‘Cunning and manipulative’: China firm relocates to remote area forcing employees to resign, avoiding compensation payouts
- Ex-employees expose devious company, say they were pushed out of jobs
- Boss threatens staff with legal action for tarnishing reputation of firm
A company in China that relocated from a downtown business district to a remote mountainous area allegedly did so knowing employees would have to resign instead of being laid off and paid compensation.
The situation came to light through a former employee, surnamed Chang, who exposed the Xian-based advertising company in central China’s Shaanxi province.
He described the new location in the Qinling Mountains as extremely remote, requiring a two-hour, one-way commute, with limited access to public transport.
“My colleagues without vehicles had to rely on a bus that ran every three hours and then walk another three kilometres through mountainous paths to reach the office,” Chang said.
A taxi from the nearest railway station costs 50 to 60 yuan (US$8) and the company refused to provide commuting subsidies, he added.
Chang also highlighted the poor quality and unsafe working conditions at the site, which lacked proper amenities.