A young woman in China claims she was tricked into taking a job at a cosmetic surgery company, only for her employer to pressure her into getting a nose job and incurring 25,000 yuan (US$3,500) in debt.
The woman, surnamed Chen, accepted a position as a receptionist with the company on November 21, with her salary being 4,100 (US$560) per month.
During the interview, the hiring staff asked questions about her interest in cosmetic surgery, which Chen initially thought were routine because “it’s a cosmetic surgery company, so those questions didn’t seem strange.”
However, after signing the employment contract, two employees consistently pressured Chen into getting a cosmetic procedure, suggesting it would boost her career prospects.
Chen would try to push back by pointing out that she had not yet graduated from university and could not afford plastic surgery.
However, when Chen explained her financial constraints, her colleagues continued to pressure her into taking out a loan with an instalment plan.
Eventually, the woman was coaxed into getting a consultation at another clinic, where she took out a 25,000-yuan loan for a nose job that she would pay back over the next two years.
“Everything happened so quickly that I did not even get a chance to refuse,” she recalled with regret.
However, after returning to work following her recovery, Chen felt the mood at her employer shift. Her job duties were shifted from receptionist to consultant, and her colleagues would criticise her professional abilities.
“They would say I sabotaged potential clients and would claim I was causing them to lose money,” said Chen.
At this point, Chen believed her job offer may have been a trap, and negative reviews online confirmed her suspicions.
“The company did not need a receptionist, and I believe the job offer was bait to lure me into taking out a loan for the surgery. After the treatment, they started finding reasons to fire me,” she said.
Upon resigning on December 10, Chen further discovered discrepancies in her contract; the actual salary was only 3,000 yuan (US$420), not the 4,100 yuan initially promised. For six days of work, she was paid just 690 yuan.
“I wanted to start working young to ease my family’s financial burden, but instead, I ended up with tens of thousands of yuan in debt. The only way out is to earn money and pay it off slowly,” Chen told a local media outlet Fengmian News.
Her story resonated with many online observers.
“This isn’t hiring employees; it is acquiring clients,” said one person.
Another said: “Companies that deceive students will eventually collapse. They have no conscience!”
A third added: “Companies like this should be thoroughly investigated. They harm people, especially new graduates who lack experience. Businesses should not exploit the innocence of students.”
