Demanding Tech Exec Loses Job Over Controversial Comments

Qu claimed she worked so hard she forgot about her children

The big news in China is a tech executive who pushed her staff to work very long hours -- basically coined "996", or from 9am to 9pm, six days a week. But she was so extreme that she was fired.

Qu Jing was the former vice president and head of communications at Baidu, which is the Chinese equivalent of Google.

However, last week she posted a series of videos on Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok where she spoke about how devoted she was to her job, her strict management style, and demands on her underlings.

Baidu left Qu go following her comments

In one video she talked about her personal sacrifices as a working mother. She admitted she worked so hard that she forgot her eldest son's birthday and what grade her younger son was in at school. Qu said she didn't regret it because she "chose to become a career woman."

"If you work in public relations, don't expect weekends off," she said in another video. "Keep your phone on 24 hours a day, always ready to respond."

Needless to say her department had a high turnover rate and her videos didn't resonate and instead grated young viewers who are fed up with gruelling work hours and immense pressure. Many have adopted tang ping or "lying flat" -- or just doing the minimum to get by.

As a result Qu lost her job at Baidu, and she later apologised for her video posts.

But it didn't end there as people discussed her and her videos online.

"In her voice and in her tone, there's deep indifference to and lack of empathy for the common plight of her colleagues," said Ivy Yang, a China tech analyst and founder of consulting firm Wavelet Strategy.

Many workers opt to "lie flat" these days

"A lot of what she said really struck a nerve, because people feel that in their own workplaces very often. The fact that she said it in a way that's so direct and in your face, it just generated this kind of emotional response," she said.

This is what the bosses are thinking, and she was merely saying it aloud," Yang added.

It's not the first time a boss has landed in hot water endorsing long working hours.

In 2019 Alibaba's Jack Ma was under fire for endorsing the "996" trend, calling it "a huge blessing."

On Thursday Qu apologised "for causing such a big storm." 

"I have carefully read all the opinions and comments from various platforms, and many criticisms are very pertinent. I deeply reflect on and humbly accept them," she wrote.

She seems to have been really tone deaf when it comes to the attitudes of young workers these days. They are exhausted from working hard for very little gains, hence the philosophy of "lying flat". 

Did she not get the memo???