IT employee's death blamed on overwork

The screenshot from an online video shows passersby try to resuscitate Jin Bo, the deputy editor-in-chief of China's leading online forum Tianya, whose death on Wednesday prompted calls for increased public awareness of health risks posed by overwork.

The death of Jin Bo, the deputy editor-in-chief of China's leading online forum Tianya, prompted calls for increased public awareness of health risks posed by overwork.

Jin fell down at a subway station in Beijing on the evening of Wednesday. Although a couple of passengers and metro staffers tried to resuscitate him, he died later.

A colleague of Jin told paper.cn that "he often stayed up late to work overtime" which might have led to the tragedy. Jin was a father of a pair of twins.

Thousands of internet users mourned his death on China's micro blog site Sina Weibo.

"If you fall down, your company will find someone to replace you. But who can replace you in your family?" said one.

"I used to be an IT staffer. I hardly ever got a sound sleep. Though I left the profession a long time, I am still plagued by chronic fatigue," said another comment.

IT employees work under one of the most high-pressure environments in China, according to a report released last year by 51 job, a major human resources service provider.

The report said IT workers face fierce competition, must work under heavy pressure and on irregular schedules - and all of that brings higher health risks and increased incidence of premature death. Other risky professions include policemen, journalists and doctors, according to the report.

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