介绍： 'Keep your phone on 24 hours a day': Chinese PR boss apologises after backlash
 
The head of public relations at China's biggest search engine Baidu has apologised after her comments glorifying a work-till-you-drop culture sparked public outcry.
 
In a series of videos posted on Douyin, the Chinese version of...

介绍： 'Keep your phone on 24 hours a day': Chinese PR boss apologises after backlash
 
The head of public relations at China's biggest search engine Baidu has apologised after her comments glorifying a work-till-you-drop culture sparked public outcry.
 
In a series of videos posted on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, Qu Jing said she had no responsibility for employees' well-being "as I'm not your mother".
 
Ms Qu acknowledged that her posts — which have been taken down — drew "very pertinent" criticism.
 
The furore stirred by Ms Qu highlights the notoriously poor work-life balance in China's tech workplaces. In one of her earlier videos, Ms Qu claimed to be so caught up in her work that she does not know which grade her son is in.
 
Chinese social media platform Weibo has seen heated discussion over the incident in the past few days.
 
"As the company's vice-president, [Ms Qu] should have known that her comments and attitude would disgust her subordinates, yet she went ahead to make them public. This speaks of how out-of-touch she is," one user wrote.
 
"She is supposed to lead Baidu's public relations department, yet she herself is deeply involved in a public relations crisis. Talk about a lack of professionalism," wrote another.