A chemical company in China, Shuntian Chemical Group, has retracted its policy that threatened to fire unmarried employees if they failed to get married by the end of September.
The company, located in Shandong province, not only mandated its 1,200 employees, ranging in age from 28 to 58, including divorcés, to “resolve your personal marriage issues” but also implied that unmarried employees were neglecting a “national call” to marry and have children, labeling them as “disloyal and disobedient to parental advice.”
Employees who didn’t marry and start a family by the first quarter were required to write a self-reflection, subject to evaluation by the company in the second quarter, and risked contract termination by the third quarter if they remained unmarried.
The policy reflects the Chinese government’s efforts to boost the birth rate amidst declining marriages and births. However, it was met with criticism on social media.
Reports indicate that officials from the local human resources and social security bureau visited the company on 13 February, confirming that the policy was in violation of Chinese labor law. The company then withdrew its policy the following day.
A representative from Shuntian Chemical Group told NBC News that the policy was withdrawn due to the use of “inappropriate” language.
According to the latest government statistics, the number of new marriages in China dropped by 20% last year, the largest decline on record, while the population declined for the third consecutive year to 1.408 billion in 2024.
