Boss Uses WeChat to Catch Rule-Breaking Employees
By April Rixon
Three employees of a private Chengdu-based company became the victims of one rather sneaky boss’s ploy to catch disobedient staff.
China Daily reports that three employees each received a fine of RMB500 on Monday after opening a fake digital hongbao (red envelope) sent to them by their boss via the company’s WeChat group.
On December 31 the company issued a new rule banning all personal use of mobile phones during work hours. On the morning of the first day after the ban was implemented, their boss, Mr. Luo, who was away on a business trip at the time, sent the hongbao, which contained RMB60, to a group of mid-level management workers to see who was obeying the new rule.
The first employee to open the New Year’s ‘gift' said: "I only got 10 yuan, and then I had to hand back 500 yuan. Anyway, it is my fault, and I broke the rule."
"To my disappointment, when I sent the money to the group on Monday morning, one person rushed to it instantly, and all three early birds were team leaders in my headquarters," Mr. Luo told Chengdu Commercial Daily. He said he sent the digital red envelope on purpose to check who wasn't focusing on their work during office hours. "The employees should demonstrate due rigorousness and professionalism in their work. And the mid-level managers must set a good example first.”
The incident has already stirred up debate online. In a recent Sohu poll, 52 percent of respondents disagreed with the boss' actions, while the rest said he did what he needed to do to maintain discipline in the workplace.
[Image via Marketing China]
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