[Sportschosun Reporter Jang Jong-ho] A manager in China is facing backlash after ordering a female employee who failed to meet her sales target to do 200 squats.
The employee later received hospital treatment for rhabdomyolysis.
According to Chinese media outlets including ZJTV, a 29-year-old woman surnamed Yang joined a branch of a financial company in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, in June and worked there as a counselor.
Her monthly salary was 4,500 yuan, or about 900,000 won.
On the 28th of last month, her manager, a man surnamed Zhang, posted in the company group chat that Yang had failed to meet her performance evaluation targets and demanded that she either pay money or accept a physical punishment.
Yang had just arrived in Hangzhou and had no money at the time. Not wanting to lose her job, she chose to do 200 squats. She even had the exercise filmed on video at the manager's request.
After finishing the squats, Yang could barely stand. She reportedly had to hold onto a door just to pull herself up.
She later developed severe pain and swelling in both legs, and her knees became so weak that even walking was difficult. A few days later, when her urine turned noticeably dark, she went to the hospital and was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis.
Rhabdomyolysis is a condition in which muscle tissue is damaged by excessive exercise or trauma, causing substances inside muscle cells to be released into the bloodstream. It can also be triggered by drugs, metabolic disorders, or exposure to high temperatures. As damaged muscle cells break down, myoglobin, potassium, creatine kinase, and other substances spread into the blood, potentially causing complications not only in the muscles but also in major organs such as the liver and kidneys.
When rhabdomyolysis occurs, muscle complications such as weakness, swelling, and cramps may appear. In severe cases, swelling can compress blood vessels and nerves, leading to compartment syndrome, which can cause ischemic muscle necrosis or paralysis. In particular, as myoglobin and creatine kinase released into the blood are filtered by the kidneys and excreted in urine, their toxicity can directly or indirectly affect the kidneys and cause acute renal failure. Dialysis may be needed to restore kidney function, and if liver enzyme levels rise, there is also a very rare risk of fulminant hepatitis, in which liver function suddenly stops.
Yang told local media, "I don't usually exercise, and after doing 200 squats, both of my legs swelled up and my body clearly couldn't take it."
The company's performance management method also drew public outrage online.
According to local reports, the manager had posted notices in the company group chat saying that employees who missed their targets would have to do things like '100 push-ups' or '200 squats.' The notice also said that paying 50 yuan, or about 10,000 won, could replace the physical punishment.
The manager, Zhang, reportedly admitted that this was not an official disciplinary system set up by the company, but a personal practice in which he imposed fines or physical punishment on employees who fell short of their targets.
Yang is said to have demanded a total of 15,000 yuan, or about 3.1 million won, from the company for medical expenses, transportation costs, and physical damage.
Reporter Jang Jong-ho bellho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
