CHANGZHI, CHINA — A branch office of ‎Shanxi‬ Rural Credit Cooperatives is under investigation in China for publically spanking its employees.

The firm said Monday it is looking into the incident, which occurred at a branch in Changzhi‬, ‎China, and is considering monetary compensation for spanked employees.

A video of the spanking went viral online. It features a trainer spanking employees on stage with a plank for not exceeding expectations.

“Why you ranked the lowest today?” the trainer is caught on tape asking the employees, to which each answered, “Because I have not exceeded myself.”

The trainer then spanks each from behind. One employee can be seen in such apparent unbearable pain that she jumps out of formation.

Trainers also reportedly cut their employees’ hair for not performing well.

An announcement made by the Shanxi Rural Credit Cooperatives said that this was a “Breakthrough in Performance” training session for their employees.

The trainers were hired from the Hongfeng Leadership Academy in Shanghai.

The bank said it has stopped the training session, asked the Leadership Academy and its trainer to openly apologize, and has suspended several managers from the branch.