Man On Sick Leave For Foot Pain Fired For Walking 16,000 Steps

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A heated debate over employee privacy has erupted in China after a man was fired for walking 16,000 steps while on sick leave

The man, surnamed Chen, who worked at a company in Jiangsu province, had applied for sick leave due to pain in his right foot.

According to South China Morning Post, he provided a doctor's note diagnosing him with a heel spur and advising him to rest for a week.

The company, however, accused Chen of lying about his health and terminated him for absenteeism.

As evidence, the employer presented data from a chat software record showing Chen had walked more than 16,000 steps on the day he applied for leave

They also provided surveillance footage that allegedly showed Chen running towards the company premises earlier that day.

Chen challenged the dismissal, arguing the evidence was invalid and that he had provided comprehensive hospital records, including medical scans.

The case went through labour arbitration and two court trials, with the court ultimately ruling that the company had dismissed its employee illegally.

The company was ordered to pay Chen 118,779 yuan (RM69,000) in compensation

The 2019 case, recently detailed by China's Ministry of Justice, has gone viral, sparking intense discussion about workplace surveillance.

Many online observers argued the company infringed on Chen's rights by accessing his private data.

"The company does not have the right to check the private data of their employees, such as number of steps, let alone firing them for it," one person commented.