Hebei court rejects vegetative worker’s dismissal claim
On.cc · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A labour dispute in Shahe, Hebei, has drawn attention after a married male employee suffered a brain haemorrhage and became vegetative during an improper relationship with a female co-worker in January 2024. His family later challenged the company’s decision to terminate his employment in March 2024, arguing that the unilateral dismissal was unlawful and seeking more than 380,000 yuan in compensation and related payments. A first-instance court ruled that the dismissal procedure was lawful and rejected nearly all of the family’s claims, ordering the employer to pay only sick-leave wages of about 11,159 yuan.
Key Points
- Court documents published on China Judgements Online showed the man, identified as Zhang, joined the company in April 2014 before the dispute arose
- On the night of January 22, 2024, Zhang engaged in an improper sexual relationship with a female colleague and then suffered cerebral haemorrhage and brain herniation
- The medical emergency left Zhang without civil capacity, effectively in a vegetative state, according to the court materials cited by both reports.
- In March 2024, the company notified the trade union and delivered a termination notice to Zhang’s then wife, Liu, ending the labour relationship.
- Zhang’s mother sought arbitration and later sued for social insurance contributions, illness relief, medical subsidy, and unlawful dismissal compensation exceeding 380,000 yuan
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the case underscores how workplace rules, disciplinary procedures and employee conduct outside normal duties can still become central in labour disputes when employers cite internal codes. It also shows that even where a worker is seriously ill, courts may still focus on whether dismissal procedures and company rules were properly established and communicated, rather than on sympathy alone.