China man, 30, worked 104 days with 1 day off, dies from organ failure, court orders compensation
Company argues that man’s workload was manageable and death resulted from pre-existing health issues, lack of timely medical intervention
The Chinese work culture of overworking is under scrutiny again after a 30-year-old man in eastern China died from organ failure following 104 consecutive workdays with only one rest day.
A court in Zhejiang province ruled that the company was 20 per cent responsible for the man’s death, who was identified as A’bao, reported Guangzhou Daily.
The court found that A’bao died from multiple organ failure due to a pneumococcal infection, often linked to a weakened immune system.
The incident has ignited widespread outrage in China and sparked a conversation about how workers are treated in the country.
In February last year, A’bao signed a contract to work as a painter for a company whose name was not disclosed by the court. The contract was meant to last until January this year. He was subsequently assigned to a project in Zhoushan in Zhejiang province in eastern China.
A’bao worked every day for 104 days from February to May last year after signing the contract, with only one rest day on April 6. On May 25, he took a sick day off because he felt unwell and spent that day resting at his dormitory.
