Chinese company bans extramarital affairs, threatens to fire employees over violations

A company based in Zhejiang, Eastern China, has placed a prohibition on employees engaging in extramarital affairs, with the restriction coming into effect from June 9.

As per a report by the South China Morning Post, the restriction applies to all married staff members and aims to promote loyalty towards one's family and maintain a productive work environment.

However, concerns have been raised about the legality of the ban, with legal experts stating that it may breach employees' rights.

The company’s document explained that the restriction was intended to enhance internal management, promote a corporate culture of marital loyalty, safeguard families and improve work focus. Violators of the rule would face termination, the company stated, and emphasised the importance of correct values concerning love among its staff.

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"To strengthen the company’s inner management, to advocate a corporate culture of being loyal to family and love between husband and wife, to better protect family and focus on work, all employees who are married are barred from vicious behaviours like having an extramarital affair or keeping a mistress," the company statement said, according to a report by Latestly.

"Anyone found violating this stipulation will be fired. We hope all staff can have correct love values and try to become good employees with four Nos’ - no illicit relationship, no mistress, no extramarital affair and no divorce," the statement added.

According to an anonymous employee who spoke to Jimu News, the ban was to encourage employees to maintain a “stable and a harmonious family” and productivity at work.

However, it is unclear whether extramarital affairs within the company prompted it to take such an extreme step.

Commenting on the legality of the ban, lawyer Chen Dong from the V&T Law Firm in China stated that according to the country's Labour Contract Law, employees can only be terminated if they are unable to fulfil their job responsibilities, or if their capabilities no longer meet the requirements of their role.

He added that even if a company were to add extramarital affairs as a prohibition in its employees' manual, termination on such grounds could be challenged in court, reported Wion News.

The company’s ban generated a mixed response on social media platforms in mainland China.

While some individuals expressed support for the ban, praising the company, others, including prominent mainland blogger Zhou Khanjun, criticised the ban on the grounds that it was a breach of personal freedom and privacy.