A hiring policy by Sanxing Transportation, a company in Guangdong province, China, has stirred controversy by exclusively excluding candidates born in the Year of the Dog. The firm’s job advertisement specifies that those with this zodiac sign should not apply, citing superstitions related to zodiac compatibility, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
The company claims that this exclusion is due to the belief that individuals born under the Dog sign would bring bad luck to the boss, who is a Dragon according to Chinese astrology. In this system, the Dragon and Dog are considered conflicting signs, which some superstitions suggest could lead to professional discord and misfortune. The job offers a monthly salary between 3,000 and 4,000 yuan (about US$420 to US$550), which is lower than the average amount.
A staff member from Sanxing Transportation elaborated on the policy during an interview with Hubei Television. The staff member explained that the company has this restriction because our boss is a Dragon, and tradition holds that Dragons and Dogs are incompatible. The company prefer candidates whose zodiac signs do not include the Dog.
The company also mentioned that less qualified candidates might still be considered if their zodiac signs are more harmonious with that of the boss.
The policy has sparked considerable backlash on mainland social media, where it has been widely criticised as discriminatory. On Weibo, many users have condemned the practice as biased and shared personal stories of experiencing similar zodiac-based discrimination in hiring practices, according to the news outlet.
The Chinese zodiac consists of twelve signs, each tied to specific traits and elements. In this context, the Dragon is associated with water, while the Dog is linked to fire, which is thought to create a natural conflict between the two signs.
Wu Xingjian, a lawyer with Hubei Chisheng Law Firm, stated that while such preferences might be viewed as discriminatory, they are not explicitly illegal. “The company's rule could be viewed as discriminatory, but preferences based on zodiac signs do not breach specific legal statutes in China,” Wu said.