Beijing:
A Chinese court has classified the death of a 60-year-old security guard as an “industrial accident.” This incident occurred while he was engaging in sexual activity with his girlfriend during work hours.
The Court of Appeal noted that Chang, the security guard, had the same rights to personal relationships at work as he did to utilize facilities such as drinking water and restrooms, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
Prior to his death, Mr. Chang was the sole security guard at a small factory in Beijing. He reportedly worked continuously without taking breaks, according to early May reports from Southern Metropolis News.
On October 6, 2014, while in the facility’s security room with his girlfriend, he died during their encounter.
Investigations by police determined that there were no suspicious factors, concluding that the death was accidental.
A year later, Mr. Chang’s son, Chang Xiaosi, sought compensation from the city’s Social Security Bureau, but his claim was denied.
Authorities stated that his death did not qualify as an industrial accident because he was with his girlfriend and not performing his job duties at that moment.
In 2016, Xiaoshi took legal action against both the Social Security Bureau and the factory.
He maintained that his father’s death should be recognized as a workplace fatality since Mr. Chang was under pressure to work continuously and ultimately met his girlfriend during his shift.
Xiaoshi emphasized that fulfilling emotional needs is normal for adult men, saying, “Having a romantic relationship is part of that relaxation. He stayed in the workspace, so his untimely death should be classified as industrial harm.”
According to national regulations, deaths that occur during work hours are classified as industrial accidents and entitled to compensation and insurance coverage for families.
As a result, the ruling favored Mr. Chang’s family for benefits. Despite challenges from the factory and the Social Security authorities, the High Court upheld the original decision.
In a document published in February 2017, the Social Security authorities confirmed the classification of Zhang’s death as an industrial accident, though they did not disclose the compensation amount to be provided to the family.
