China: Woman fired for talking back to her boss

[villager]

Source: Reuters

Woman fired for talking back to her boss

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese woman is suing her former employer after falling victim to the company policy of firing staff who contradict their boss three times, local media reported on Thursday.

HWA-1 Enterprise Co Ltd, a light industrial manufacturer based in China's southeastern port city of Xiamen, sacked a woman surnamed Ni for refusing to pay fines she incurred for talking back to superiors, Xinhua news agency said, citing a local newspaper. The company's policy held that a "first contradiction of superiors" would incur a fine of 30 yuan ($4), a second would incur 100 yuan, and a third would warrant dismissal, the agency said.

Ni incurred a 30 yuan fine after taking umbrage with her factory supervisor for reprimanding her for not filling in a form. "The factory head told me that, according to company rules, no matter whether management is right or wrong, employees are not allowed to contradict them and must obey," Xinhua quoted Ni as saying.

Ni was then threatened with a 100 yuan fine for refusing to pay the first fine, and was sacked after she threatened to report her supervisor to the company's human resource's department.

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Read more: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyid=2007-09-06T184208Z_01_GOR664487_RTRUKOC_0_US-CHINA-COMPANY-SACKING-ODD.xml

[tabasco]

1. Must be a slow news day in China.

This happens every day in the USA, probably hundreds of times a day.

[zanne]

12. I was thinking the same thing. nt

[Journeyman]

2. Unfortunately, here in America, "at will" employment can get you canned. . .

the first time you talk back to a supervisor.

[sandnsea]

3. Do they have whistleblower protection? no

Don't pretend this happens here. If something harmful is going on in a factory here, there are avenues where people can complain and keep their job. And most unemployment laws do not require you to tolerate a variety of unsafe and unfair working conditions.

We make a HUGE mistake not standing up for labor all over the world. It's the only way we will stand up for our own standard of living in the long run.

[tabasco]

5. Where in the report does it mention a whistleblower?

What are you talking about? This does happen every day in America. Common occurrence. Piss off the boss - get fired. Hell, this girl had to piss off the boss three times. Here in the USA, you only have to do it once.

Maybe you live in a different USA than I do.

Do you have a link or source for "no whistleblower protection" in China?

[sandnsea]

6. You know what

I don't care enough to fight about it. If you think it helps American workers to trash Chinese workers, join Lou Dobbs and have at it.

[silverojo]

10. Lou Dobbs trashes Chinese EMPLOYERS

You know, the ones who think it's okay to have poisonous substances in toothpaste, and lead in the paint on children's toys.

[Clovis Sangrail]

9. she was a whistleblower?

the article didn't sound like whistleblowing... sounded like garden variety boss/employee conflict.

If you think people here don't get canned here for that sort of stuff you've been living in a bubble.

[The Vinyl Ripper]

13. You are living in a fantasy world..

No offense, but I've been fired for way less than talking back to the boss.

Whistleblower protection my left kneecap. Whistleblowers get treated worse than anyone.

[OhioChick]

4. Happens Frequently Here....

:nopity:

[tom_paine]

7. So? Commie China and BushPutinist Amerika are a lot alike in terms of worker treatment

Of course, sincve tyhe Imperial Subjects of Amerika were so recently inhabitants of a Free Nation, it will still take awhile to reduce them/us to the level of the Chinese and lower, for their living standards will likely continue to rise while Amerika continues into the mire of being a freshly minted Third World Nation.

[treestar]

8. I'm amazed that she can sue

The law in China allows for that?

What's she suing for? It can't be hard to get another job!

[RestoreGore]

11. Sounds like companies here too

[Javaman]

14. Nice to see those "unions" in china really supporting the workers, huh? nt