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A Chinese company has faced intense backlash after announcing a controversial policy requiring single and divorced employees to marry by September or face termination.

Following widespread criticism and government intervention, the company has now withdrawn the policy.

Shandong Shuntian Chemical Group Co. Ltd., an employer of over 1,200 workers, issued the policy in January 2024 in an attempt to increase marriage rates among its employees.

The directive targeted single and divorced employees aged 28 to 58, urging them to marry by September.

Those failing to do so by March were required to submit a self-criticism letter, and those still unmarried by June faced an internal evaluation. By September, failure to marry could lead to termination, SCMP said.

The company justified the policy by emphasizing traditional Chinese values like loyalty, diligence, and filial piety.

It even suggested that remaining single was disloyal to government efforts to promote marriage and unfair to colleagues hoping for a more stable workplace.

The policy triggered widespread outrage, particularly on Chinese social media, where users condemned it as an intrusion into personal freedoms. Many pointed out that China's marriage law protects an individual's right to choose whether or not to marry.

"Leave its own business to this crazy company and out of the private life of employees," one user posted. Another questioned the policy's implications, asking, "Will they punish married employees for having no children next?"

Legal experts also criticized the rule, labeling it unconstitutional. Yan Tian, an associate professor at Peking University Law School, asserted that labor laws in China prohibit employers from making hiring and firing decisions based on marital or childbirth status.

China Firm Forced to Scrap Marriage Rule After Public Outcry

As public outrage mounted, government authorities inspected the company on February 13. The next day, the local human resources and social security bureau declared the policy illegal and ordered its immediate withdrawal.

Shuntian Chemical Group complied, confirming that no employees had been dismissed under the directive.

According to NewsX, a company official later admitted that their approach was "too simplistic" and acknowledged a miscalculation in promoting marriage among employees.

The company pledged to improve internal management and ensure compliance with labor laws in the future.

This controversy sheds light on China's ongoing struggle with declining marriage rates. In 2024, the country recorded only 6.1 million marriages—a 20.5% drop from the previous year.

However, despite fewer marriages, birth rates rose for the first time since 2017, driven by cultural preferences for having children in the auspicious Year of the Dragon.

To address the declining marriage trend, some local governments have introduced incentives. For instance, a city in Shanxi province now offers couples 1,500 yuan (US$200) if they marry before the age of 35.