Chinese Education Tycoon Faces Criticism for Antarctic Vacation Letter Amid Employee Workload Concerns

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New Oriental, a prominent Chinese education company, is experiencing significant online backlash following an internal anniversary message from founder Yu Minhong sent during his Antarctic vacation. The communication, intended to commemorate the company's 32nd milestone, has been widely criticized as disconnected and self-centered, particularly as employees reportedly endure excessive working hours, according to South China Morning Post.

Established in Beijing in 1993, New Oriental initially specialized in test preparation services for international examinations such as TOEFL and GRE. The company achieved its New York Stock Exchange listing in 2006 and has subsequently expanded into e-commerce operations in recent years.

In his controversial message, Yu elaborated on Antarctica's pristine scenery, describing himself standing "amidst the icy world of Antarctica," surrounded by "vast whiteness, foil-like icebergs, and boundless peace."

The founder also shared personal challenges from his early entrepreneurial journey after departing from Peking University.

Yu attempted to create an analogy between Antarctic penguins and New Oriental's workforce, urging employees to maintain unity and optimism.

He noted that penguins survive harsh winter conditions through mutual warmth and resilience, successfully raising successive generations, and questioned whether this phenomenon wasn't comparable to New Oriental's situation.

Staff criticized the message for predominantly focusing on Yu's personal experiences and vacation rather than addressing the workforce's difficulties and occupational pressures. Numerous employees expressed discontent regarding extended working hours and overwhelming workloads. One staff member reported working late even on the company's anniversary.

Another employee published a social media post titled "A Reply to Yu Minhong," voicing dissatisfaction with the internal communication and highlighting the substantial disconnect between leadership and employee experiences.

This controversy has ignited broader online discussions concerning management communication practices, employee welfare considerations, and founders' responsibilities toward their teams.