Cruel? For Failing to Meet Sales Target, See What a Chinese Company Did to Its Employees

In what can be described as an despicable display of anger, a company in Zhengzhou, China's Henan Province, has caused outrage online after asking some of its employees to crawl on their hand and knees around a local lake because they couldn't meet their sales targets.

A report by CCTV revealed that the shocking corporal punishment was publicised by various local media outlets. According to the reports, at least a dozen people were seen dragging themselves on all fours on a wooden path along the lake. Their clothes were worn out and some of them were bleeding with bruises and scrapes.

When questioned about their unusual behaviour, one of employees being punished revealed that that they were being punished by their employer for their poor performance at work. Also, one member of staff was stationed at the lake to make sure everyone finished their prescribed number of laps.

Photographs of the crawling sales staff were soon posted on Weibo, China’s largest social media website.

The incident has enraged many people and thousands of Weibo users spoke out against the inhumane treatment of the poor employees. “How can this company ever get stronger with such kind of a policy?” one user questioned. “For starters, the employees wouldn’t follow it with their whole hearts.”

 “Where’s the trade union? Where’s the dignity and where’s the bottom line?” another asked.

 

Many found it strange that the employees complied with the management’s orders instead of refusing to crawl. “The punishment is total humiliation. But I don’t understand these employees. Why crawl just because someone else told you to do so?” a user wrote.

“I think these people can only do what their bosses order them to, because they are afraid of losing their jobs,” another reasoned. “Hope there is a proper solution for them to enjoy some dignity, while not costing them their jobs.”