A female employee in Changsha, Hunan, who was slapped while attempting to stop a shoplifter, has had her application for a 500-yuan "injustice compensation" rejected by her employer. The company stated that because the employee fought back and the customer was also injured, the situation did not meet the criteria for the compensation award.
On February 17, while working at a MINISO Group Holding Limited (MNSO) store, the employee, identified as Ms. Duan, confronted a shoplifter. During the altercation, she was insulted and slapped by the individual. Ms. Duan reportedly fought back in response to the physical attack. On the same day, the store manager offered Ms. Duan a 66-yuan red envelope as a gesture of comfort and indicated that an application for the injustice compensation would be submitted to the company.
However, on March 26, the store manager informed Ms. Duan that the company had denied the application. The reason cited was that "the employee fought back, and the customer was also injured," which did not align with the evaluation standards for the injustice compensation award. In April 2024, MINISO Group Holding Limited internally issued a notice regarding the establishment of a 500-yuan compensation for terminal staff who experience situations such as being assaulted by customers. Ms. Duan has since resigned from her position.
On March 26, the involved MINISO store told reporters that compensation matters had been discussed face-to-face with Ms. Duan and suggested that any further inquiries should be directed to her. A prominent lawyer, Fu Jian, Director of Henan Zejin Law Firm, commented that when an employee acts to protect the company's interests by stopping illegal activities, and the company benefits from such actions, the employee has the right to seek compensation from the company if injured. He noted that if the company's criteria for the injustice compensation were not established through a democratic process, the company holds significant interpretive power, which may lack rationality. The employee could pursue the compensation through internal appeals or by applying for labor arbitration.
Fu Jian further stated that an employee fighting back to prevent ongoing unlawful infringement does not constitute illegal behavior and should not be penalized. He emphasized that when an employee suffers injustice while performing their duties, the company should provide recognition or reward.