Man wins Rs 2.3 lakh lawsuit against employer on being forced to attend online meetings after work

The company countered that these sessions didn't qualify as overtime, arguing that overtime required prior management approval. (Representational image)

A Beijing court has ordered an engineering company to pay Rs 2.3 lakh as overtime compensation to a former employee for mandatory online training sessions conducted outside regular work hours. The case is being hailed as a landmark ruling for China's workplaces, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

The employee, identified only as Wang, worked as an engineer from July 2020 until his termination in June 2023. He sought over 80,000 yuan (about Rs 9.6 lakh)  in overtime pay, alleging that his former employer frequently compelled him to attend online training via apps after hours. The company had reportedly mandated that if employees did not attend these meetings, they would need to make a “voluntary donation” of 200 yuan (about Rs 2,400), Wang stated.

The company countered that these sessions didn't qualify as overtime, arguing that overtime required prior management approval. They also contended that employees merely needed to log on, had no obligation to speak, and could even opt not to listen, thus asserting no actual work was performed. They also denied that the donation policy was linked to training.

Initially, an arbitration authority did not support Wang's claim, prompting him to escalate the matter to court. The Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court ruled in Wang's favour, SCMP reported. It found that the company indeed arranged the online training after official working hours. Crucially, it determined that the sessions encroached on Wang's personal time and that the "donation policy" clearly indicated compulsory attendance.

"These activities occurred after working hours, with the employee lacking the option to decline participation. Therefore, they should be classified as overtime," the court declared, and ordered the company to pay 19,000 yuan (about Rs 2.3 lakh) to Wang as compensation for working overtime.