A department manager in China has been awarded 350,000 yuan (approximately US$48,000) in compensation after being fired for taking a one-hour nap at his desk following a late-night work assignment. The court found the dismissal of Zhang, a 20-year veteran employee of a chemical company in Taixing, Jiangsu province, to be excessively harsh.
Zhang was terminated after surveillance footage captured him resting at his workstation, which the company claimed violated its zero-tolerance policy on workplace conduct. In response, Zhang argued that the nap was a one-time occurrence, resulting from exhaustion after an intense work night, and posed no harm to the company.
The court ruled in Zhang’s favor, highlighting his long service, previously spotless record, and the absence of any significant impact caused by the incident. The judgment has drawn significant attention online, with some users sympathizing with Zhang’s situation and others referring to the payout as an unexpected “windfall.”
