Companies have been known to increase workload or put employees through difficult assessments in an attempt to weed out non-performers or reduce workforce. A firm in China, however, took the extreme step of relocating to a difficult terrain just so that its employees would feel pressurised to leave.
The said Chinese firm is facing backlash from its workforce as nearly 70 per cent of employees resigned following the company’s relocation from a bustling city to a secluded mountainous area. Workers claim the move was a strategy to evade severance payments. These accusations may not have been entirely baseless since the company swiftly returned to the city and even immediately began recruiting new staff.
The firm allegedly orchestrated a relocation to a remote mountainous area, prompting employees to resign, thus saving expenses that it would have otherwise incurred in paying severance/compensation. The revelation surfaced through a former employee, identified as Chang, who exposed the actions of the Xian-based advertising firm in Shaanxi province of Central China.
According to Chang, the advertising company relocated to an extremely isolated spot in the Qinling Mountains. The new location demanded a two-hour commute each way, resulting in a four-hour daily travel burden for employees. Moreover, the remote site lacked reliable transportation options and connectivity.
In addition to the poor working conditions, Chang pointed out a lack of proper amenities, forcing female employees to use public toilets in the nearest village. Safety concerns arose during the commute back home in the dark, with stray dogs in the area posing a threat. As a result, over 20 employees staged unsuccessful protests, and ultimately, 14 gave in their resignations.
Surprisingly, four days after their departure, the company returned to the city centre and began to actively recruit new staff. Suspicions arose among the former employees, suggesting that the challenging conditions were intentionally imposed to force them to quit. The company of course refutes these allegations and claims the move was a temporary cost-cutting measure; that it couldn’t afford the high rent in the Central Business District and that renovations were going on at the new office. The company insists that it was a temporary move and that it would consider taking legal action against the employees who had tried to damage its image and reputation leading to loss of business.