Man drags company to court over online training sessions after work hours without extra pay, demands ₹9.5 lakh

A man in Beijing, China, dragged his former employer to court for forcing him to attend online training after office hours without extra pay. The man, known as Wang, worked as an engineer at the company from July 2020 to June 2023.

The company often required him to attend training sessions using apps like Ding Ding and WeChat. These sessions were held outside regular working hours. Employees who missed them were asked to make a “voluntary donation” of 200 yuan (around ₹2,500).

Wang filed a complaint after his termination. He asked for over 80,000 yuan (more than ₹9.5 lakh) as unpaid overtime. He went to court after the labour office didn’t accept his claim. Wang provided proof, such as screenshots of his online training and chat records with coworkers.

The company said the sessions were not real work and didn’t count as overtime. Workers just had to log in and didn’t need to talk or listen. They also claimed that the donation rule had not been linked to training.

What the court said

The court found that the sessions had happened after working hours. The court said even if workers only had to log in, it still used up their personal time. It also noted that the donation rule showed the training was not optional.

“These activities occurred after working hours, with the employee lacking the option to decline participation. Therefore, they should be classified as overtime,” the South China Morning Post quoted the court as stating.

The court said employees could not skip these sessions, so it should be counted as overtime. In the end, Wang’s evidence proved that the company did make him work extra without pay.

The court ordered the company to compensate the former employee. However, it asked it to pay a reduced amount of 19,000 yuan ( ₹2.30 lakh).

Workers’ Daily shared the case, which is being hailed as a “landmark” judgment. The case has received public support as many workers face similar issues.

The company’s name and Wang’s salary were not made public in the report. Wang’s win is seen as a strong example of workers’ rights.