Why Is A Chinese Company Offering 'Unhappy Leaves' To Employees?

A retail tycoon in China introduced a new concept of 'unhappy leaves' to ensure work-life balance for its employees. The move aims to help them prioritise their mental health amid a competitive work environment. The retail supermarket chain, Pang Dong Lai, based in Henan province of China announced the 'Unhappy Leaves' concept for its employees stating 'no denial policy by the management' for these additional 10 days of leave, stating no one can deny an employee for these leaves as it would be considered a 'violation'. 

Chinese Company Offers 'Unhappy Leaves' To Boost Employee Wellbeing

As per the reports, more than 65 per cent of employees feel tired and unhappy at the workplace in China, according to the survey on workplace anxiety in 2021. In a recent proactive approach to the mental well-being of its employees, the founder and the chairman Yu Donglai announced 10 days of additional 'unhappy leaves' for its employees as he said: "Everyone has times when they’re not happy, so if you’re not happy, do not come to work."

The retail tycoon believes employees shouldn't feel pressured to come to work while feeling emotionally low he stated "We want every employee to have freedom" emphasising that employees are free to choose for these leaves to have their 'rest time' and no management can deny these leaves as 'denial is a violation.'

Social media users already laud the company's progressive approach while the company has various other noteworthy policies such as only seven working hours a day for employees, 30-40 days of annual leave in addition to five days leave for the Lunar New Year. The company states "We do not want to be big. We want our employees to have a healthy and relaxed life so that the company will too."

Supporters of the policy on social media are hailing the company's progressive approach to mental health as many recognise the importance of emotional well-being in the workplace. Some commenters see it as a potential benefit for employee productivity, suggesting that taking a break when feeling overwhelmed could lead to a more focused and engaged workforce upon return. 

However, there have been many speculations over the potential downsides of such policies as sceptics worry about the potential abuse as it increases the chances of employees misusing these leaves. A few comments also highlighted the workload imbalance.