Shanghai Firm Under Scrutiny for Penalizing Employee Over One-Hour Typhoon Leave

Shanghai's Qingpu District Human Resources and Social Security Bureau said it was aware of a case in which a local company allegedly deducted nearly 1,500 yuan (US$209) from an employee's pay after she took one hour of leave during a typhoon.

The incident occurred on August 10, when Typhoon Dolphin brought heavy rain and strong winds to Shanghai. The employee said flooded roads and disruptions to several Metro lines prompted her to request one hour of leave because she feared she would be late for work.

A human resources employee approved the request, but the company's owner rejected it, Xinmin Evening News reported.

The company later issued a disciplinary notice penalizing three workers. It accused one employee of using personal leave to conceal her lateness, another of taking a full day off without following company procedures, and an administrative manager of improperly approving a last-minute leave request.

The two employees who requested leave each had 20 percent of their monthly performance-based pay deducted, while the manager lost 50 percent. The employee who disclosed the case said she lost nearly 1,500 yuan, compared with the company's usual 200-yuan penalty for lateness.

An official with the Qingpu bureau said the company's action violated municipal instructions issued in response to the extreme weather.

Shanghai authorities had instructed employers not to deduct pay or discipline workers who were late or unable to report for work because of the typhoon, the official said. Affected employees could file complaints with labor inspectors.

The district trade union said it had not received a formal complaint but would provide legal assistance if requested.