Well, when a boss knows that no matter what he does the employees can do nothing about it, wouldn't a lot of people abuse that power? Their only option is to put up with it, or quit. Maybe if they put in some effort and money, they could win the boss over, but not every employee can be the boss's friend. It's easy enough to replace the employee, and they don't have to have a reason to fire them, so I'm sure most people here do whatever they can to keep their jobs, even if they don't like it.

Actually, by Chinese labor law, it is very difficult to fire an employee if you follow the rules.

By law you are supposed to give an employee three written notices that they are doing something bad.  Then you need to offer some sort of training to teach them the right way.  If that fails, you need to give them three more written reprimands for bad work.

If that fails, then you are supposed to offer them the ability to transfer into a new, but equal level position with training.  If they refuse the transfer, you can let them go.  If they don't, then you need to give them 3 more written reprimands before you can finally fire them.

And once you do fire them you are required to pay them 1 months pay for every year they have been with the company.

You can, however, fire people for breaching major company rules (these must be spelled out in detail in the company handbook).  A major company rule is one, which if broken, can cause serious loss of income or reputation to the company.

The rules protecting workers in China is actually much better than the rules in the US.  Of course, here they will feel free to pull all kinds of underhanded stunts to ignore the law as they will.

Yes. For example a grocery store employee might work thirteen hours in a day plus a break, but they are paid for twelve hours. I have heard of CTs at language schools who, in their spare time, must write chapters for a book their employer will publish.

It may be difficult to fire a Chinese employee but the employers seem to get their money's worth.

Thakkudu:

All of Chinese I know do work more than 8 hours each day, at least 6 days per week if not seven, and while getting one or two weeks vacation each year, must work extra to compensate being off on holidays.  Of course, no sick pay for sick days, and many other benefits common abroad.

Take my GF for example,  She has worked at this State run junior college for 16 years now, first as a teacher, now as admin assistant to the school Director.  She must be there at 8 am, and returns home at 6 pm.  But the college is 45 minutes outside Nanning, so she must be at a parking lot downtown before 7:15 am to catch a bus, and arrives back home around 7:30 pm.  And that's 6 days a week.  If a week has a holiday, she must work on Sunday with no extra pay.  She also must work one or two days prior to each semester start for no extra pay to insure everything is ready for students.  She can only take her vacation (two weeks) during the summer break,  If she is sick one day and can't go to work, she gets that day deducted from her pay.  She gets one hour for lunch, but can not leave the college area, must stay at her desk and bring lunch from home.  As a result, she ends up working most of her lunch hour.  

Six former employees who were fired for complaining too much about existing working conditions sued the college in Court, requesting 150,000 Rmb each for hours worked and not paid.  The presiding Judge ruled in their favor, college had to pay but workers stayed fired.  Have working conditions changed ?.  Not at all, continue the same, maybe a bit worse, since no one there wishes to loose pension rights.

So, my friend, from where you get the utopia you mentioned on the comment above?.,

Thadduk and Xpat John, I'm wondering what world you are living and seeing. You mixed China with by China law and overtime pay. I agree with happy, they are treated poorly and excessively worked which is why they stay on QQ as much as they can and finish the least amount of work as possible, it's far more important to see your face at the desk day and night that actual work being completed

@techezee, Thadduk & ExpatJohn:

I believe Thad & John are correct. I mean, why would they make things up? I also believe WOFEs, JVs and solely Chinese companies play by different rules. Why are Chinese people so happy to work for a foreign company? Foreign companies can't flout the laws, Chinese companies push limits any way they can. I believe there are even separate laws for foreign companies, but others would know more about that than I.

Be Cool 

You usually get treated like you treat others, and I've seen teachers beat kids and yell at them so if they got treated miserably for acting that way then what can you say or do? 

about getting fired...if you are lucky and you have such terms in your contract, you might be compensated one month worth of salary for each year you worked for the firm.