China company introduces 10-day ‘unhappy leave’ for employees
In a bid to help promote the mental well-being of employees, a company in China has recently introduced 10 days of ‘unhappy leave’ for its employees.
This was a decision by Yu Donglai, the founder and chairperson of Pang Dong Lai, a supermarket and retail chain in Henan.
Strongly against China’s culture of working long hours, Yu wants his employees to have a better work-life balance, and be able to rest and relax outside of work.
On top of that, he stated that management cannot deny these leaves when an employee applies for them.
China retail firm rolls out ‘unhappy leave’ for staff members to promote work-life balance
According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), Yu shared this piece of news at China Supermarket Week in late March.
The event is meant to promote the country’s supermarket sector, which Yu is a part of.
During the six-day recent, the retail tycoon shared that his company will now provide “unhappy leave” days to employees.
Source: Sina
Employees can ask for an extra 10 days of leave at their discretion.
By introducing these leaves, Yu wants employees to be able to dictate their own rest times and have a better work-life balance.
“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 said.
Yu added that it is a “violation” should management deny an employee’s request for unhappy leave.
Founder of the company does not subscribe to overwork culture
This aligns with Yu’s beliefs that China’s working culture, which typically involves working overtime and long hours, is not the right way to go.
Source: Weibo
He previously said in a speech from March 2023 that making staff work overtime is “unethical” and “an expropriation of other people’s opportunities for growth”.
In practice, here are the benefits that Pang Dong Lai’s employees reportedly enjoy:
- Working hours of only seven hours a day
- Weekends off
- 30 to 40 days annual leave
- Five days off during the Lunar New Year
Responding to questions about the company’s future plans, Yu said: ”We do not want to be big. We want our employees to have a healthy and relaxed life, so that the company will too.”
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Featured image adapted from RFA and Weibo.
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