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A worker from China’s Jiangsu province was fired after his company accused him of faking a foot injury during sick leave, allegedly because he walked 16,000 steps that day. However, the man took the matter to court and won compensation. The case, first reported by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), has reignited debate over workplace surveillance in China and how far employers should be allowed to monitor their staff. How It All Started The employee, identified only by his surname Chen, worked for a company in Jiangsu. In early 2019, he applied for medical leave twice after suffering a back injury at work. Both requests were approved after he submitted hospital documents confirming his condition. After about a month of recovery, Chen returned to work but took sick leave after half a day, saying he had pain in his right foot. Doctors diagnosed him with a heel spur and advised him to rest for a week, SCMP states. Company Suspicion Leads To Dismissal As Chen’s leave continued, the company began to suspect something was off. They asked him to visit the office with updated medical papers, but when he arrived, a security guard stopped him from entering. Soon after, the company informed him that he had been fired for absenteeism, accusing him of lying about his health. Chen then filed a labour arbitration complaint, arguing that his medical leave was valid and backed by doctors’ notes. As per SCMP, authorities agreed and ordered the company to pay 118,779 yuan (around Rs 14 lakh) as compensation. Evidence And Legal Battle The company appealed the decision in court. It presented surveillance footage that appeared to show Chen running towards the office on the day he had reported foot pain. They also shared chat records showing that Chen had walked over 16,000 steps that day, claiming it proved he had faked his injury. Chen denied the allegations and said the evidence was taken out of context. He provided hospital scans of his back and foot to support his case. Court Rules in Chen’s Favour After two rounds of hearings, the court ruled that Chen’s dismissal was unlawful. It said his medical documents were legitimate and that the company acted unfairly by firing him without proper proof. As a result, Chen was awarded compensation for wrongful termination.
