Returning to work during an epidemic is illegal if it is unauthorized. For the refusal to implement the people's government in a state of emergency situation according to law issued decisions, orders, the perpetrator, can be public security organs to impose a warning or a fine of less than two hundred yuan; the circumstances of the seriousness of the case, then the punishment is five to ten days of detention, and can be imposed a fine of less than five hundred yuan.

Legal basis

Article 50 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Punishments for Administration of Public Security

Anyone who commits any of the following acts shall be given a warning or a fine of not more than two hundred yuan; and if the circumstances are serious, he shall be sentenced to detention of not less than five to not more than ten days, and may be given a fine of not more than five hundred yuan in addition:

(1) Refusal to carry out a (a) refusing to carry out a decision or order issued by the people's government in accordance with the law in the case of a state of emergency;

(b) obstructing a staff member of a state organ in the performance of his duties in accordance with the law;

(c) obstructing the passage of a fire engine, an ambulance, an engineering rescue vehicle, a police car or other vehicle carrying out an emergency task;

(d) forcing his way through the cordon belt or cordoned-off zone set up by the public security organs. Obstructing the people's police in the performance of their duties according to law shall be punished more severely.