A senior public relations official at Baidu, a Chinese tech corporation, has left the company after public criticism of remarks she made that were seen as endorsing a toxic work ethic.
The problem ensued when Qu Jing, Baidu's former VP and director of communications, made some contentious remarks that appealed to young employees who were tired of working long hours and being under constant pressure.
Baidu Exec Supports Toxic Workplace Culture
According to CNN, Qu talked last week about her professional dedication, serious management style, and unyielding expectations of her direct subordinates in a series of clips on the Chinese video-sharing platform Douyin.
One video shows her lashing out at an employee for declining to embark on a 50-day business trip amid China's severe travel restrictions and quarantines caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.
She warned her public relations colleagues in another video that they would not have weekends off. She suggested being reachable at all times and always having the phone on standby.
Qu mentioned the difficulties she had as a working mother in a separate video clip. Additionally, she made threats in one video clip, stating that those who speak ill of her would not be able to get work in the same field.
Qu Jing Apologizes and Steps Down
Qu reportedly quit her job at Baidu late Thursday, May 9, according to The Associated Press, which cited Chinese online media site 36Kr. A Baidu employee who requested anonymity told 36Kr that the internal systems revealed Qu is no longer with the company.
On Thursday, Qu apologized to all netizens on her private WeChat account and said she had not asked Baidu's permission before publishing the films. She added that her videos did not reflect the firm's stance.
Qu also promised to show more concern for her coworkers and refine her management and communication techniques.
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