Unmarried? You're Fired! Chinese Firm Issues Controversial Marriage Mandate for Employees

Singles are not allowed here... A China-based company, Shandong Shuntian Chemical Group Co. Ltd., is facing backlash for its policy requiring employees to marry by September 2025 or risk losing their jobs. The firm, based in Shandong province, issued this directive to its 1,200 employees, targeting singles and divorced staff.

The South China Morning Post reported that the company defended its policy by highlighting the value of family life. However, following significant criticism, it was reportedly compelled to retract the mandate.

A company has implemented a controversial policy requiring all unmarried employees aged 28 to 58, including those who are divorced, to marry by the end of September this year. Employees who do not comply by March must submit a self-criticism letter, and those who remain unmarried by June will undergo an evaluation. Ultimately, failure to marry by the September deadline could result in termination.

The company justified its policy by claiming it promotes traditional Chinese values such as loyalty and filial piety. They argued that not adhering to the government's encouragement to boost the marriage rate is a sign of disloyalty, and ignoring parental expectations is unfilial. The firm expressed that being single is inconsiderate and failing to meet colleagues' expectations is unjust, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

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The policy faced significant backlash, prompting an inspection by the local human resources and social security department on February 13. Within a day, the company retracted the policy and guaranteed that no employees would be dismissed based on their marital status. Legal experts criticized the policy as unconstitutional.

A government official confirmed that the mandate violated China's Labour Law and Labour Contract Law. Yan Tian, an associate professor at Peking University Law School, pointed out that the policy infringed on individuals' freedom to marry and was therefore illegal. He highlighted that while Chinese companies are prohibited from asking about an applicant's marriage or childbirth intentions, such practices continue to occur. This policy was introduced amid a notable decline in marriage rates in China, with only 6.1 million marriages recorded last year—a 20.5 percent drop from 7.68 million the previous year.