A company based in China faces backlash after one of its former employees revealed that they forced workers to eat raw eggs as a punishment.
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The company’s former intern, Du, went on social media to complain about his experience with a technology company in Zhengzhou. He stated during the online rant that the company allegedly had a rule where employees were required to swallow raw eggs if they didn’t get enough orders within a set time, as reported by Oddity Central. Additionally, he said the company released him after he didn’t want to follow the bizarre workplace rule.
He claimed that management forced him to write down “personal reasons” as part of the decision to end the internship so the company could avoid liability.
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After his post went viral, a video surfaced of one of the employees appearing nauseated while attempting to swallow the raw eggs. People who opposed the practice said swallowing or consuming a raw egg was dangerous, and the employers should be brought to justice. WebMD states, “Eating raw eggs can be potentially dangerous if they contain Salmonella. About one in 20,000 eggs does. Salmonella is a bacteria commonly found in food that causes diarrhea, fever, cramps, and vomiting.” Despite the symptoms, there are some health benefits of eating raw eggs as it contains calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and Vitamin A & D.
However, the management team is reportedly unbothered by the backlash and said the practice is clearly stated in the company’s employee handbook. Du said he questioned to company’s workplace policy, but one of the managers said in response, “What law is preventing you from eating a raw egg?” The case is currently being investigated by the labor inspector of the Jinshui District. Still, experts claim more information is needed since Du was a former intern and interns do not have the same rights as employees.
The company also released a statement regarding the incident,“Employees are responsible for the results in the sales process, and rewards and punishments are also clearly defined in the process of implementation. Without them, day-to-day management is impossible.” Another alternative that the employees had if they didn’t want to swallow the raw eggs was to swallow a whole tube of mustard.
The outlet also reported the unusual practice is not new in China as some companies force their employees to each cockroaches or crawl through the street if they don’t make any company sales.