Recently, Mr. Wu, a former employee of the “One Point One” milk tea shop in Sanming, Fujian Province, claimed that during his work, he found unusual objects such as stones in the black tea ingredients. After reporting this to relevant personnel, he was told that the foreign objects could be removed and the tea continued to be used. Subsequently, he had labor disputes with the store and applied for labor arbitration. Mr. Wu stated that during the arbitration process, three individuals claiming to be store staff contacted his grandparents.
According to reports, Mr. Wu stated that he started working at the “One Point One” franchise store on Ren Road in Sanming, Fujian Province on March 25, 2026. On June 25, while packaging the black tea ingredients, he discovered stones in it and reported it to the store manager, who instructed him to contact the regional manager. During the monthly store meeting on June 29, a manager mentioned that if paper scraps, small stones, or other foreign objects were found in the tea leaves, they could be picked out and the tea could still be used, with the issue reported to the headquarters for quality control.
On August 2, when Mr. Wu inquired with the quality control staff again, he received a response of “remove the stones, paper scraps, etc., and continue using them.” However, he believed that this method posed a food safety hazard.
Multiple media outlets reported on September 17 that Mr. Wu stated during his employment period, he found stones and plastic strings mixed in the black tea ingredients and claimed that after reporting the situation to his superiors, he was instructed to remove the foreign objects and continue to use the ingredients.
Mr. Wu mentioned that he signed a third-party flexible employment agreement, not a typical labor contract, and he applied for labor arbitration in August. On August 13, three individuals visited his grandparents’ home.
On August 13, among the three individuals who went to his hometown, one person was identified by his grandfather through photos as possibly his regional manager, while the identities of the other two were unknown. They brought two boxes of milk and advised his grandfather to persuade him not to cause trouble, claiming that the police had been notified.
Mr. Wu stated that up to that time, no police had contacted him. He felt pressured by the fact that the individuals reached out to his elderly grandparents.
He reported to the local police station on September 16 but the case was not filed.
The brand confirmed that employees had visited Mr. Wu’s grandparents’ home but claimed that these individuals were local staff in Fujian.
Employees from the brand’s new media department stated that the purpose of the visit was for reconciliation with Mr. Wu, and there were no threats or implications of extortion.
Mr. Wu mentioned that his girlfriend also worked at another “One Point One” store and was called in by the manager and asked to submit a resignation letter. He believed that his girlfriend was being affected by his conflict with the brand.
The brand, however, stated that Mr. Wu’s girlfriend worked part-time in a franchise store and may have resigned after negotiation with the store due to scheduling and fewer hours, and was not fired.
Currently, there are conflicting statements between both parties regarding the reason for Mr. Wu’s girlfriend’s resignation.
According to the labor dispute mediation document of Sanyuan District, Sanming City, it was confirmed that there was a labor relationship between the two parties from March 25, 2026, to August 5, 2026. Regarding Mr. Wu’s demands for wages, wage differentials, economic compensation, etc., both sides reached a mediation agreement, with the company paying a lump sum of 15,900 yuan.
On September 16, Mr. Wu posted the mediation document on social media, stating that the labor arbitration had been resolved, but he still wanted a formal response from the brand regarding the visit of the employees to his grandparents’ home and his girlfriend’s resignation.
As of now, there are still differing accounts between Mr. Wu and the brand regarding the nature of the visit, the reason for his girlfriend’s resignation, and the handling of foreign objects in the tea leaves.