The Desk bound Mentality: When "Not at Work" Becomes a Matter of Life and Death The recent ruling in Shenzhen, China, that the death of 39 year old programmer Xing Zhi was not work related because he hadn't logged onto his computer has sparked widespread outrage.
This case is more than just an anomaly; it's a symptom of a deeper issue – the absurdly narrow definition of "work" in our modern economy.
The ruling, made by the local human resources and social security bureau, hinges on Xing's failure to turn on his computer before reporting for duty. But what exactly constitutes reporting for duty?