Recently, a study showed that employees in Malaysia were ranked the 2nd unhappiest in Southeast Asia.
And while Malaysia may not have any initiatives to solve this problem, it appears that a businessman in China is making an effort to cut down on unhappiness in his offices.
According to a report by Business Today, a Chinese retail businessman has introduced 10 additional days off for his employees, which he calls ‘unhappy leaves’ for them to take when they’re feeling down in the dumps, angry or upset.
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“I want every staff member to have freedom,” he said.
“Everyone has moments when they’re not happy, so if you’re not happy, do not come to work.”
The businessman, Yu Donglai, who is the founder of and chairman of China’s retail chain, Pang Dong Lai, added that the point of the ‘unhappy leaves’ is so that his employees can ultimately decide for themselves when they want to schedule their rest time and want them to have plenty of time to relax outside of work.
This image is for illustration purposes only.
Wanting his employees to be able to stay away from work when they are unhappy, he has also made sure that his administration cannot deny when unhappy leaves are applied for.
He has since been praised for his efforts considering 65% of China’s working class has shown unhappiness and tiredness in the workplace due to low wages, complicated interpersonal relationships and the glorification of the overtime culture.
Would you want to see ‘unhappy leaves’ being implemented in Malaysia? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
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