A top public relations executive at Chinese technology company Baidu has apologized after a series of videos that critics said glorified a culture of overwork.
HONG KONG — Chinese technology company Baidu's top public relations executive apologized Thursday after a series of videos that critics said glorified a culture of overwork.
In a video, Baidu's head of public relations, Qu Jing, implied that she didn't care about her employees because she was “not a mother” and said she only cared about the results, saying that she was “not a mother” and that she didn't care about her employees. caused a backlash. She also said that the relationship between her and her subordinate is purely an “employer-employee relationship.”
The backlash was swift, with many people criticizing Qu's lack of empathy on social media platforms such as Weibo.
Qu posted an apology on his private WeChat account on Thursday, saying he “sincerely apologizes to all netizens” and clarified that he did not seek Baidu's permission before posting the video.
Qu said her short video did not represent Baidu's position. Baidu operates China's leading search engine and Ernie Bot, an artificial intelligence service similar to ChatGPT.
“Much of the criticism is very valid and I deeply regret and humbly accept it,” she said. “There were many inappropriate (speech) in the video that caused external misunderstandings about the company's values and culture, causing serious damage. We sincerely apologize.”
Mr. Qu also pledged to improve his communication and management style, and to be more considerate of his colleagues.
Baidu did not immediately comment.
Chinese online media outlet 36Kr reported on Thursday that Qu had resigned from his position at Baidu. The Associated Press could not independently confirm Qu's departure.
The videos, which have since been deleted, came at a time when many young people in China are rebelling against the culture of competition and grueling working hours at work.
Ms. Qu received criticism for various topics she mentioned in a series of short videos about Douyin.
In this series, she describes an incident in which certain employees sent hundreds of letters of complaint against her to her office, threatening to ruin their careers by preventing them from ever finding work in this industry again. was taken up.
In one of her videos, she criticized employees who refused to travel for 50 days during the coronavirus pandemic. China has implemented strict travel restrictions, in some cases requiring weeks of quarantine before traveling even within the country.
“Why should we consider the employee's family? I'm not her mother-in-law,” Koo said, adding that if the employee refuses to take such a trip, he or she will not receive a raise or promotion.
Chinese technology companies have long been criticized for long working hours.
In recent years, public debate has erupted over the “996'' work culture, in which employees at technology companies are expected to work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. The issue gained attention after two employees of Chinese e-commerce company Pinduoduo died, one of whom suddenly collapsed on the street on his way home from work.
Alibaba founder Jack Ma also came under fire in 2019 for endorsing a 12-hour workday culture and saying that the “996” habit is fine for people who enjoy their work.
