‘No extramarital affair’: company in China threatens to fire married staff for cheating, dividing public opinion as lawyers say action not legal
- ‘All employees who are married are barred from vicious behaviours like having an extramarital affair or keeping a mistress’ the ban states
- The company says anyone breaking the new rule will be fired, but legal experts say the ban is illegal and firings would not hold up in court
A ban on employees having extramarital affairs announced by a company in eastern China last week has fuelled heated discussion on mainland social media, including warnings the rule is illegal.
The unidentified Zhejiang-based company announced the “extramarital affairs prohibition” order on June 9, and said it applied to all married staff, Jimu News reported.
“To strengthen the company’s inner management, to advocate a corporate culture of being loyal to family and love between a husband and wife, to better protect the family and to focus on work, all employees who are married are barred from vicious behaviours like having an extramarital affair or keeping a mistress,” stated a company document explaining the rule to staff.
“Anyone found violating this stipulation will be fired. We hope all staff can have correct love values and try to become good employees with four ‘Nos’ – no illicit relationship, no mistress, no extramarital affair and no divorce,” added the company.
An unnamed staffer from the company told Jimu News the ban was to encourage employees to maintain a “stable and harmonious family” and productivity at work.