Miniso sparks outrage.

A Miniso employee was denied assistance after apprehending a thief and was subsequently assaulted. The company's explanation for the incident has sparked outrage on Chinese social media.

A Miniso store employee in Hunan, China, is gaining attention on social media after being denied a "complaint resolution" bonus on the grounds that she acted in self-defense when a shopper slapped her.

The incident occurred on February 17th. An employee named Duan discovered a thief in the store and immediately intervened. The thief reacted by cursing and slapping her, after which Ms. Duan fought back in self-defense. The store manager gave her a bonus of 66 yuan ( US$9.50 ) and promised to assist with the process of receiving the "complaint resolution" reward from the company.

But a few days later, the company rejected her application, arguing that when employees retaliate, customers are also harmed, thus disqualifying her from receiving a reward. Ms. Duan subsequently resigned.

The most controversial issue was Miniso's use of the term "customer" to refer to the thief. Netizens criticized this as illogical, while lawyers confirmed that Ms. Duan's act of self-defense did not violate the law. The store later stated that it had contacted Ms. Duan directly regarding compensation but did not disclose details.

The incident drew attention to Miniso's "complaint resolution" policy, implemented in April 2024, which provides employees assaulted by customers with 500 yuan ( US$72 ) in compensation. Many recognized this as Miniso emulating Pangdonglai, a well-known domestic supermarket chain with a policy of protecting its employees.

The differences between these two policies are quite clear. Pangdonglai has a specifically defined "compensation for damages caused by violations of dignity" program, with cash rewards of up to 100,000 yuan ( US$14,400 ) in serious cases. The company also calls the police, provides psychological counseling, and pursues legal action against the offender. In 2025, Pangdonglai spent nearly 400,000 yuan ( US$57,800 ) in cash on this support program.

"The core purpose of the award is to protect the dignity and safety of employees," a representative from Pang Donglai once stated. This is in stark contrast to how Miniso applied a similar policy in the recent incident.

Source: https://znews.vn/miniso-gay-phan-no-post1639586.html