24th May 2023 – (Hong Kong) A mainland Chinese worker who recently moved to Hong Kong has expressed frustration on social media about a new company policy that prohibits employees from speaking Putonghua during working hours. The policy, which was voluntarily agreed upon by staff members, requires that all communication in the workplace be conducted in Cantonese or English. Employees who are caught speaking Mandarin will be fined, with the amount of the fine increasing for each subsequent offence.
The worker, who goes by the username “Guang Wu Di Di” on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, shared a video of the policy on his account, which has since been widely circulated on social media. According to the video, the policy was introduced to “ensure the company’s competitiveness and business development in the Hong Kong market,” and to improve employees’ language skills. The fines collected from employees will be used for company events and activities.
While the policy has been criticised by some netizens as discriminatory and overly strict, others have praised the company for its efforts to preserve Cantonese and localise its operations in Hong Kong. The use of Cantonese in the workplace is seen by many as an important part of Hong Kong’s cultural identity, and some have argued that Mandarin-speaking employees should make an effort to learn the local language in order to better integrate into the community.
The incident has brought attention to the complex language dynamics in Hong Kong, where Cantonese has traditionally been the dominant language, but where Putonghua has become increasingly prevalent in recent years due to the growing number of mainland Chinese immigrants and the influence of mainland China. While Putonghua is an important language for business and communication with the mainland, it is seen by some as a threat to the local culture and identity.
The company’s policy has also raised questions about the rights of employees and the role of language in the workplace. While it is understandable that companies may wish to promote certain languages or cultural practices, it is important to ensure that employees are not unfairly penalised or discriminated against. The policy may also be seen as a violation of employees’ freedom of expression and their right to use their preferred language.
https://track.tradith.com/adv/50c7b...7f5-5039/4122520a-1e21b293-a60a0f99-da04-ead1
The worker, who goes by the username “Guang Wu Di Di” on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, shared a video of the policy on his account, which has since been widely circulated on social media. According to the video, the policy was introduced to “ensure the company’s competitiveness and business development in the Hong Kong market,” and to improve employees’ language skills. The fines collected from employees will be used for company events and activities.
While the policy has been criticised by some netizens as discriminatory and overly strict, others have praised the company for its efforts to preserve Cantonese and localise its operations in Hong Kong. The use of Cantonese in the workplace is seen by many as an important part of Hong Kong’s cultural identity, and some have argued that Mandarin-speaking employees should make an effort to learn the local language in order to better integrate into the community.
The incident has brought attention to the complex language dynamics in Hong Kong, where Cantonese has traditionally been the dominant language, but where Putonghua has become increasingly prevalent in recent years due to the growing number of mainland Chinese immigrants and the influence of mainland China. While Putonghua is an important language for business and communication with the mainland, it is seen by some as a threat to the local culture and identity.
The company’s policy has also raised questions about the rights of employees and the role of language in the workplace. While it is understandable that companies may wish to promote certain languages or cultural practices, it is important to ensure that employees are not unfairly penalised or discriminated against. The policy may also be seen as a violation of employees’ freedom of expression and their right to use their preferred language.
https://track.tradith.com/adv/50c7b...7f5-5039/4122520a-1e21b293-a60a0f99-da04-ead1
