Chinese youth jokingly post jobs and mates online to escape work pressures

Alibaba Group owns the South China Morning Post.

A search of Xianyu by the Post’s website revealed more than 500 ads for sale of “annoying jobs,” “terrible bosses” and “hated coworkers” at prices ranging from 2 yuan (30 U.S. cents) to 80,000 yuan ($11,000).

A vendor from central China listed her work for 8,000 yuan ($1,100), writing: “Because I really don’t want to wake up early anymore! This job pays 3,000 yuan ($400) a month, so you can recoup your investment within three months.”

A Beijing seller wrote: “I’m selling a colleague who is very good at being sarcastic for 3,999 yuan ($550). I can teach you how to deal with this colleague and offer 10 tips on how to avoid being a scapegoat at work.”

Someone else put his “terrible boss” on the line for 500 yuan, saying their personalities were incompatible and his boss often criticized him, causing him significant mental stress.

Another vendor in Beijing listed a document for a project that had to be completed that night for 10 yuan ($1.40).

A mainland lawyer cautioned that if the individual being “sold” has their personal details publicly exposed on online platforms without consent, it could be considered an invasion of privacy and potentially illegal. Photo: Douyin — A mainland Chinese lawyer has warned that if a person being “sold” has their personal information publicly exposed on online platforms without consent, it could be considered a breach of privacy and potentially illegal. Photo: Douyin

Importantly, sellers ensure that the ads do not lead to cash transactions. If someone buys a “product,” the seller usually cancels the transaction immediately after the transaction or refuses to attempt the purchase altogether.

The anonymous seller told the Post: “Someone had previously paid, but I requested a refund and later removed the listing. This is just my way of venting, not actually buying or selling to anyone.”

She added: “I saw many people selling their works on Xianyu and thought it was interesting, so I wanted to try it. Selling my work, which has no weekends, for only 9.9 yuan seems like a small act of revenge.”

As the trend gained momentum, Xianyu released a statement on Weibo on June 11 saying it was illegal to sell people without their consent.

Overwork, office conflicts, and difficult bosses and colleagues have driven some workers in China to the brink, leading them to consider “selling” as a form of stress relief or revenge. Photo: Shutterstock — Overwork, office conflicts, and difficult bosses and coworkers have pushed some workers in China to the brink, prompting them to consider “selling out” as a form of stress relief or revenge. Photo: Shutterstock

Liu Yan, a lawyer at Hunan United Pioneer Law Firm, told the Xiaoxiang Morning Post: “If someone else’s personal information – such as names, ID numbers, home addresses and contact numbers – is publicly disclosed on online platforms without their consent, it constitutes a violation of privacy and may be illegal.”

In China, people who disclose other people’s private information without their consent can be fined or detained for up to 10 days.

The trend of “selling” jobs or coworkers is part of a larger movement in mainland China, where young people are losing the desire to follow the intense work culture, and burnout is a common problem in the country. They are striving for a healthier work-life balance to protect their physical and mental health.

Internet users reacted with a mixture of amusement and concern that the trend had gone too far.

One online observer wrote on Weibo: “This is so funny! It’s a fun way for young people to relieve work-related stress.”

However, another stated: “I believe that this way of relieving stress is inappropriate and may violate the privacy of co-workers or bosses.”