Man fired after fitness app showed 16,000 steps on sick leave, sparks privacy debate in China

Fired

A workplace dispute in China has gone viral after a man who was fired for allegedly walking too much while on sick leave won his legal battle against his employer. The case, which dates back to 2019, has resurfaced after China’s Ministry of Justice recently shared the story on social media — and it’s now reigniting conversations about how far companies can go when monitoring employees.

The man, identified by his surname Chen, worked for a company in Jiangsu province. Earlier that year, he had suffered a back injury at work and was granted medical leave twice, each time supported by hospital documents. After about a month of rest, he returned to the office but could only manage half a day before his right foot started hurting. A doctor diagnosed him with a heel spur and advised him to rest for another week.

But the company wasn’t convinced. They later accused Chen of faking his condition and fired him after discovering that his step-counting app showed he had walked more than 16,000 steps on the same day he called in sick. The company even presented chat logs and surveillance footage in court, claiming he had been running near the workplace.

Chen, however, argued that he had legitimate medical reports for both his back and foot injuries and that the company’s use of his private data was an invasion of privacy. The authorities initially sided with him, ordering the company to pay compensation of 118,779 yuan (around $16,700). The company appealed, but the court upheld the ruling in two separate trials, confirming that Chen had been dismissed illegally.

The verdict has set off a heated debate across Chinese social media. Many users argued that employers have no right to access private information such as health data or step counts, even if they suspect dishonesty. “It’s normal for fitness apps to record steps inaccurately,” one person commented. “And even if he did walk that much, it doesn’t prove he wasn’t sick.”

The case has struck a chord with millions of employees who say workplace surveillance is crossing ethical lines. As one commenter put it, “Bosses can question your work, but not your every step.”