Don’t believe the myth that “staying at work counts as a workplace injury”: if you suddenly feel unwell, call 120 first — don’t rush to clock in.

12. Don’t believe the myth that “staying at work counts as a workplace injury”: if you suddenly feel unwell, call 120 first — don’t rush to clock in.

Cost: No cost at all.

In plain terms: Hurrying to the office when you suddenly feel unwell won’t earn you any extra compensation. To be classified as a workplace injury, the incident must occur during working hours and at the workplace; if it happens on the way to work before you even arrive, it doesn’t qualify. Cases where medical treatment is delayed past 48 hours also don’t count. Those few extra minutes spent trying to meet the criteria can actually lower your chances of survival.

Benefit: This rule states that a worker must suffer a sudden illness during working hours at their workplace, and then die within 48 hours despite medical efforts, to be deemed a workplace injury. Delaying medical care just to meet these conditions means sacrificing your own chance of survival for compensation that you might not even receive.

Evidence grade: A

Sources: Regulation on Work-Related Injury Insurance, Article 15, Paragraph 1, Item (1): "Those who die from a sudden illness during working hours and at their workplace or who die after rescue efforts fail within 48 hours" are deemed to be work-related injuries; Article 14, Item (6) only classifies "those who are injured by traffic accidents or urban rail transit, passenger ferries, or train accidents that are not their primary responsibility" on the way to and from get off work as work-related injuries, and sudden illnesses on the way are not included. <https://www.gov.cn/gongbao/content/2011/content_1778064.htm>

Notes: Both conditions must be met: the illness must occur during working hours and at the workplace. It does not apply if the illness strikes on the way to work before reaching the office. If a worker falls ill at work, is taken home or to hospital, and dies within 48 hours despite treatment, this rule may still apply. What matters most is where the person was at the moment of illness, not where they ultimately die. Some short videos wrongly claim that “staying at work guarantees compensation”; in reality, those crucial first few minutes after falling ill — when prompt medical care is sought — are what truly determine the outcome. Additionally, the 48‑hour limit is strict: any case where treatment is delayed beyond this period does not qualify.