A Chinese advertising company moved its offices from a city center to a remote mountainous location while still requiring workers to report to work in person.
The controversial step was published after a former worker for the company, who had to resign due to the move, gave an interview to the SCMP media outlet.
According to the worker, the Xian-based advertising company in central China’s Shaanxi province moved its offices to the remote Qinling Mountains. The company did not even install restrooms in the new offices, instead directing workers to the nearest public restrooms in local villages.
Workers who wanted to rely on public transit to reach their jobs found that buses to the new location ran only once every three hours, and that it was a two-hour ride one way. The former worker, speaking under the name Chang, claimed that workers began avoiding working in the evening due to fears of stray dogs in the region.
The worker added that after the many complaints of various workers were not addressed, 14 out of 20 elected to resign in protest. To their surprise, the company abruptly returned to its old location in the city and began hiring new workers.
The story rapidly spread through Chinese media networks, and drew outrage online for the company's conduct. Some commenters claimed that they would have moved to the mountains if needed, and others stated that the move was illegal and the workers could still claim reparations due to the dramatic change in their working conditions.