Have you ever dreamed about sneaking in a nap at work after having a particularly heavy lunch? Most of us have, and one man faced the brunt of sleeping on the job after getting fired for his indiscretion. However, things took a twist after he hauled his former employer to court, and the outcome was a surprising one, with the court ruling that the employee wasn’t in the wrong, and awarded him compensation to the tune of Rs. 40.78 lakhs.
Sleeping on the job
The former employee, Zhang, worked at a chemical company in Taixing, Jiangsu province, and was caught napping at his desk after working late the previous night. Having served the company for 20 years with a solid performance record, Zhang was terminated for violating company policy. Security footage showed him sleeping at his workstation following a work-related journey that lasted until midnight.
Two weeks later, the HR department issued a document noting that Zhang was “caught sleeping at work due to exhaustion”, which Zhang acknowledged with his signature. In a documented WeChat exchange, Zhang confirmed he had rested for “about an hour or so”.
The company, after consulting with the labor union, proceeded with formal termination, citing serious policy violations. The dismissal notice stated, “Comrade Zhang, you joined the company in 2004 and signed an open-ended employment contract. However, your behavior of sleeping on the job is a serious breach of the company’s zero-tolerance discipline policy. Consequently, with the union’s approval, the company has decided to terminate your employment, ending all labor relations between you and the company”.
Legal ramifications
Zhang sued the company, arguing that the punishment was excessive. The court agreed, ruling that sleeping on the job did not harm the company. The court ordered the company to pay Zhang 350,000 yuan (₹40.78 lakh), as reported by the South China Morning Post. The court acknowledged employers’ rights to terminate contracts for rule violations but emphasized the need for substantial damage to justify such actions. Judge Ju Qi of the Taixing People’s Court noted, “Sleeping on the job was a first-time offense and did not result in serious harm to the company”.
The case has sparked debate on social media in China. Some believe the company was too harsh in firing Zhang, while others think he was wrong to sleep on the job. One user commented, “Napping at work is indeed wrong, but the company’s actions were too harsh. If minor mistakes can lead to dismissal, it makes firing employees far too easy.” Another user remarked enviously, “What kind of luck is this? Waking up to find 350,000 yuan deposited in your bank account!”
