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A company sparked outrage by requiring single employees between the ages of 28 and 58 to get married by September or lose their jobs! The decision caused controversy and went viral, forcing authorities to intervene.
A company located in the industrial region of Shandong Province, China, caused great controversy by imposing an unusual requirement on its employees: all single employees between the ages of 28 and 58 must marry by September 2025 or face dismissal.
The decision generated strong repercussions on social media and attracted the attention of local authorities, resulting in the revocation of the measure in February this year, for violating Chinese labor laws.
An attempt to curb population decline
The drastic measure adopted by Shandong Shuntian Chemical Group is part of a larger context of concern from the Chinese government about the aging population.
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The country has faced a sharp decline in the birth rate, aggravated by historical factors such as the one-child policy (1980-2015) and accelerated urbanization.
Currently, China has about 1,4 billion people, but it is aging rapidly.
Projections indicate that, in the next ten years, approximately 300 million Chinese people will reach retirement age, a figure equivalent to the total population of United States.
With fewer young people entering the job market, the country could face serious economic difficulties in the future.
The company's controversial demand
The company's internal communication determined that single employees, including divorced workers, should “get married and start a family before September 30, 2025”.
If they did not comply with this requirement, the punishment would be severe: termination of employment contract.
The rule was widely reported by Chinese state-run newspapers such as the Global Times and Beijing News, and caused a flood of criticism on the internet.
A Shandong Shuntian Chemical Group has not officially commented on the case., but in the original statement it was justified that the rule was an attempt to encourage employees to make important decisions for their lives.
The company defended values such as “diligence, kindness, loyalty, filial piety and righteousness”, emphasizing that he wanted to encourage workers to stabilize themselves emotionally and form families.
Repercussion and revocation of the rule
Given the great repercussion of the case, local authorities intervened and ordered the measure to be revoked, claiming that it violated Chinese labor laws.
However, it was not specified which articles of the law were violated. The decision to suspend the rule was made in mid-February of this year.
Marriage in decline in China
The concern about marriage and birth rates is not without reason. The number of marriages in the country fell by 20% last year, the biggest drop on record.
China has taken steps to encourage young people to marry and have children, including public campaigns and educational programs.
Some universities have begun to offer “love education,” addressing the importance of marriage and family formation.
Even so, Chinese youth are increasingly reticent about marriage and parenthood, citing reasons such as financial pressures, the search for professional stability and changes in cultural values.
Modern urban life also poses challenges, making raising children more expensive and less attractive.
future challenges
Given this scenario, the Chinese government will need to find viable solutions to avoid a demographic and economic crisis. The shortage of young workers can compromise the country's productivity and impact several sectors.
The case of Shandong Shuntian Chemical Group exemplifies the extremes to which some institutions are willing to go to try to contain this trend.
However, as demonstrated by the reaction of the authorities and public opinion, there is no room for coercive and discriminatory measures in the workplace.
China will continue to look for ways to encourage marriage and childbirth, but radical measures like the one adopted by the company are unlikely to be well received in the future.
