A 29-year-old telesales worker in eastern China was hospitalised after suffering severe muscle damage when her manager ordered her to perform 200 squats as punishment for failing to meet daily sales targets.
The woman, identified by her surname Yang, has since resigned from the company and lodged a complaint with the local labour inspection authorities, who have reportedly agreed to investigate the incident.
Yang had recently moved to Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, and started her first job in June as a financial consultant with a monthly salary of CNY4,500 (US$670). Although the position was advertised as financial consulting, she said her actual duties involved telesales for a loan assistance company.
According to the South China Morning Post, her team manager, surnamed Zhang, required employees to make 200 calls a day, conduct at least one client visit and secure one potential client who expressed an intention to work with the company.
On July 28, Yang allegedly missed two of those targets. She was reportedly given two options — complete 100 squats or pay a CNY50 (US$7) fine for each missed target. Unable to afford the fine, she chose to complete the physical punishment, resulting in 200 squats.
Zhang reportedly named Yang in the company’s WeChat group and instructed her to record the punishment as evidence. Footage later aired by Zhejiang consumer affairs programme “1818 Golden Eye” showed Yang completing the squats at different locations inside the office building, with her legs visibly shaking.
By the end of the video, she was seen holding onto a door frame to remain standing. Yang later said the pain in her legs became so severe that she felt as though they would burst and she was eventually unable to walk.
Yang did not seek medical treatment immediately because she was short of money. She waited five days before going to hospital after her urine turned dark.
Medical tests found her creatine kinase level had exceeded 16,000 U/L. The enzyme is released into the bloodstream when muscle tissue is damaged, and levels of around 1,000 U/L are generally considered sufficient to indicate rhabdomyolysis.
Rhabdomyolysis is a potentially serious condition in which damaged muscles release substances into the bloodstream that can obstruct the kidneys’ filtering system and potentially lead to kidney failure.
Fortunately, Yang did not develop kidney failure. Doctors advised her to rest and avoid strenuous physical activity. Her medical treatment cost around CNY1,400 (US$208).
Yang resigned from the company on July 30 after becoming unable to work. She told the South China Morning Post that she believed the company had deliberately set targets she could not realistically achieve in an effort to force her out.
She subsequently asked Zhang to cover her medical and transport expenses, as well as CNY15,000 (US$2,230) in compensation for personal injury. She said the amount would provide around 75 days of living expenses while she recovered and searched for another job.
Zhang reportedly rejected the request and told her to take legal action if she wanted to pursue the matter.
Speaking to “1818 Golden Eye”, Zhang acknowledged that using physical punishment against employees violated labour law. However, he argued that sales businesses needed to put employees under a certain level of pressure to achieve targets.
He also claimed the incident was not directly related to the company and rejected Yang’s compensation demand as excessive.
The case has drawn further attention because it resembles an earlier court case in China, where a company was found 70% liable after an employee developed rhabdomyolysis following 100 squats ordered by managers through a workplace WeChat group.
The court ruled that instructions issued through the company’s WeChat group carried the authority of the employer and were binding on employees rather than merely being suggestions.
Under China’s Labour Law, employers or individuals who humiliate or physically punish workers may face administrative detention of up to 15 days.
The incident has since sparked renewed discussion over workplace pressure and the limits employers can impose when trying to push employees towards sales targets.
