A company in China has retracted a controversial policy that threatened to fire unmarried employees if they did not get married by the end of September. Shuntian Chemical Group, located in Shandong province, had announced last month that all single employees aged between 28 and 58, including those who are divorced, were required to "resolve your personal marriage issues" by September 30.
The company’s notice stated that if employees failed to marry by the end of the third quarter, their labor contracts would be terminated. It also criticized single workers for not responding to the government’s call to marry and have children, labeling them as "disloyal and disobedient to parental advice."
This policy drew significant backlash on social media, prompting local officials from the human resources and social security bureau to intervene. They pointed out that the policy was against Chinese labor laws. Following this, Shuntian Chemical Group withdrew the announcement the next day.
A representative from the company, who chose to remain anonymous, acknowledged that the wording of the policy was inappropriate. The move to enforce marriage among employees came amid a broader push by the Chinese government to encourage marriage and childbearing, as the nation faces a declining birth rate.
Recent statistics reveal that new marriages in China fell by 20% last year, marking the largest drop on record. Additionally, the population has decreased for three consecutive years, now standing at approximately 1.408 billion. This situation has raised concerns about the future demographic and economic stability of the country.
The Shuntian Chemical Group’s brief attempt to impose such a policy highlights the pressures and expectations surrounding marriage in contemporary China, especially as the government seeks to address its declining birth rate.