Chinese man dies after working for 104 days with 1 day off, company held liable

A 30-year-old

painter

identified as A'bao succumbed to

multiple organ failure

after working an

exhausting schedule

of 104 days with only a single day of rest.
The court has determined that the company bears 20% responsibility for A'bao's passing and has ordered them to provide

compensation

to his family, according to the South China Morning Post.
A'bao contracted a

pneumococcal infection

, which is frequently linked to a compromised immune system.

This infection progressed to

respiratory failure

, ultimately claiming his life on June 1, shortly after his health worsened on May 28.
In February of the previous year, A'bao entered into a contract with an unidentified company, agreeing to work until January of this year. He was assigned to a project in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province. Over the subsequent months, A'bao worked tirelessly every day, taking only a single day off on April 6. After calling in sick on May 25, his condition rapidly deteriorated, leading to his hospitalization soon after.

Social security officials initially said that A'bao's death did not qualify as a work-related injury due to the time that had elapsed since he became ill. However, his family took legal action against the company, alleging negligence. The company maintained that A'bao's workload was reasonable and that the overtime was voluntary.
The court, however, determined that the grueling work schedule was in violation of Chinese Labour Law, which mandates a maximum of 8 hours per day and an average of 44 hours per week.