A retail chain in China‘s Henan Province has introduced a new policy in their firm that would enable their employees to apply for an ‘unhappy leave’ to help them strike a better work-life balance.
The founder and chairman of the company, Mr. Yu Donglai recently announced that their employees are now entitled to apply for an additional 10 days leave under the policy of ‘unhappy leave’. With this implementation, the employees have the autonomy to choose when they want their rest time, and denial of their application would be considered a violation.
The company’s existing employment policy states that the employees will work for a maximum of 7 hours per day with weekends off. They are also entitled to 30-40 days of annual leave in addition to the five days off during the Lunar New Year.
In this regard, the founder emphasized, “I want every staff member to have freedom. Everyone has times when they’re not happy, so if you’re not happy, do not come to work.” He also wanted them to have ample relaxation outside work.
According to a survey conducted in 2021 on workplace-associated anxiety, more than 65% of employees are either unhappy or tired at work. The underlying reasons for this include low wages, complicated interpersonal relationships, and the glorification of the overtime culture.
Previously, Yu criticized the overtime work culture, calling this practice ‘unethical’ where bosses advocate for long working hours.
This initiative has gained a lot of support from users on the popular Chinese social media platform Weibo. People have praised the company’s initiative suggesting that this leave culture should be adopted nationwide. Some of them have even expressed their desire to be part of such a company.
(Input from various media sources)
(Rehash /Dr. Vineesha V/MSM)