Traffic law enforcement has begun reporting drivers illegally moonlighting for ride-hailing apps to their main employers, with the first notice sent yesterday.
Notice of the "tell the boss" policy was given last month and has proved controversial. Questions have been asked about its legitimacy, with claims that it belongs to a bygone era.
The driver whose employer has been informed was caught taking passengers via hailing app Didi on March 10 in a Toyota without a business license.
The vehicle turned out to belong to his employer, said an official with the city's traffic law enforcement team.
Neither the employer nor employee's names were revealed and the official said it was too early to know the outcome.
This is the latest effort by the city to tackle drivers without business licenses working for ride-hailing app companies such as Didi Kuaidi and Uber.
Drivers already face a penalty of 10,000 yuan ($1,600) and losing their driving license for up to six months.
But some web users said that telling bosses was treating adults as children.
"Don't inform the employer. It would be more effective if you inform their parents or teachers," a netizen identified as "naorendexiaoqiufeng" joked on Weibo.
The authority said it will simply inform the employer of the facts.
A city human resources worker, surnamed Han, told Shanghai Daily that while a moonlighting employee there may get a dressing down, they're unlikely to be more severely punished.
The fact that many staff use ride-hailing apps complicates matters, said Han.
"Our employee manual states that employees should not violate laws or administrative regulations."
"However moonlighting for a ride-hailing app company is a little different, as many of us, though we don't drive for them, use them frequently," said Han.
City lawyer Wu Dong said there's no legal basis for the initiative.
"Such thinking belonged to the planned economy period, when people were closely connected to their employer in every aspect of life. Today, it's purely a working relationship."
The law enforcement team said that they have caught more than 220 unlicensed vehicles taking passengers for profit via hailing apps this year.
