'Phone on 24/7' | PR boss sparks backlash after glorifying 'overworking' in series of videos

The head of PR at Baidu, China's leading search engine, has issued an apology after her comments praising an extreme work culture triggered a public backlash.

Qu Jing came under fire for a series of videos uploaded to Douyin, China's version of TikTok, in which she glorified an ‘always-on' culture, strict management styles and claiming she was not responsible for her employees' well-being, remarking: "I'm not your mother."

She also warned of possible retaliation against any subordinates who voiced complaints about her management style, claiming: "I can make it impossible for you to find a job in this industry with just a short essay."

In an earlier video, she confessed that she is so consumed by work that she doesn't even know what grade her son is in.