Two employees wearing black stockings dance in the company. Photo: screenshot of video posted on Sina Weibo

It's the time of year many workers receive annual bonuses, while others face being embarrassed for not meeting their company's goals. 

A man surnamed Gao says he was required to humiliate himself by his company in Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang Province and when he refused, he was fired. 

Gao says his manager required all male workers who didn't pass job performance standards to dance around the office wearing women's black pantyhose.

"We were told to take off our trousers and wear women's black stockings over our underwear," Gao said.

A video posted by yidianzixun.com based in Beijing on Sina Weibo, shows that two of Gao's workmates complying with the order and flirting around in the office in pantyhose. It appears to be an amusing charade. 

Gao refused to accept the punishment, which he said degrades his dignity and then received a message on WeChat saying that he had been fired.

"I told my manager I would wear woolen long johns, but he insisted I need to wear the pantyhose," Gao said.

Most Chinese netizens stood up for Gao and criticized the company's managers for insulting employees with the crude punishment. "The punishment is an insult to both women and men. Do they really consider it a funny and interesting activity?" a Sina Weibo user commented.