Chinese Employee Hospitalized After Being Forced to Perform 200 Squats at Work

A 29-year-old woman in eastern China was hospitalized with severe muscle damage after allegedly being forced to perform 200 squats as punishment for failing to meet performance targets, according to Chinese media reports. The woman, identified by her surname Yang, reportedly joined the Hangzhou branch of Suzhou Dongrong Information Technology Co. in June as a financing consultant.

On July 28, Yang failed to bring in a prospective client and fell short of another performance target. Her supervisor subsequently singled her out in a company WeChat group and ordered two separate punishments: 100 squats for failing to meet the demand target and another 100 for failing to bring in the client. WeChat is a popular blogging and social media app used by millions of people in China.

Faced with the prospect of losing her job or being fined, Yang complied. She was also required to record a nearly five-minute video documenting the punishment. Footage cited in Chinese reports showed Yang visibly shaking from exertion and eventually relying on a doorframe to remain standing.

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Diagnosed with severe muscle breakdown

Yang experienced intense pain and exhaustion after completing the squats and reportedly fainted outside the office building. She later sought emergency medical treatment after noticing that her urine had turned dark brown, a potential symptom of rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which damaged muscle tissue releases proteins and other cellular material into the bloodstream.

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Tests reportedly showed Yang’s creatine kinase level had reached approximately 160,000 units per liter, compared with a cited normal range of roughly 60 to 200. Doctors diagnosed her with severe acute rhabdomyolysis and warned that the condition could lead to acute kidney failure if released myoglobin obstructed the kidneys.

The case drew further attention after a company manager surnamed Zhang responded to media inquiries. According to Chinese reports, Zhang acknowledged that he was “aware that corporal punishment is illegal,” but argued that “the sales industry requires pressure.”

The company reportedly initially covered just over 300 yuan in medical expenses. Zhang subsequently rejected Yang’s request for 15,000 yuan in compensation for medical costs, transportation, lost wages, and living expenses, and negotiations broke down.

Abusive workplace punishments

Yang’s case follows a series of widely publicized incidents involving humiliating or physically demanding punishments imposed on Chinese workers for failing to meet performance targets.

Chinese media have previously reported employees being ordered to slap themselves or colleagues, crawl or kneel in public, eat bitter foods or insects, and perform strenuous exercises. Other companies have faced criticism for tightly controlling bathroom breaks and using extensive digital surveillance to track employees’ movements and computer activity.

Such practices highlight a fundamental imbalance that can emerge when performance management crosses into control over employees’ bodies and personal dignity.

China’s labor laws contain protections governing working conditions and workers’ rights, though enforcement remains uneven. Independent labor organizing is also heavily restricted. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) is the only union legally recognized in China and operates under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), while authorities have moved to prevent independent labor organizations from emerging.

Economic pressure can further complicate workers’ ability to resist abusive practices. As China continues to grapple with high unemployment and a prolonged economic slowdown, many households face mounting financial pressures, making the prospect of losing a job particularly difficult to bear.

In Yang’s case, one of the most revealing details was what failed to happen. As she was ordered to perform the squats in a work group containing more than a dozen colleagues, no one openly challenged the punishment or came to her aid. The incident has since raised questions not only about one manager’s conduct, but about how coercive workplace practices can persist when employees fear that refusing an unreasonable demand could cost them their livelihood.