"The Recent Incident at Chinese Tech Giant Baidu: Public Relations Head Fired After Controversy Spurs Widespread Discussions on Work Culture in China's Tech Industry. Qu Jing, the Involved Baidu Vice President, Posted Videos on Social Media Platform Douyin, China's Equivalent of TikTok, Showcasing Her Strict Management Style with Little Empathy for Employees' Personal Issues."

In the videos, Qu made derogatory comments about employees who did not want to work on weekends and showed no understanding for an employee who complained that nighttime messages had woken his crying child. "Why should it be my problem that your child is crying?" she said in one of the videos. These statements triggered a wave of outrage among Generation Z in China, who are increasingly opposing the relentless work culture in the technology industry.

When public criticism escalated, Qu deleted the videos and replaced them with an apology. She admitted that she had been too impatient and had not chosen an appropriate approach. Nevertheless, Baidu decided to terminate her employment. Robin Li, the CEO of Baidu, was so angered by the remarks that he fired Qu on Thursday. The company management emphasized that Qu's comments did not reflect the actual culture and values of Baidu and promised to review the corporate culture and work practices.

This incident reflects broader dissatisfaction with the so-called "996" work culture in China, which extends from 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week. Younger Chinese are increasingly resisting these work pressures with concepts like "Lying Flat" and "Letting It Rot". The incident has also caught the attention of state media, which criticized the brutal "wolf culture" they see as a byproduct of the country's market economy.

Baidu's shares fell by more than 6% in the US and by 3% in Hong Kong as the company grappled with the aftermath of the incident. This incident is likely to continue to prompt discussions about working conditions in China's fast-paced technology sector.