Quick Take
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A Chinese tutor died from cardiac arrest amid high work stress demands.
Li, in his late 20s, worked for an online education firm in Wuhan.
He passed away just days before his wedding, scheduled for May 2.
A Chinese tutor in his late 20s has died after he suffered a cardiac arrest owing to the stress of managing 400 students and working unusually long hours. The man, surnamed Li, had been working at an online tutoring and education company in Wuhan when he succumbed to his death last month, just days before his wedding, according to a report in the South China Morning Post.
On April 22, the day of the fateful incident, Mr Li went to the office and worked late into the night. As per Mr Li’s colleagues, he had already worked overtime several days to finish his tasks before a long holiday. Worried that his partner had not returned her calls and texts, Mr Li’s fiancée called the police.
The following morning, a janitor found Mr Li’s unresponsive body in the office, with doctors confirming him dead, having endured a cardiac arrest. As per the fiancée, the couple were planning to get hitched on May 2.
The local labour authority stated that Mr Li’s family and the company involved were preparing paperwork to certify that the death was work-related. The company, which has more than 160 million users, in a statement claimed that no overtime had been scheduled for Mr Li’s team.
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Social media users concerned
Mr Li’s death has sparked conversation regarding the excruciating working conditions on Chinese social media platforms, with related topics surpassing 70 million views.
“Is the company suggesting Li chose to work overtime willingly? Without heavy performance pressure and fear of losing their jobs, no one would voluntarily overwork,” said one user.
The Chinese labour law caps work at eight hours a day, 44 hours a week, with no more than 36 hours of overtime a month. However, as per one former worker named Wang, she developed anxiety from long-term overtime at the firm and quit last year.
Another employee said they resigned a day after hearing about Mr Li’s death. Such was the condition at he workplace that staff had to report to supervisors when they were using the bathroom or taking lunch breaks.