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May 16, 2024
Baidu Media Executive Quits After Reviving Toxic Work Culture Debate
Baidu’s media relations chief, Qu Jing, recently resigned after posting a series of videos endorsing a 24/7 work culture and making light of staff well-being. By: K Dass.
Beijing - Qu Jing stepped down on May 9, according to people
familiar with the matter, after posting at least four videos in which she
talked about keeping her phone on 24-7 and warned subordinates to toe the line.
“I’m not your mother-in-law,” she said in one of the clips she posted to
Douyin, China’s version of TikTok.
Her comments
reignited the debate over China’s tech industry’s relentless “996” culture. The
term “996” refers to the practice of demanding that employees work from 9 a.m.
to 9 p.m. for six days a week. Despite Beijing’s warnings against excessive
work hours, this practice persists, particularly during economic downturns when
jobs are scarce.
Her comments came at
a time when many young people in China are pushing back against a culture of
competition and grueling hours in the workplace.
Qu had also been
criticised for other comments she made in the series of short videos on Douyin
that have since been removed.
In the series, she
threatened to ruin the careers of employees who sent hundreds of complaint
letters against her to the office, by ensuring they could not find another job
in the industry.
She also criticised
an employee who refused to go on a 50-day business trip during the COVID-19
pandemic — a time when China severely restricted movement and required weeks of
quarantine for travelers.
While some criticised
Qu Jing’s remarks, others saw them as a candid reflection of an industry facing
growth challenges. Baidu has not yet responded to the situation.
