A company in China faced backlash from authorities after implementing a controversial policy requiring employees to marry by September or risk being fired. The Shuntian Chemical Group, based in Shandong province, introduced the policy in January to boost the company’s marriage rate. It targeted single and divorced employees between the ages of 28 and 58, demanding they marry or face disciplinary actions, including dismissal.
The company justified the policy by citing traditional Chinese values, asserting that failing to marry was disloyal and unfilial. Those who did not comply were asked to submit self-criticism letters, undergo evaluations, and face the possibility of termination if they remained unmarried by the deadline.
The policy quickly sparked public outrage, prompting an inspection by the local human resources and social security bureau on February 13. In response, the company withdrew the policy the following day, clarifying that no employees had been dismissed over their marital status.
Legal experts criticized the policy as unconstitutional, noting that it violated the freedom of marriage. According to China’s labor laws, employers are prohibited from inquiring about employees’ marital or childbearing plans. The controversy arises amid declining marriage rates in China, which fell by 20.5% last year, despite a slight increase in birth rates.
