Every company has its own policies—some focus on productivity, others on workplace culture. But this one? It’ll make you go wow.
A company in China has sparked outrage after issuing a notice threatening to fire its single and divorced employees if they do not get married by the end of September this year.
Get married or get fired
According to South China Morning Post, Shuntian Chemical Group, a company in eastern China’s Shandong province, reportedly introduced a policy in January requiring its single and divorced employees aged 28 to 58 to “get married and settle down” within a set timeline.
Those who failed to do so faced increasing pressure. By March, they were required to submit a self-criticism letter. By June, they would undergo an “evaluation.” If they remained single by September, they would be fired.
Linking marriage to company values
The company justified the policy by tying it to traditional Chinese values such as loyalty and filial piety.
Not responding to the government’s call to improve the marriage rate is disloyal. Not listening to your parents is not filial. Letting yourself be single is not benevolent. Failing your colleagues’ expectations is unjust,” the notice stated.
However, the move drew heavy criticism from both the public and legal experts, who accused the company of interfering in personal matters.
Backlash & government intervention
The policy was quickly met with backlash, prompting authorities to step in.
The local human resources and social security bureau inspected the company on February 13, and within a day, Shuntian Chemical Group announced it had withdrawn the policy.
No employees were fired due to their marital status.
Reportedly, legal experts also pointed out that the policy violated China’s Labour Law and Constitution, which protect individuals’ rights to choose whether or not to marry.
China’s marriage decline
The controversy comes as China faces a sharp decline in marriage rates. The number of marriages in the country fell to a record low of 6.1 million last year—a 20.5% drop from 7.68 million the year before.
Although China recorded a slight increase in births last year, demographer He Yafu from YuWa Population Research Institute attributed this to cultural beliefs favouring births in the Year of the Dragon rather than a genuine rise in family planning.
Some local governments have started offering incentives to encourage marriage. In Shanxi province, for example, newlywed couples marrying for the first time are given a 1,500 yuan (around RM1,000) reward.
While China continues to grapple with declining marriage rates, one thing is clear—forcing employees into marriage is not the solution.
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