【Epoch Times News June 24, 2025】(Reporter Xia Song) China’s economy is rapidly declining, and employers are becoming more demanding in their hiring criteria. Recently, a netizen from Shenzhen revealed that a dessert shop is requiring employees to work 16 hours a day with only 2 days off per month, sparking heated discussions online.
According to a report from Upstream News on June 24, a woman, Ms. Zhao (pseudonym), went to apply for a job at a dessert shop in Longhua District, Donglong New Village, and found that the contract stipulated, “No probation pay within 3 days of resigning… All positions have 2 days off per month. If rest not scheduled, it counts as overtime. Shifts: from 11:00 in the afternoon to 3:00 in the morning (includes food and accommodation), Shifts: from 13:00 in the afternoon to 3:00 in the morning (no food provided, but includes accommodation).” It is prohibited to use phones or sleep during work, with a penalty of 50 yuan (RMB) for each instance of sleeping.
“After working for a day, there are only eight hours of rest time, including showering, tidying up, and sleeping. The next day, you’ll definitely feel drowsy, but if you sleep, you’ll be penalized.”
The report mentioned that the contract was under the Guangdong XX Dessert Catering Industry Management Group Co., Ltd., stamped with an official seal, stating that employees would receive a monthly salary of 6500 yuan, 7000 yuan for outstanding employees, and 7500 yuan for store managers. It was calculated that the hourly wage for regular employees is only around 13 yuan.
Ms. Zhao did not accept the job offer from this dessert shop, as she said, “Although the salary offered in the catering industry is considered high, the working hours are also high, resulting in a low effective wage rate when calculated, and there are no multiple shifts, only one shift.”
However, according to the minimum wage standards announced by the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security on February 24, the minimum wage for full-time employees is 2520 yuan per month, and for part-time employees, it is 23.7 yuan per hour.
On June 24, a reporter from Upstream News contacted the relevant person in charge of the dessert shop in the capacity of a job seeker. The person confirmed that the recruitment contract indeed stipulates “16 hours of work per day, 2 days off per month.” She said, “It is up to you to decide based on what’s written in the contract. If you think it’s suitable, then go for it; if not, then forget about it.”
The reporter pointed out that the hourly wage seems somewhat low, not meeting the local minimum wage standards, and the working hours and rest time do not comply with labor laws. The person in charge responded, “That’s for you to consider. It’s a mutually agreed upon matter; I’m not forcing you to work here. If you prefer jobs that follow the labor laws, with 8 hours of work per day and 8 days off per month, then you can go look for those, right?”
On the same day, a staff member from the Longhua District Minzhi Street Labor Management Office where the dessert shop is located told the reporter, “The company is willing to negotiate, if you’re not willing, you can apply for arbitration or file a lawsuit.”
This news immediately sparked attention on social media.
Netizens commented, “The meaning of being able to complain indicates that we turn a blind eye if you don’t mention it, pretending not to know or see.” “Even after reporting to the labor bureau, they still require workers to complain.”
“These types of businesses are cutting costs to survive; as long as they pay for overtime, it’s not illegal. During the current economic downturn, some things are tolerated.” “When there are too many people willing to be exploited, it becomes a situation where as long as I don’t do it, someone else will.”
“If these jobs can still attract applicants, it’s not just the fault of the employers but also reflects issues in the job market. Knowing that it’s a labor-exploitative job and still choosing to do it indicates there are no better alternatives available.”
“Nowadays, it’s common for people to earn just over three thousand yuan a month without social security, and it’s common to work overtime and have only 4 or 2 days off per month.” “It makes you wonder what will happen to the ten million graduates this year; a world of forced zero-cost purchases is coming.”