Viral: Company Threatens to Sack Unmarried Employees

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - A company from China, Shuntian Chemical Group, has gone viral for implementing a controversial policy. They threatened to dismiss their employees if they remain single beyond a specified deadline. Citing the South China Morning Post, the chemical company required its single employees (including those divorced) aged 28 to 58 to marry and establish a family by the end of September this year. They claimed that the policy was created to support the government’s efforts to increase the national marriage rate. “Ignoring the government’s call to increase the marriage rate is an act of disloyalty. Not listening to parents is not filial. Allowing oneself to remain single is not a good action. Not meeting colleagues’ expectations is an unfair act,” the announcement stated. After the policy went viral, the local Human Resources and Social Security Bureau stated that they had inspected the company. According to Beijing News, within less than a day, Shuntian Chemical Group announced that it had revoked the policy. They also assured that no employees were dismissed due to their marital status. A government staff member said that the company’s policy violated the Labour Law and China’s Employment Contract Law. Professor at Peking University’s School of Law, Yan Tian, told Beijing News that the policy contradicted the freedom to marry and was therefore unconstitutional. Yan stated that Chinese companies should not require job applicants to make marriage or childbirth plans based on labour laws, although in practice this usually does not happen.