Alibaba Fires Manager Accused Of Sexually Assaulting A Female Employee As Public Backlash Intensifies

Alibaba fires manager accused of sexually assaulting a female employee as public backlash intensifies

In the wake of a sexual assault scandal that has rocked Alibaba, several executives have resigned from their positions.

Following allegations of sexual assault against him by a coworker, the company announced on Monday that the employee had been fired (BABA). As detailed in a memo sent to employees by Alibaba Group chairman and CEO Daniel Zhang, the man admitted to engaging in conduct that the company considered to be "in serious violation of company policy."

The memo states that two senior employees resigned because they "failed to prioritize employee protection," as stated in Zhang's memo.

In a statement to CNN Business, an Alibaba spokesperson stated that the company has a "zero-tolerance policy" against sexual misconduct and that "ensuring a safe workplace for all our employees" is the company's top priority.

According to the allegations, which were widely circulated on Chinese social media over the weekend, Alibaba has been rocked at a time when the company and other Chinese technology companies are already subjected to intense scrutiny by Chinese regulators over the conduct of their businesses. The allegations sparked widespread public outcry, with many criticizing the company for how it handled the situation.

Following the publication of an article on an internal Alibaba website, which was allegedly written by the victim, who did not identify herself, and which circulated on the Chinese social media website Weibo, the controversy erupted. Screenshots from the 8,000-word account show the woman complaining about being assaulted by her supervisor during a business trip to Jinan, a city in eastern China, while she claims to have been intoxicated at the time.

As she wrote in her blog, "the male leader even entered my hotel room four times that night with a condom and assaulted me!!!" "I couldn't control myself as I typed the lines above, and I burst into tears because I had never expected to have such an experience," she said. If I think about it now, it feels like a nightmare, one that leaves you terrified, scared and helpless. It's like being in a helpless, helpless nightmare!"

CNN Business has not been able to verify the authenticity of the posting

The post has gotten a lot of attention on Chinese social media. There have been 850 million views of topics related to the incident on Weibo, resulting in more than 510,000 discussion posts.

Some commenters accused Alibaba of failing to protect the rights of its employees, and this was supported by the company. When she complained about her concerns, the woman allegedly claimed that the company dismissed her concerns.

"How come there are still female employees who are being pushed and pressured by their leaders to drink and are being violated? Is this the Alibaba culture?" a Weibo user asked in response to the question. "I sincerely hope that the investigation's findings can be made public as soon as possible because a large corporation like this must protect its employees."

On Sunday, the Jinan police department announced on Weibo that they had launched an investigation into the incident.

"The police are actively investigating the matter and gathering evidence," according to a statement from the department.

The accused has not been charged with any crime at this point in time. Zhang stated in a memo to employees on Monday that the employee admitted to engaging in "intimate acts" with a woman who was intoxicated, which was a violation of company policy.

It will be determined by law enforcement whether or not he has committed rape or indecency in violation of the law, according to Zhang's memo, which was made publicly available on the company's news website.

"He will be fired and will never be hired again," Zhang wrote in his letter.

In response to the incident, two executives, including the president of Alibaba's Neighborhood Retail group, have resigned, according to Zhang, who added that the woman reported the incident to the company on August 2 and that the incident is still under investigation.

Specifically, Zhang wrote that when a woman reported "a horrendous act," "they did not make timely decisions nor take appropriate action." He went on to say that when the woman reported "a horrendous act," "they did not make timely decisions nor took appropriate action."

She had suffered a great deal as a result of the incident, and Zhang promised that they would do everything they could to help her.

Zhang continued by saying that the company's chief people officer has also been reprimanded and that the company will establish a dedicated reporting channel for employees, in addition to developing a "anti-sexual harassment policy" with input from experts and employees.

It was also recognized by Zhang that the incident highlighted a culture of "forced drinking," which he defined as alcohol-heavy events that are popular in China for closing business deals or forming partnerships.

While the police are still investigating the specific circumstances of that particular dinner, he stated that he and his family were "vehemently opposed" to the "ugly forced drinking culture." The company's policy is that employees have the authority to reject any request, regardless of gender or whether it comes from a customer or a supervisor.

The scandal's rapid spread on social media — as well as the public outrage that followed — occurred at a time when major corporations, including Alibaba, were under intense regulatory scrutiny.

China's President Xi Jinping has emphasized the Communist Party's dominant role in every aspect of the country's economy and society, and regulators have targeted the technology, education, and other sectors with fines and restrictions as part of his efforts to consolidate power.

Complaints about workplace culture are taken into consideration in this process. Pinduoduo, an e-commerce company and competitor to Alibaba, faced widespread public criticism earlier this year over accusations that it overworked its employees following the unexpected deaths of two of its employees, one of whom committed suicide.

On Chinese social media, people were quick to point out that the deaths were indicative of a toxic workplace culture, and a former software engineer at the company escalated the criticisms by accusing the company of overworking its employees in a series of posts.

Despite the fact that the company did not respond to questions about the allegations leveled against its workplace culture at the time, the company did state that it had established a team to provide psychological counseling following the suicide of a worker.