Hot on the heels of “mental health” and “duvet days”, unhappy leave has now entered the workplace lexicon. If you’re having an off day or just feeling a bit down, you can now choose to not go into work. Is this taking workplace wellbeing to new extremes, or could this be what we all secretly crave? Read on to find out more.
What is unhappy leave?
“When you’re not happy, don’t come to work” is the premise of unhappy leave. Coined by Yu Donglai, founder and chairman of the Chinese retail chain, Pang Dong Lai, staff members can now take up to ten unhappy days off per year. Much like mental health days, workers have discretion as to when they can take this leave. And at Pang Dong Lai, departments are forbidden to say no regardless of the circumstance. We all get days when we struggle to get anything done due to low mood or difficult life circumstances so would it be better for everyone if we just stayed under the duvet?
How unhappy leave could benefit employers
Unhappy leave gives the message that your organisation cares about your wellbeing. Employee wellbeing has proven to be an antidote to stress and creates positive working environments. It can also be a powerful way to attract and retain staff. According to research, employees who believe their employer cares about their wellbeing are 70% less likely to search for a new job and 71% less likely to experience burnout. Happier employees also likely to take less sick leave – unhappy employees taking on average nine more sick days a year than their happier counterparts.
How it could benefit employees
We’ve all had a terrible night’s sleep with the encompassing dread of having to face the rigours of a full working day. Knowing you can take the next day off helps take the pressure off – allowing you to get back to full form before switching the laptop back on. Similarly, there are undoubtedly days when the prospect of going into work feels overwhelming and an impromptu day off the treadmill seems like just what the doctor ordered.
Most of us are also guilty of not taking our full annual leave entitlement – a whopping 60% according to the latest figures. But holidays often need to be booked months in advance and not at the times when we most need it. In contrast, unhappy leave gives you a chance to have a break at short notice when it’s of most benefit to you.
What are the cons of unhappy leave?
The other side of the coin is that unhappy leave is obviously open to abuse. When the pressure of a big event or presentation looms, it’s all too easy to leave colleagues in the lurch just when you’re needed most. And closely aligned to this is the stigma of potentially being viewed as a shirker who uses every excuse to get out of work. Despite the privacy afforded to the employees at Pang Dong Lai – surely a justifiable reason would be needed to take leave at short notice in the UK?
Despite the pandemic, presenteeism is still a pervasive influence particularly for those seeking to climb the career ladder. Many high-flyers would therefore think twice about giving out the wrong impression about their motivation levels. After all, previous generations had to get on with work while not in the mood. Shouldn’t we also be gritting our teeth and carrying on in true British fashion?
Why leave can’t solve the problems of a toxic office
Unhappy leave also poses the uncomfortable question: “Are we ever happy at work?” Booking a random day off will do little for the morale of those who are chronically unhappy in their jobs. Nor can it solve the root causes of toxic workplaces which are the main cause of staff dissatisfaction in the first place. I would personally doubt the integrity of any business who felt they had to offer unhappy leave as a perk to their staff.
While unhappy leave does have undeniable benefits to those who need short-term respite, it also poses many challenges for employers, not least of all the root cause of worker’s unhappiness. While it’s great to see that workplace wellbeing is at the forefront of new workplace policies, unhappy leave is a can of worms that opens up more problems than it solves.
What do you think? Would you risk taking a day’s unhappy leave? Leave your comments below.