Eat at your desk, pay a fine: Odd rules at China firm draw outrage online

A senior executive at China's Man Wah Holdings triggered backlash after issuing strict office rules, including fines for snacking, extended breaks, and skipping computer shutdowns

Imagine losing part of your pay because you glanced in a mirror or munched on a cookie at work. That’s the reality employees at a big Chinese furniture maker say they face after a senior manager rolled out strict — and startling — office rules. 

In May, screenshots surfaced from Man Wah Holdings Ltd’s internal chat showing a senior executive in the e-commerce division, identified only by the surname Liu, laying out new demands for staff. The notice banned eating at desks, ordered overtime, and required six daily clock-ins, telling anyone unwilling to obey to “resign”, the South China Morning Post reported.

 

Fines for mirrors, snacks and idle PCs

Under Liu’s rules, workers risked hefty penalties: 

-Eating snacks would cost managers 2,000 yuan (₹24,100), supervisors 1,000 yuan (₹12,049), and assistant managers 500 yuan (₹6,024).

-Leaving a workstation without cause more than three times in a month would slice 2,000 yuan (₹24,100) from salary.

-Forgetting to shut down a computer after hours attracted a 100 yuan (₹1,204) fine.

-Stepping away for over ten minutes without locking the computer and pushing in the chair also triggered deductions.

 

“If I catch anyone gaming at work, they will be fired immediately,” Liu warned in the chat. He added that money collected from “those who slack off” would fund red-envelope bonuses for diligent colleagues, the report quoted. 

Founded in 1992 and based in Guangdong, Man Wah Holdings is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange and employs around 27,000 people. The group is best known for its sofas, mattresses and panel furniture. One of its flagship brands signed Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau Tak-wah as ambassador in 2016.

 

Legal experts raise red flags

Labour lawyer Yao Kun of Kangda Law Firm told Henan Daily that Chinese legislation gives companies no authority to fine employees. “Fining employees for using the bathroom or looking in the mirror is excessively harsh and may not be legally enforceable,” he said, as quoted by the report.

 

A ‘prison-style’ management?

“Is this a job or a prison sentence?” one asked. Another wrote, “When a company starts obsessing over attendance and discipline, it usually means they are out of money. Do not buy their sofas.” 

A third user wrote, “Is this executive OK in the head? Nowadays, any random clown can become a member of senior management.”

 

Internal probe under way

On June 7, a company spokesperson said Man Wah was investigating the matter. The firm has not yet announced any decision on Liu’s rules, but the online storm shows no sign of calming down.