ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has taken a serious stance against employee misconduct. The company’s Corporate Discipline and Professional Ethics Committee has reported 61 cases of violations of laws and discipline, resulting in the immediate dismissal of all implicated employees.
According to internal sources, four individuals are now under criminal investigation by public security organs for suspected criminal activities. One employee allegedly abused their position to accept substantial benefits from external business partners illicitly, leading to their criminal detention for investigation since January 26. Another former outsourced employee allegedly colluded with external parties to inflate TikTok account views, earning illegal income and facing similar consequences.
Furthermore, 24 employees were found involved in various forms of misconduct, including submitting inflated invoices or personal expenses as legitimate business costs, misusing company funds, and engaging in fraudulent activities. One employee notably misappropriated company resources for personal gain, while multiple others were guilty of submitting false reimbursements.
Moreover, ten employees were implicated in the unauthorized access, retention and disclosure of internal company information, as well as facilitating external individuals’ use of sensitive internal systems. These breaches ranged from collaboration with competitors to leaking sensitive business information to external parties, severely compromising ByteDance’s integrity and operations.
In response, ByteDance has taken swift action, revoking implicated employees’ stock options and year-end bonus eligibility. The company has also unequivocally stated its zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, bribery, and all forms of fraud and dishonest behavior. Any confirmed violations of laws, regulations, or employee codes of conduct result in immediate dismissal, with no chance of rehire.
For cases suspected of criminal activity, the company pledges full cooperation with judicial authorities to ensure individuals are held accountable for their actions. The HR Katha reports ByteDance’s crackdown on employee misconduct, with 61 employees dismissed and more investigations underway.
