Boss asks females to wear makeup to 'motivate' male co-workers
A company based in Shenzhen, China, is under fire after an executive, Luo, asked female employees to wear light makeup to "motivate" male co-workers. The request was made in a WeChat group chat and later deleted by Luo, who claimed it was a misunderstood joke. The situation gained public attention when an influencer shared the incident online, sparking outrage on Chinese social media.
Request for makeup accompanied by threats, promises
In the WeChat conversation, Luo initially said, "Ladies, please wear light makeup to work from December to motivate our team." He also promised that male colleagues would crowdfund afternoon tea for female staff. When met with silence, Luo threatened to cut performance bonuses if the message was not acknowledged. The story went viral after an unidentified staff member's friend, an influencer, shared it online.
Luo defends workplace culture, claims misunderstanding
Luo responded to the controversy by insisting it was a joke that had been misunderstood. He explained that employees often make jokes on WeChat and in person, adding that staff have fun with each other. Luo stated that the company, with a majority male workforce of 300 employees, often overlooked the requirements of its female staff but claimed efforts were being made to enhance benefits for women.
Netizens enraged by incident
The incident struck a chord with the public, prompting comments like, "Is it really a joke? He is the only one laughing," and "Why does he not ask the male staff to do workouts to motivate the team?" A lot of people also questioned if these kinds of "jokes" were appropriate, especially in a professional context. They contended that this kind of behavior was indicative of a larger problem of sexism and gender inequality that pervaded workplaces.
Similar incidents have occurred in past
This controversy adds to a growing trend of employers in China making ridiculous and unreasonable demands on their staff. In recent months, a manager threatened to cancel weekends off for employees who ignored messages during a two-day break. Last year, a woman from southeastern China quit her job as a new media specialist after being asked to clean the bathroom on her first day.
