere more closely to traditional Chinese values. All single and divorced employees of the company between the ages of 28 and 58 would have been affected.

Authorities intervene - criticism on social media
However, shortly after the regulations came into force, the authorities intervened. The case led to criticism on China's social media.

The Chinese government itself is trying to encourage young people to marry more often and start a family again. In doing so, it is relying on less bureaucracy and financial incentives. Both marriage rates and birth rates have been trending downwards in China for years.