An employee in China was fired for spending too long in the restroom — the longest break lasting four hours — during a period between April and May 2024. The man sued the company, claiming it was an illegal termination, the South China Morning Post reported.
The incident came to light after the company was dragged to court, with Li seeking compensation of 320,000 yuan ( ₹41,08,800).
As per reports, Li joined the company in 2010 and renewed an open-ended contract in 2014. His job required him to stay on standby and respond quickly to work-related messages. When supervisors began noticing that he was often away from his workstation, they tried reaching him through a chat application, but he did not respond.
The company later presented surveillance footage in court showing Li making frequent and prolonged trips to the bathroom. According to company rules, leaving one’s post without permission for a specified period counted as absence. Accumulating three days of absence within 180 days could result in immediate dismissal. The firm also obtained consent from the labour union before terminating his services.
What evidence did Li present in court?
Li argued that his extended bathroom breaks were due to a medical condition. He submitted records of haemorrhoid medication bought online by his partner in May and June last year, along with hospital surgery documents from January this year.
Why did the court reject his claim?
The court observed that the time Li spent in the bathroom had “greatly exceeded” what would normally be required for physical needs. It also pointed out that the medical documents covered a period after many of the bathroom visits had already taken place. Additionally, Li had not informed the company about his condition or applied for sick leave in advance, as mandated by his contract.
After two rounds of hearings, the court stepped in to mediate. Taking into account Li’s service to the company and the difficulties caused by job loss, it persuaded the employer to settle the matter by paying him an allowance of 30,000 yuan, or roughly US$4,200.
According to SCMP, this was not an isolated incident. In 2023, a worker in Jiangsu was dismissed for bathroom breaks lasting as long as six hours, a decision that the court upheld. In earlier cases, even drivers have reportedly faced penalties for short bathroom stops that disrupted work schedules.