A video featuring what appears to be a female supervisor slapping employees in the face recently went viral in China, prompting widespread criticism online.

Netizens reportedly expressed outrage at the video, which showed the workers chanting as they crawled on the floor like animals.

The footage, which became widely shared on various local social media platforms, was recorded during a performance assessment session conducted last month at a real estate company in Yichang, Hubei Province in central China, according to Thepaper.cn (via Inkstonenews).

Weibo users condemned the practice, which many have criticized as a form of workplace bullying.

“Corporate culture these days is getting more and more sick,” a netizen remarked.

“I would rather make no money than living without dignity,” another one commented.

In a statement to the local media, the firm’s manager, named Mr. Hu, claimed that the staff themselves requested the controversial punishments.

“The six men failed to fulfill their duties as required,” Hu was quoted as saying. “When their supervisor Ms. Zhang asked them how they wanted to be punished, the men said they wanted slaps in the face.”

Zhang, the woman who was seen slapping the men in the video, temporarily left her job after the backlash.  

Featured Image via YouTube / Netizen Watch