Till Unemployment Do Us Part: Chinese Firm Demands Single Workers Get Married or Lose Their Jobs

A Chinese company has sparked outrage after issuing a memo demanding that all unmarried or divorced employees wed within nine months or face termination. The policy, enforced by Shandong Shuntian Chemical, was quickly retracted after being deemed a violation of Chinese labour law, according to Sky News.

The internal notice, which spread rapidly on social media, instructed employees to marry and start families by 30 September or risk losing their jobs. It stated: 'If you cannot get married and start a family within three quarters, the company will terminate your labour contract.'

The memo outlined escalating penalties for non-compliance:

• First quarter: Employees must submit a written self-reflection.
• Second quarter: A company evaluation would be conducted.
• Third quarter: Termination of employment for those still unmarried.

The company justified its policy by claiming that employees who failed to marry were 'not responding to the national call' and were 'disloyal and disobedient to parental advice'. However, following widespread backlash and government intervention, Shandong Shuntian withdrew the policy, citing 'inappropriate wording', per NBC News.

China's Marriage and Childbirth Crisis

China's declining birth rate has become a major concern for the government, with authorities actively encouraging young people to marry and start families. However, many citizens remain wary due to the country's past strict population controls. According to The New York Times, the government has shifted from enforcing one-child policies to promoting a 'fertility-friendly social atmosphere' in an attempt to reverse the trend.

From 1980 to 2015, China enforced a one-child policy, which later expanded to two children in 2015 and three children in 2021. The original policy led to forced abortions, sterilisation, and even infanticide, causing deep-seated trauma. Many people remain reluctant to have children, fearing a return to state intervention in their personal lives.

The generation aged 21 to 45 is particularly resistant to government pressure. While marriage rates continue to decline, even those who do marry often choose to remain child-free. Last year, only 6.1 million couples married in China—a 20% decline from the previous year.

Employers Enforcing Marriage Policies

While the government has stopped short of mandating marriage and childbirth, some private companies have taken matters into their own hands. Businesses like Shandong Shuntian Chemical and Pangdonglai Supermarket have introduced marriage-related policies, often limiting wedding costs and guest numbers. Pangdonglai, for example, forbade employees from demanding 'bride prices'—traditional payments made to a bride's family—which People's Daily, the Communist Party's official mouthpiece, defended as a way to promote 'civilised marriage'.

Professor Yan Tian, from Peking University Law School, has criticised such policies, stating that Chinese labour laws prohibit companies from questioning employees about their marital or family plans. 'Companies cannot question job applicants about their marriage or childbirth plans,' he said, reinforcing that Shandong Shuntian's policy was illegal.

Fear and Compliance

Despite laws prohibiting these policies, many workers comply out of fear of losing their jobs. Some companies impose caps on wedding expenses, while others limit guest lists to five people. Such measures have triggered public backlash, with critics arguing that employers have no right to dictate their employees' personal lives.

The shift from anti-natalist to pro-natalist policies reflects China's struggle to balance economic growth with a declining workforce. While some companies attempt to enforce government-backed family values, the growing resistance from young people suggests that China's birth rate crisis is far from over.