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Quirky China company rituals – floor greetings to boss, ‘death chillies’ for failure

Finance firm punishes staff for poor performance, makes them eat ‘death chilli sticks’ sending two workers to hospital for stomach pain

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The Post examines several of China’s quirky company rituals, such as floor greetings to the boss and consuming “death chillis” for failure, which surprised many. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Douyin

A recent video showing employees lying flat on the office floor to welcome a company boss has gone viral on mainland social media, highlighting the toxic workplace rituals prevalent in some companies in mainland China.

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The clip, shared by a netizen, features about 20 employees at an education institution in the southern city of Guangzhou, lying face down along a corridor and chanting slogans to welcome their boss during an inspection.

The employees were seen looking up and shouting enthusiastically: “Qiming branch welcomes Boss Huang! Qiming branch, whether in life or death, we will not fail our work mission.”

On December 2, Liu, the company’s legal representative, denied the incident, asserting that Huang had never participated in such a welcoming ceremony.

A viral video of staff lying in a corridor to greet their boss has sparked concerns about toxic culture in China, though a company rep claims it was fake. Photo: Douyin
A viral video of staff lying in a corridor to greet their boss has sparked concerns about toxic culture in China, though a company rep claims it was fake. Photo: Douyin

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

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