Exactly! "画大饼" (promising big empty things) is a super common form of coerced labour! 😂
How it fits:
When a boss lures you with "you’ll get a huge raise/bonus/promotion after working hard for a while", but there’s no real guarantee, no written rule, and they never actually deliver — you stay and work extra hard only because you’re tricked or pressured by that fake promise.
- This is not forced labour: They don’t lock you up or take your passport. You can technically quit anytime.
- But it is coerced labour: Your "choice" to keep working is twisted by lies and false hopes — you wouldn’t have agreed to such tough work for low pay if they didn’t feed you that "big pie".
Quick comparison:
- Forced labour: "Work, or I’ll hurt you/keep your ID." → Zero choice
- Coerced labour (including 画大饼): "Work hard now, and you’ll get amazing rewards later (wink wink)." → Fake choice, tricked into agreeing
In one sentence: Forced labour threatens your safety/freedom; 画大饼 threatens your future hopes — both make you lose your real free choice.