A public scandal erupted in Shenzhen, China, after a 39-year-old programmer named Xing Zhi lost consciousness and died in his workplace bathroom. His family was denied recognition of the death as work-related.
Xing Zhi, who has two children, worked at a Shenzhen-based company and was regularly late for work. On April 2026, he entered the restroom on the second floor of his office building instead of proceeding to his workplace on the 11th floor. There, he lost consciousness and did not regain awareness. Resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful.
Under Chinese labor laws, if a death is recognized as work-related, families can receive burial benefits, payments to dependents, and one-time compensation. In 2026, this compensation amount was approximately 1.1 million yuan. The company where Xing Zhi worked sought recognition of the incident as work-related but local human resources authorities rejected their application. Authorities cited that Xing Zhi did not turn on his computer or reach his workplace that day.
Public outrage has grown on Chinese social media following the authorities’ refusal to classify the death as work-related.
