Chinese Woman Alleges Colleague’s ‘Pat’ On Back Caused Her Severe Injury

The relationship between an employee and a boss differs from that between colleagues. Sometimes colleagues fight, and sometimes they get along well. Those who are fortunate experience harmonious interactions, but for the less fortunate, even a minor issue can become catastrophic. A similar situation occurred in China. According to a report, a woman working as a security guard at Hangzhou Metro Station was taking a nap after dinner. A pat from a colleague woke her up, leading to her becoming so angry that she took the matter to court. As reported, a woman named Zeng, who worked as a security guard at Hangzhou’s metro station, recounted an incident to local media. She was taking a nap during her lunch break in June last year, when her colleague Lu patted her back with such force that it caused a tingling sensation throughout her body. Zeng felt numb from her hand to her neck, similar to an electric shock. She even asked a female colleague to photograph her back, which displayed Lu’s fingerprints.

Upon visiting the doctor, Zeng was diagnosed with a disc problem in her spine, necessitating a two-week rest period. Zeng attributed her injury to her colleague Lu, who had been practising Kung Fu and allegedly used a sand palm technique on her, leading to her back issues. As a result of this incident, Zeng was unable to return to work for an entire year. During this time, she sought compensation of 400,000 yuan (Rs 46,21,032) from Lu, arguing that his actions directly caused her inability to work and resulted in financial losses.

Zeng’s demand for compensation is based on her claim that Lu’s aggressive pat significantly affected her health, rendering her incapable of performing her job duties. Lu has denied any responsibility for Zeng’s injury, asserting that her medical condition was not a consequence of his actions. This denial has added to the complexity of the case, making it a contentious issue.

The incident has sparked considerable debate on social media platforms, with many users discussing the implications of workplace behaviour, the severity of the alleged Kung Fu move, and the broader issues of employee safety and compensation.