According to a report by the South China Morning Post, a Chinese man named Wang was fired from his job for spending up to six hours in the restroom during work hours. Wang had worked for the company since April 2006 and had a non-fixed-term contract starting from April 2013.
Wang had undergone surgery in December 2014 and claimed to experience ongoing pain afterward, which led him to spend three to six hours in the restroom every day from July 2015. The company’s records showed that between September 7 and 17, 2015, Wang visited the restroom 22 times, spending anywhere from 47 to 196 minutes each time. As a result, his employment was terminated on September 23, 2015, citing reasons such as being late, leaving early, and unauthorized absences.
Wang appealed to the company to reinstate him and continue his non-fixed-term contract. However, after going through the legal process, the courts ruled against him, considering his extended restroom stays to be beyond reasonable physiological needs. The court affirmed that his termination was legal and justified.
This case attracted attention on social media, with many users expressing disbelief at Wang’s behavior. Some commented that spending four hours out of an eight-hour workday in the restroom was unacceptable for any employer, while others compared it to getting paid for using the facilities. Concerns were also raised about the potential implications if employees were to win such cases, suggesting a significant impact on restroom usage.
