The death of a 22 year old Chinese student who had been interning with a gaming company working over 100 hours per week. Li, the student, collapsed in his dormitory and died at the hospital. He worked from 9am to 9pm, six days a week, not paid any overtime.
Nevertheless, he would work till midnight or beyond, or even, at times, not sleep at all. Furthermore, he had continuous torture from his boss who kept giving him ultimatums to do the work within the set deadline. Li’s family as well as his friends and netizens are aggrieved and they accuse the company of mistreating and exploiting its workers as the cause of Li’s death.
It is not a unique situation for Li; many other interns and employees in China and other nations are victims of overwork and stress. Besides, many firms fail to adequately shield and insure employees from health hazards in the gaming, technology, and finance industry.
These can be deadly for their bodies and minds since they are characterised by fatigue, insomnia, depression, anxiety and sometimes even death. However, some experts and activists have suggested increased enforcement of labour laws, education, and support for workers’ rights and well-being.
They request that the companies should regard and appreciate their employees and create a good working environment. Secondly, they also promote the workers to voice out their challenges and seek support once there is difficulty while on duty.
