Young employees in China are selling their bosses and jobs online. Here's why!

Trust China to come out with the unthinkable! A new fad has taken over people in China, where they are ¡°selling¡± their jobs, bosses or colleagues on e-commerce platforms in order to "wash off the work smell," as per a report in South China Morning Post.

What does ¡°work smell¡± mean?

unsplash

The term "work smell" refers to the feeling of both mental and physical fatigue following a lengthy workday, often accompanied by odors such as sweat from crowded commutes, lingering cigarette smoke, or the pervasive scent of iced Americanos.

On Xianyu, Alibaba's second-hand e-commerce platform, users have found a playful way to cope with work stress by listing their jobs and colleagues for sale. This creative outlet serves as a metaphorical cleansing to rid themselves of the "work smell."

Also Read: 'Worked 16 Hours, Forgot To Eat', Ex-McKinsey Employee Explains Why He Quit His Rs 1.7 Crore Job

From terrible bosses to annoying jobs, the listings are amusing

A search on Xianyu revealed over 500 listings have been found for "annoying jobs," "terrible bosses," and "hated colleagues," with prices ranging from as low as 2 yuan (30 US cents) to as high as 80,000 yuan (Rs 9,00,000 lakh), as per a SCMP report.

A seller from central China listed her job for 8,000 yuan (Rs 91,000 approx) on Xianyu, citing her dislike for early mornings as the reason for selling.

"This job pays 3,000 yuan (Rs 34,000 approx) a month, so you can recoup your investment in three months," she cited.

In another instance on Xianyu, a seller from Beijing humorously listed a sarcastic colleague for 3,999 yuan (Rs 45,000 approx)). The listing included promises to educate the buyer on how to manage this colleague effectively, along with offering ten tips to avoid becoming the office scapegoat.

Pinterest

Once the trend started gaining traction, Xianyu had to issue a statement on Weibo. On June 11, it reminded users that selling people without their consent is deemed illegal.

In a broader picture, this trend reflects how people in mainland China are ready to discard intense work culture and embrace a healthy work-life balance in order to concentrate on their physical and mental health.

Nobody actually completes the transactions

However, these humorous listings rarely result in actual transactions, as per a Business Insider report. Sellers typically cancel the deal or reject purchase attempts after someone makes a purchase. One anonymous seller shared, ¡°Someone did pay before, but I offered a refund and deleted the listing. This is just my way of venting, not actually selling anyone.¡±

She further explained, ¡°I saw many people selling their jobs on Xianyu, and I thought it was interesting. Selling my job that has no weekends for just 9.9 yuan (Rs 113) feels like a small act of revenge.¡±

Also Read: What Are Ghost Jobs? All You Need To Know About The New Hiring Trend