Woman brags about cinema, gym, car wash visits while she should be working. Lazy employee faces angry public backlash in both countries. — SCMP
A woman from China who works for a publicly-owned water company in New Zealand has sparked an online storm after boasting about skiving off work on mainland social media.
Her antics at Wellington Water have touched a raw nerve because they came at a time of water shortages in the country.
The employee, who recently earned a Master’s degree in Operations Research and Analytics, joined the company as an engineer last May.
In a now-deleted video posted on the Xiaohongshu social media platform the woman laid out her plans to be lazy on Jan 5.
It said: “Council Engineer – Challenge one day slacking off and doing no work. Making money while I play.”
She first noted that on her arrival at the office, it was almost empty, with just one other person in the work area, implying that everyone at the company was slacking off.
She then proceeds to check her emails and says in the video: “Most companies are still on holiday. I completed all my tasks before the Christmas break, so there seemed to be nothing left for me to do other than replying to emails.”
The woman stayed at work until 11.40am, after which she left to go to the cinema and gym as well as visit a car wash, reasoning that “the weather outside looked very nice”.
In conclusion, she wrote: “I spent only 2.5 hours at the office with effective working hours being zero.”
Her actions drew ire from social media observers in China who criticised her lack of responsibility, suggesting that she likely burdened her colleagues with extra work.
However, the woman remained unapologetic, even saying: “In 2024, I hope nothing changes, so I don’t have to work and can still receive my salary.”
In China, a prevalent “skiving off” culture, or mo yu in Chinese, sees employees boldly engage in personal activities during working hours.
The attitude is seen both as a sign of laziness and as a silent protest against low wages, excessive overtime and distorted work cultures.
However, her video quickly spread to New Zealand, where it was reported by a number of media outlets, leaving many locals, struggling with severe water shortage and quality issues, in shock.
Many people expressed their dismay and disbelief online, with comments such as: “Wellington water engineer probably had nothing to do because you guys have no water.”
A spokesperson for Wellington Water confirmed that the employee was part of their team and emphasised that her lax attitude does not represent their wider, dedicated workforce.
“We are now undertaking an internal staff investigation of this employee as part of the organisation’s code of conduct principles. This video is not representative of Wellington Water staff, who are a dedicated team focused on providing water services to our communities 24/7,” reported the New Zealand Herald.
The woman also faced a barrage of criticism on mainland social media, with many labelling her foolish for openly flaunting her laziness.
One person said: “Slacking off is one thing, but bragging about it online? She must have holes in her brain.”
“She is not only lazy but also stupid. Being fired is the right punishment for fools like her,” said another. – South China Morning Post
