Beijing, China

A Chinese finance firm has gone viral on Chinese social media for its toxic workplace rituals after a video showed its employees lying flat on the floor of the office to welcome the boss of the company, reported South China Morning Post.

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In the video, around 20 employees at an institute, located in the southern city of Guangzhou, were seen lying on the floor of the corridor with their faces downwards and chanting slogans to welcome their boss in an inspection.

The employees looked up and shouted, “Qiming branch welcomes Boss Huang! Qiming branch, whether in life or death, we will not fail our work mission.”

The legal representative of the company, Liu, on December 2, refuted the incident and emphasised that Huang never took part in a welcoming ceremony.

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“This video has caused lasting negative effects on the company. The content may have been edited or fabricated,” he said.

Liu further said that the institution's founding team ceased operations by the end of 2020 and is now making preparations for dissolving the company.

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The local government has been investigating the authenticity of the video and the policies of the company.

Here's how netizens reacted

The incident quickly garnered attention on Chinese social media platform Weibo and received more than eight million views.

“Such company policies trample on the dignity of employees,” wrote a user.

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“The incident is still under investigation, so we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. However, it does highlight some toxic workplace cultures, such as kneeling to welcome leaders or being coerced into drinking with them," commented another user.

Bizarre company regulations in China

Bizarre company regulations have been emerging in China. An anonymous employee had reported last year how her company had asked employees to walk 180,000 steps per month or else pay a fine.

Another case was reported in July 2020, when a financial company punished its seven employees for their poor performance by making them consume two bags of “death chilli sticks". Two employees suffered stomach pain and fainted and were then hospitalised.

(With inputs from agencies)