A 32-year-old computer programmer in China has died after collapsing at home while working late on the weekend. His family thinks he worked himself to death.
Gao Guanghui recently received a promotion to become a department manager at his company. However, this promotion came with much longer working hours, according to his family.
Gao was working from home on November 29 last year, a Saturday. He told his family that he wasn’t feeling well and wanted to sit down in the living room to rest. However, he continued working anyway. Shortly after, he fainted and had to be rushed to the hospital.
His doctors tried their best to save him, but he died at 1 pm that day. His death was caused by cardiac arrest, which refers to the sudden stopping of the heart’s beating.
The Tragic Death of Gao and the Dark Side of Overwork
What really bothered his family was that while Gao was in the hospital, struggling to stay alive, his work phone was buzzing with messages. His colleagues were sending him messages in a WeChat group chat, asking him to complete orders and finish urgent work that was due on Monday morning.
Gao’s job had become much more difficult since he was promoted. He no longer just wrote computer code. He also had to supervise other employees and assist customers with their issues. His wife said that he came home very late at night because of all the extra work he had to do.
Gao’s family believes that he died because he had been working too hard for too long. They have applied for work-related injury compensation from the government. Compensation is money that is given to families when a loved one dies because of their job. However, they have yet to receive a response to their application.
The family also asked Gao’s company to return his personal belongings from the office. However, they claim that some of his belongings have already been disposed of. When they finally received the rest of his belongings, they were not even packed properly.
This tragic experience illustrates a large problem in the work culture of China, particularly in tech companies. Many employees follow what is known as the “996” schedule, meaning they work from 9 in the morning until 9 at night, six days a week. This is 72 hours of work per week.
Addressing the Health Crisis in the Chinese Tech Sector
Young employees like Gao feel that they have no choice but to agree to these ridiculous working hours, particularly after being promoted. They are afraid of losing their jobs or disappointing their superiors if they refuse. Even if they feel ill or tired, they continue to work.
According to doctors, too much work, not enough sleep, poor eating, and too much stress can be very dangerous to one’s heart. Even young and healthy individuals can become very ill or die from these issues.
Some large corporations in China have promised employees better working hours, but many still require employees to work very long hours. This is a problem because employees feel as though they have to work these long hours or be left behind.
Gao’s death is a tragic reminder that no job is worth dying for. His family is still waiting for answers and fair treatment from his corporation. They hope that by telling their story, other corporations will begin to treat their employees better and give them time to rest and spend time with their families.
This situation also shows that when something like this occurs, corporations need to do better for the families affected, not just dispose of their belongings and ignore their suffering.
