Alibaba employee accused of sexually assaulting manager has been released Business and Economic News

The female worker told a newspaper that Alibaba had been released and had not received any compensation.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has released a woman accused of sexually assaulting a manager accused of sexual assault, a Chinese e-commerce chief admitted a few months ago that the initial response to the allegation was skewed.

A Zhou employee told Dahe Daily Alibaba that he had been fired in August for spreading false information about him being raped by a senior executive. He received no compensation and was compensated until the end of November 25, according to a screenshot of an official note to Zhou published by China’s central newspaper.

Zhou’s resignation puts an end to a month-long scandal spread on social media and sparked heated debate among Chinese corporations about the continuing abuse of drinking and discrimination against women in technology companies. The employee was outraged in August when he posted an 8,000-word account accusing his manager and a client of sexual assault after an alcohol-fueled dinner on a business trip.

His account – including a video of him handing out leaflets while shouting at the top of the company’s cafeteria – went viral and turned China’s 2nd largest company into a major symbol of abuse in business and technology companies. often a by-product of an environment that prioritizes achievement over culture. Alibaba’s manager, Wang, was fired and the two CEOs of the e-commerce giant resigned as CEO Daniel Zhang described the company’s handling of the incident as “humiliating”.

Alibaba spokesmen did not respond to calls and emails requesting comments on the report. Zhou was not immediately available for comment.

Public debate over his allegations has so far been allowed online, an unusual concession from a country that has severely censored the previous #MeToo speech, including allegations that tennis star Peng Shuai was forced into sex by a senior government official. Messages bearing the slogan “Alibaba worker fired” attracted more than 680 million views on Monday morning.

Zhou’s shooting sparked a number of responses on social media over the weekend, with those who condemned his end competing against others who revealed inconsistencies in his account revealed in a police investigation.

“This was excessive and caused serious damage to Alibaba and society,” a message read. Others questioned Alibaba’s move. “As an internet giant, what Alibaba did was ignored. The release of the woman caused new problems. Why didn’t Alibaba reflect on its management flaws?

In September, prosecutors dropped the case against Wang, saying he would not file a criminal charge. Wang’s conduct did not constitute a criminal offense and was in the category of “violent indecency,” which included a maximum sentence of 15 days’ detention, they said.

Police reports also denied elements of Zhour’s account, including confirmation that he had found a package of condoms under his bed. The report rekindled the controversy over Zhour’s account, and the extent to which he divided the public opinion on the extent of the victim.

Alibaba has taken a strong stance in recent months against information leaks related to the case. He fired 10 employees for leaking his accusations, people who knew the subject said at the time. The company believed it had violated very strict policies to expose content on employee forums, people said.

Although many details of the incident are unclear, Zhou’s ordeal has led many to believe that Chinese women have been treated too often at work: disregarded, objectified, forced to participate in male-dominated rituals, such as drinking with clients. and set aside in reporting abuse.

Zhou told the Dahe Daily that he had received many messages from women saying that they too had been sexually assaulted and forced to drink in the workplace, but most remained silent to avoid the consequences.

Since then, Alibaba has sought to provide better protection for its employees. A hotline has been set up to investigate allegations of sexual harassment and a group of senior women executives. In a commentary on the incident, the Communist Party’s anti-corruption watchdog warned that “according to the rules of the table” such forced drinking for business purposes could lead to crimes.