Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

"PUA in the workplace" has come into public eye and sparked controversy lately in China. Why? Because a Chinese singer and dancer posted the misery she suffered from her boss' insults. At an internal meeting, her boss purportedly said she was "extremely ugly" and "not fashionable at all." About her voice, "she doesn't know how to sing." PUA is abbreviation for "Pick-up Artist." In this context, it a euphemism for mind control, brainwashing and suppression that occurs between superiors and subordinates. PUA in the workplace is easy to be seen as an act of "criticizing you for your own good." This makes it difficult to be detected. But any form of PUA should be resisted. When an employer criticizes an employee, they should only focus on the case itself. They should judge the act instead of the person. Every employee has the right to be respected and equally treated as a person by employers. Saying "No!" to PUA in the workplace is not dodging one's responsibilities. It is instead a brave move to protect one's dignity and rights.