Using private chat rooms at work might result in firing an employee.
Chinese staff from a company in the Heilongjiang province are not allowed to use at work. WeChat should only be used for job-related purposes during regular business hours. The South China Morning Post reports that urgent private conversations should be done over the phone. In addition, daily random checks would be carried out to ensure full compliance.
If an employee is found to have had three or more private WeChat chats in a month for personal purposes while at work, they will be reprimanded RMB500 (US$70) and fined RMB100 (US$14). Furthermore, an individual would be sacked without pay after five or more talks.
In reaction to the organization’s legislation, the Heilongjiang provincial local government released a public notice. It had mandated the organisation amend its regulations and implement new “humane measures within the law.”
According to China’s Civil Code, no group or individual is allowed to invade someone else’s privacy.
The public has criticised the organisation for its latest action, with some stating that the government’s warning was insufficient “to prevent similar cases from happening again in the future” and others demanding that businesses that contact their staff after hours also face penalties. Li Li, an attorney with the Chongqing Jieheng legal firm, informed the Chinese media site Xinmin Evening News that hiring personnel was forbidden for organisations. Employers were only permitted to take money out of an employee’s paycheck or demand compensation. This only happens when the employee’s behaviour caused the company to suffer. For example, when they were absent or late for work.
