TikTok's European e-commerce chief has 'stepped back' from his role after saying that he didn't believe companies should offer maternity leave, report says

• A TikTok executive has stepped back amid controversy over his position on maternity leave, The FT reports.
• Joshua Ma reportedly told staff that as a "capitalist," he didn't believe firms must offer parents leave.

A senior executive at ByteDance, which owns TikTok, has "stepped back" from his role, according to an internal memo reported by The Financial Times.

Ma, who is also the head of TikTok's European e-commerce arm, will "take some time off" as the company continues its investigation into his conduct, according to the report.

The move follows a Financial Times report, which said Ma told employees at TikTok's London offices that as a "capitalist," he didn't believe companies should offer paid leave to new parents.

Ma was first placed under internal investigation for his comments, according to The FT. He did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

A TikTok spokesperson told Insider on Wednesday: "We are investigating alleged statements and actions to determine whether there has been a breach of company policies."

According to his LinkedIn profile, Ma has been at ByteDance since 2018: first at Douyin, the company's Chinese version of TikTok, as head of product strategy. In August 2021, he moved to head up TikTok's Europe e-commerce operations.

But since TikTok Shop opened its corporate office in London in October, at least 20 staff from the e-commerce team — half of the office's total headcount — have left, according to The FT. One former worker told the publication that the culture was "toxic." E-commerce team members in London said they were expected to stay on calls or participate in livestreams late into the evening, the publication said.

Per The FT, ByteDance paid out settlements over adverse working conditions to two former employees at London's TikTok Shop, an online marketplace for creators and brands to advertise and sell new products.

Complaints of a "996" culture, which involves working from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m., six days per week, have grown among ByteDance employees globally. Two former employees told Insider that intense workplace expectations stem from the company's Beijing headquarters.

A TikTok spokesperson told Insider: "TikTok Shop has only been operating in the UK for a few months, and we're investing rapidly in expanding the resources, structures and process to support a positive employee experience."

The spokesperson cited examples including a holistic onboarding programme for new joiners; regular employee surveys to solicit and action direct feedback; and training and mentorship programs.

Some UK workers in the tech industry have turned down job offers or rejected interviews with TikTok over workplace expectations shared via word-of-mouth or online job review boards, CNBC reported.

This story was updated on June 9, 2022, following reports that Joshua Ma had stepped back from his role as the head of e-commerce at TikTok Europe.

If you're a current or former employee at ByteDance, you can reach this reporter on Signal using a non-work device at +44 7786 519 126.