Recently, in Jinsha County, Bijie, Guizhou Province, a 24-year-old food delivery driver named Wang suddenly passed away at home. Wang’s relatives revealed that the day before his passing, he was feeling unwell, but still managed to complete several food delivery orders. He had requested sick leave from the company, but was asked to provide a hospital certificate.
On November 6, Red Star News reported that according to the medical death certificate provided by Wang’s cousin, Mr. Li, it stated that Wang passed away at home due to “sudden death for unknown reasons” at 12:50 AM on October 20.
Mr. Li mentioned that from Wang’s WeChat chat records, it was clear that Wang informed the “site manager” before the incident that he was feeling unwell and couldn’t continue working. Despite this, he delivered a few more orders before requesting to leave due to a high fever, but was asked for a hospital certificate.
The delivery records provided by Mr. Li showed that from 11:31 PM to 11:55 PM on October 19, Wang delivered a total of 4 orders. He expressed that Wang was already sick and still had to deliver a significant number of orders.
Mr. Li speculated based on the destination of Wang’s last order that Wang possibly returned home around 12:10 AM on October 20. He stated, “The last chat time was at 12:17 AM, he might have fallen ill shortly after returning home.”
Relatives believe that there was negligence on the part of the company and have requested compensation under the employer’s liability insurance and applied for recognition of work-related injury.
The company stated that they are in the process of applying for “consolation funds,” the employer’s liability insurance is being processed, and the family is applying for recognition of a work-related injury. When asked about the situation raised by Wang’s relatives and the progress of handling the matter, the company’s relevant personnel responded that they were not aware and had handed the matter over to the legal department.
Single, Wang worked for a delivery platform as an outsourced unit, under the name Guizhou Baiduokuai Technology Co., Ltd. (referred to as Guizhou Baiduokuai Company).
Documents provided by Mr. Li indicated that Wang registered as a delivery driver on August 12, 2021. In August 2022, Wang signed a one-year contract with Guizhou Baiduokuai Company for delivery services. From August 2021 to the present, Wang’s monthly income ranged from three to four thousand yuan, with the income labeled as “service fees,” cooperating solely with Guizhou Baiduokuai Company partners. The insurer for the employer’s liability insurance was also Guizhou Baiduokuai Company. In May last year, Wang also signed a “Delivery Personnel Cooperation Agreement” with a company in Tianjin.
Wang’s WeChat chat records before his passing showed that he had repeatedly expressed his physical discomfort and fatigue to the site manager Yuan, yet he still insisted on completing his orders. On the night of October 19, he informed the site manager that he had a cold, high fever, and a headache, hoping to rest, but he was asked to provide a hospital certificate before being allowed to take time off.
Mr. Li stated that Wang was clearly overworked during his time on the job, “Although his body couldn’t handle it, he was asked to continue delivering orders,” and the company’s requirement for a hospital certificate made his family feel misunderstood and deceived. They have already applied for employer’s liability insurance compensation from the company and requested recognition of a work-related injury.
Wang’s tragedy is not an isolated case. In recent years, the long working hours, heavy tasks, and excessive fatigue in the Chinese food delivery, express delivery, and distribution industry have been frequently reported by the media. In the first half of 2025, multiple food delivery drivers’ sudden deaths in various regions including Shanghai, Chongqing, Guizhou, Sichuan, among others, have drawn attention. Most incidents occurred at night or after consecutive high-intensity work, with victims mostly aged between 20 and 35. These cases illustrate that young workers are more susceptible to health crises under prolonged high-pressure work, and inadequate industry regulation and corporate responsibility are significant factors.
For example, in March 2025, a 23-year-old food delivery driver in Chengdu, Sichuan, collapsed while on duty and passed away despite rescue efforts. According to his colleagues, the driver had worked continuously for nearly 12 hours that day and insisted on completing orders despite encountering heavy rain. His family stated that the platform required drivers to complete missions on time during peak order periods, without providing additional protection for high temperatures or adverse weather conditions.
In June 2025, a 27-year-old courier in Shanghai experienced palpitations and chest pain after working overnight delivering packages for two consecutive weeks, but was not allowed to take a break and rest. He eventually passed away in his apartment. Insiders pointed out that such incidents reflect a clear contradiction between the intensity of labor and safety guarantees in the industry.
According to public reports and industry investigations, the average daily working hours for food delivery drivers often exceed 10 hours, reaching over 14 hours during peak order periods. Drivers not only face delivery time pressures but also multiple risks such as weather conditions, traffic, and customer complaints, leading to a noticeable increase in occupational risks like sudden deaths, heart diseases, and traffic accidents.
Under the Labor Law and relevant occupational health regulations, employers have an obligation to ensure the safety and health of workers, arrange work hours reasonably, and provide necessary rest and medical conditions. If an employee is injured or dies due to poor management or failure to fulfill safety responsibilities, the company may be held legally accountable, including compensation under the employer’s liability insurance and work-related injury recognition.
However, in practice, the food delivery industry widely adopts a flexible employment model with drivers often classified as “service cooperation” or under “service contracts.” The blurred employment relationship and the difficulty in supervision have led to loopholes in corporate responsibility.
Wang’s sudden death incident has sparked public discussions on labor protection issues within food delivery platforms and their outsourced units. The conflict between high-intensity labor, flexible employment, and corporate profit pressures has been highlighted. Cases like this and similar ones expose the health risks faced by young workers under high-intensity, flexible employment models. Prolonged nights, excessive physical exertion, and high mental stress are significant factors leading to sudden events like deaths. Moreover, the lack of medical and rest guarantees, complex leave approvals, and some companies’ excessive pursuit of delivery efficiency exacerbate health crises.
Wang’s story has prompted discussions on social media, with many netizens pointing out that behind such tragedies lie the industry’s high pressure, overloaded work, and the absence of workers’ rights. Some commented, “Young people work hard not for capital, but for survival.” Another netizen emphasized that “if companies do not proactively improve their systems and only rely on drivers for self-protection, tragedies will continue to occur.”
Public opinion calls for platform companies to implement health and safety measures, such as establishing health monitoring systems, distributing orders reasonably, and providing rest and medical support. The government is urged to strengthen industry supervision, monitor the implementation of responsibilities by employers, and clarify labor contracts and insurance obligations.