TikTok’s workplace controversy in London marks the latest culture clash as China’s Big Tech ventures overseas
- Excessive workloads and an executive’s comment about maternity leave have reportedly angered TikTok’s London employees and sparked a staff exodus
- Some ByteDance employees at the head office in Beijing, however, said that demanding deadlines and targets are just part of the usual business routine
TikTok and its Chinese owner ByteDance have come under fire from employees at the social media platform’s London offices over allegations of excessive workloads and a comment made by a male executive about maternity leave, but employees in Beijing said long working hours are the norm in China.
A report by the Financial Times on Wednesday about working practices at TikTok Shop, an e-commerce initiative that launched in the UK last autumn, has since led to the reported suspension of a Chinese executive and raised various questions about TikTok’s treatment of its employees.
“We are investigating the alleged statements and actions to determine whether there has been a breach of company policies,” a TikTok representative said in a written statement.
“Employees in some functions may at times need to work hours that match customer use patterns. We aim to make this the exception rather than the norm, and support our team with flexible working hours, regular no-meeting times, and robust health and well-being offerings.”
Nearly 10 ByteDance employees at the head office in Beijing told the Post that demanding deadlines and targets are just part of the usual business routine, credited by some for helping the decade-old start-up emerge as one of China’s top internet players and the world’s most valuable unicorn.
