In an unusual legal battle, a Chinese woman identified by her surname Wang, successfully sued her former employer for wrongful termination after she was fired for leaving work one minute early on six days within a single month.
The case, which has garnered attention for its seemingly trivial grounds for dismissal, reached a local court in Guangdong province, where Wang had been employed for three years with a commendable performance record.
According to the South China Morning Post, the court ruled in favour of Wan, stating that her departure one minute before her official leaving time could not be considered leaving work early.
The court further emphasised that the unnamed company had failed to issue any prior warnings or attempt to rectify Wang’s behaviour before abruptly terminating her employment. The dismissal was solely based on the surveillance records, indicating her early departure.
The court’s ruling explicitly deemed Wang’s dismissal unlawful, citing a lack of sufficient evidence and the company’s unreasonable actions.
The amount of compensation Wang is to receive from her former employer has not been disclosed.
According to Wang, it was late last year that her Human Resource (HR) manager called her to tell her that office surveillance records showed that she had left her seat one minute early on six days in a month.
Following her dismissal, Wang pursued legal action by filing a complaint with the local labour rights authority before taking her case to court.