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Hong Kong, CNN –

The PR chief of Baidu who recently stirred up controversy by endorsing a tough workplace culture has resigned from the Chinese search engine, a source familiar with the matter revealed to CNN on condition of anonymity. The departure of Qu Jing, former Vice President and Head of Communications, has been confirmed through an internal personnel system screenshot. Baidu has not immediately responded to CNN’s request for comment. The controversy arises from a series of videos Qu posted on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, about her strict management style and demanding expectations on her subordinates.

In one of the videos, Qu responded angrily to an employee’s refusal to go on a 50-day business trip during the Covid-19 pandemic and questioned why she should consider the employee’s personal matters. Qu, who has two children of her own, defended her approach by dismissing the employee’s concerns.

Qu’s remarks fueled outrage among young Chinese professionals who are increasingly critical of the intense work culture prevalent in many industries. This backlash follows a similar incident involving Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma, who faced criticism in 2019 for endorsing the “996” trend, which refers to working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week.

Workplace