Employee loses job due to step-counting app usage.

A newspaper reported that a man, named “Chen,” was an employee at a company located in Jiangsu Province, eastern China. “Chen” applied for sick leave due to a back injury sustained at work, and submitted official medical reports with the request.

After about a month of rest, “Chen” returned to work for only half a day, then requested a new sick leave, this time due to pain in his right leg, and attached a medical report recommending a week of rest, then extended the leave for a few additional days.

However, the company discovered, through a step-tracking phone application, that “Chen” had taken more than 16,000 steps on the day he applied for the leave due to leg pain. As a result, the company decided to fire him on charges of unjustified absence and providing misleading health information.

However, “Chen” filed a lawsuit with the labor arbitration court, which ruled in his favor, considering his dismissal illegal. The court ordered the company to pay him compensation of 118,000 yuan, equivalent to about $16,700.

For its part, the company submitted video recordings from surveillance cameras showing “Chen” running towards the office on the day he requested the leave. However, the court rejected this evidence, confirming that the employee had submitted complete medical reports and X-rays proving his injury. (Russia Today)