Fired Since a Year Ago, Employee Pretends to Still Work Because Afraid of Wife's Anger, Every Day Goes to and Returns from Office 'Fictional'

Dream - Being unemployed is indeed very unpleasant. Especially if you are already married. At least that's what this Hong Kong man felt.

The man, who used an anonymous identity when telling his problem, admitted to being a genuine unemployed person after being fired last year.

As a result, he was forced to spend the last few months pretending to still work because he was afraid to tell his wife and family about his problem.

The difficulties faced by the 46-year-old man are similar to the plot of Tokyo Sonata. A 2008 Japanese film that tells the story of ordinary people shaken by an economic recession.

It's the same with this man. After desperately applying for 'almost all' jobs similar to his previous job, he received no response at all.

"I thought my phone was broken because there were no interview calls," he complained, seemingly mocking his fate in a Facebook post by Office Daily.

After being fired, the man initially pretended to have a three-week leave to his wife and family. After that, he pretended to go to work and return from the office 'fictionally' as usual.

"I dare not tell my wife. Living a double life like that is indeed difficult to do," he said.

The man added that he really looked forward to public holidays or other days off to have an 'excuse' to stay at home.

Although he has some savings, the middle-aged man is worried that he may not be able to sustain his charade for much longer if he doesn't find a real job soon.

He said he would continue to pretend to work during the Chinese New Year, which falls at the end of January or early February.

He said he would engage in activities as before he was fired from his job. He would buy new clothes and give angpao to his children.

The story of the unemployed man pretending to still go to and return from the office has garnered various comments from netizens.

According to national statistical data, from September to November 2022, the unemployment rate in Hong Kong reached 3.7 percent.

This figure decreased for seven months after reaching a peak of 5.4 percent in May when Hong Kong was hit by the fifth wave of Covid-19.

The September to November 2022 statistics are the lowest since the beginning of the pandemic between December 2019 and February 2020, which recorded a rate of 3.4 percent.

Source: SCMP