Step too far? Chinese employee's 16,000-step stroll on sick leave ends in court triumph

Beijing (The Uttam Hindu): If you walk 16,000 steps while on sick leave, your job could be in danger. It may sound surprising, but a similar incident occurred in China.

A Chinese employee was fired after his company discovered he had walked 16,000 steps despite taking leave citing leg pain. However, the employee has now won a lawsuit against his employer. The court declared the dismissal illegal and ordered the company to pay him 118,779 yuan (approximately 1.5 million rupees) in compensation.

What is the whole matter?

According to a report in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), this case dates back to 2019 and was recently made public by China's Ministry of Justice. The incident has sparked a heated debate about workers' rights.

Chen, a man working for a company in Jiangsu Province, complained of back strain while working in February-March 2019 and requested sick leave. After a month of rest, he returned to duty, but within half a day, he took another leave, citing pain in his right leg. His doctor advised him to rest for a week.

According to the report, Chen's leave was extended a week later. When he was called to the office to submit new medical records, a security guard stopped him. A few days later, the company fired him, accusing him of absenteeism and fraud .

The company claimed Chen had exaggerated his illness and presented evidence that Chen had walked more than 16,000 steps on the day of his holiday, according to data from a chat software.

Chen then filed a complaint with a labor arbitration court, where officials ruled in his favor. The company challenged this decision and submitted video footage and step-count records of Chen walking to his office.

Chen submitted detailed hospital documents, including MRI scans of his back and leg, arguing that this evidence was invalid. After two hearings, the court ruled that the dismissal was unlawful and upheld the compensation order.

Questions raised about the spying of personal data

Following the revelation of this case, a heated debate has erupted on social media. Many users are strongly condemning the company's action. One user said, "Even if 16,000 steps were indeed walked, it could have been to go to the hospital or get medicine." Another user insisted that the company has no right to investigate employees' personal data, such as the number of steps, let alone to take away their jobs.