A Chinese company plans to punish Female workers for being pregnant

[VALKRYIE]

3 July 2015
From the sectionChina

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The firm was apparently worried that too many babies may be born to its staff at the same time

A Chinese firm reportedly plans to ask its staff to seek approval before they get pregnant, provoking scorn in the state-run press and on social media.

Workers at a finance firm in Henan province were said to have been told they must apply for a "place on the birth-planning schedule" - and only if they had been employed for over a year.

Those who became pregnant without approval may be penalised.

The plan has been heavily criticised on social networks and in the media.

A commentator in the state-run China Youth Daily said the company regarded its workers as "tools on the production line" rather than human beings, the AFP news agency reports.

Employees are also unhappy, with one complaining that it was impossible to guarantee that a pregnancy would follow the schedule set by the company.

'Only a draft'

The firm, in Jiaozuo, in the central province of Henan, has recently hired a lot of young women and is said to have been concerned that they would all go on maternity leave at the same time.

A representative of the firm admitted that it had circulated the plan to staff, according to news portal The Paper, quoted by the AFP news agency.

However, the representative reportedly said the plan was only a draft that was intended to invite comment from employees.

The plan distributed by the firm suggested that only married female workers who had been with the company for more than a year would be allowed to conceive - and only within a specific period.

"The employee must strictly stick to the birth plan once it is approved," the statement said.

Employees who became pregnant in violation of the plan, and in a way that affected their work, risked a fine of 1,000 yuan (£102; $161), the statement said. They may also have to forfeit year-end bonuses and promotion or awards.

Communist China enforces strict family planning policies, famously restricting couples to having only one child.

China firm 'plans to punish unapproved staff pregnancies' - BBC News

If the company did this HR practise in Canada you would be sued up the @SS for human rights discrimination.

 

[Sinnerman108]

China firm 'plans to punish unapproved staff pregnancies' - BBC News

If the company did this HR practise in Canada you would be sued up the @SS for human rights discrimination.

Chinese capitalism, as successful as it is
is very very scary.

Their pursuit of wealth is unparalleled and some times just cruel.

 

[Edison Chen]

Mislealding title.

 

[Tom99]

Chinese capitalism, as successful as it is
is very very scary.

Their pursuit of wealth is unparalleled and some times just cruel.

Don't be ridiculous. This is an instance, not a norm. China have one of the best gender equality and representation in workplaces in Asia.

From Workplace gender equality in Asia: Is China ahead?

The findings tally with a World Economic Forum report released this week that said China improved in gender equality and has the second highest percentage of firms with female participation in ownership across Asia.

For instance, China is the only one of the six markets surveyed where maternity benefits are provided by both the government and employers.

"Maternity benefits in other markets are either paid by the government or employers. This shows that the Chinese government doesn't only require the employers to do so by law, they also lead by example," Community Business' Ngai told CNBC.

China is also the first among the six countries to roll out statutory paid paternity leave, he added. Chinese working mothers are entitled to 98 days of maternity leave, compared with 80 days in Singapore, 70 days in Japan, 60 days in Malaysia and India, and 50 days in Hong Kong.

 

[Jlaw]

China firm 'plans to punish unapproved staff pregnancies' - BBC News

If the company did this HR practise in Canada you would be sued up the @SS for human rights discrimination.

Did you even read any of your articles before posting?

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

Chinese capitalism, as successful as it is
is very very scary.

Their pursuit of wealth is unparalleled and some times just cruel.

To the contrary - Chinese are the kindest people on earth. You should actually look at the gender equality statistics first.

 

[Beast]

Typical vietnamese post. Desperate to smear China without facts due to jealousy.

 

[Sinnerman108]

Don't be ridiculous. This is an instance, not a norm. China have one of the best gender equality and representation in workplaces in Asia.

From Workplace gender equality in Asia: Is China ahead?

To the contrary - Chinese are the kindest people on earth. You should actually look at the gender equality statistics first.

Gender equality isn't what I had in my mind.

My point is that I have seen and worked with Chinese businesses for more than 10 years.
I found them to be very strict, and ruthless in pursuit of success.

my experiences may be one off, nevertheless those are my experiences.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

Gender equality isn't what I had in my mind.

My point is that I have seen and worked with Chinese businesses for more than 10 years.
I found them to be very strict, and ruthless in pursuit of success.

my experiences may be one off, nevertheless those are my experiences.

Depends on where those Chinese are from. Some Chinese are the worst bosses, some are quite nice. It all depends. Business is also very self selecting - only the most ruthless survive.

 

[Jlaw]

Gender equality isn't what I had in my mind.

My point is that I have seen and worked with Chinese businesses for more than 10 years.
I found them to be very strict, and ruthless in pursuit of success.

my experiences may be one off, nevertheless those are my experiences.

business is cutthroat. if you can't stand the heat, you better get out before you get burned.

 

[gambit]

Gender equality isn't what I had in my mind.

My point is that I have seen and worked with Chinese businesses for more than 10 years.
I found them to be very strict, and ruthless in pursuit of success.

my experiences may be one off, nevertheless those are my experiences.

But that is what the Chinese members used to distract from the fact that Chinese business leaders are exploring the argument that since the government had a say in the family, maybe businesses should -- or even must -- as well. Like the Chinese member who lives in safe Canada said -- business is cutthroat.

 

[Aepsilons]

But that is what the Chinese members used to distract from the fact that Chinese business leaders are exploring the argument that since the government had a say in the family, maybe businesses should -- or even must -- as well. Like the Chinese member who lives in safe Canada said -- business is cutthroat.

lol

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

But that is what the Chinese members used to distract from the fact that Chinese business leaders are exploring the argument that since the government had a say in the family, maybe businesses should -- or even must -- as well. Like the Chinese member who lives in safe Canada said -- business is cutthroat.

business is incomparable to government. Government (theoretically at least) derives its legitimacy from the explicit or implicit consent of the governed, and is to serve the public without expectation of profit. Business derives its legitimacy and purpose from profit alone, thus there are much lower expectations as to what businesses provide employees vs. what government provides citizens.

 

[gambit]

business is incomparable to government. Government (theoretically at least) derives its legitimacy from the explicit or implicit consent of the governed, and is to serve the public without expectation of profit. Business derives its legitimacy and purpose from profit alone, thus there are much lower expectations as to what businesses provide employees vs. what government provides citizens.

So how does this explains what this business did ?

Admit it, buddy, you approve of what this business is trying to do. This has nothing to do with gender equality as you guys tried to argue. This is about control. This business saw how successful the Chinese government got with the one-child family law and instead of using the police, the business uses employment to enforce its rules for employees.

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

Gender equality isn't what I had in my mind.

My point is that I have seen and worked with Chinese businesses for more than 10 years.
I found them to be very strict, and ruthless in pursuit of success.

my experiences may be one off, nevertheless those are my experiences.

Well, you may have mistaken the Taiwanese businessmen as the Chinese mainlanders.

The Taiwanese businessmen in general are more stingy than their mainland counterparts.

For example, Foxconn has some notorious scandals of abusing the right of its workers.