A company in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China has recently sparked online attention for not providing seats in its employee cafeteria. A netizen posted a video pointing out that employees must stand throughout their meals, with tables set at a high level and no chairs, and only a few people temporarily sitting on the window sill. This has led to discussions regarding working conditions and employee rights.
According to Da Feng News, the cafeteria is quite crowded during meal times, with most employees eating while standing. The netizen who posted the video remarked, “The boss of this factory really has a wild imagination, not even allowing people to sit while eating,” and indicated the location as Zhejiang Kanglaifang Medical Technology Co., Ltd. After the content spread online, it triggered polarizing reactions; some felt that providing meals to employees was already a benefit, while others questioned whether this arrangement lacked consideration for employees’ well-being.
Some netizens pointed out that eating while standing might compress rest time and negatively affect employees’ physical and mental health, arguing that the “rush to eat” isn’t necessarily good for health. Comments included: “This is literally turning workers into cattle and horses,” “The employees are so miserable! Now they even have to worry about being efficient while eating,” “Why not learn from other countries in terms of rest policies and salary?” “This is just too much, not even allowed to sit while eating, just forced to stand,” and “Why not just let employees work while eating and claim it’s for everyone to earn more money.”
The report cited an insider who confirmed that the company indeed practices standing meals, and said this approach was inspired by overseas models. The company stated that since most employees are sitting at their workstations during working hours, standing up to eat at lunch can help promote physical activity, and that meals last about 20 minutes, after which employees return to work. The company emphasized that this arrangement is designed to improve both efficiency and health.