New for 2025? … Unhappiness Leave

Chinese company Pang Dong Lai made history this year by introducing a new form of paid time off: ‘Unhappiness Leave’.

The 7,000 employees at this chain of shopping malls and grocery stores can now request an additional 10-days of paid time off if they are ‘not feeling happy’ … leave which cannot be overruled by line managers!

This has been introduced to highlight their focus on physical and mental wellbeing, as founder and chairman of the company, Yu Donglai, believes that employees should be entitled to a healthy and relaxed life when working for his company.

So, should companies around the world be considering introducing their own form of Unhappiness Leave?

We know that happier employees are around 13% more productive, and so understanding what you, as an employer, can be doing to foster happiness in your workplace is imperative when it comes to driving the productivity of your workforce.

However, a recent study found that 65% of workers do not use their full annual leave allowance. But much like Unhappiness Leave implies, a key element of fostering happiness is recognizing the importance of time away from the workplace.

Time off from work should not be viewed as an optional thing; employers should be actively encouraging their staff to make use of their annual leave, as it results in a myriad of physical and mental benefits that actually lead to better work and higher engagement overall:

• Benefits for the Mind – when a person is overwhelmed with work, the cognitive impact this can have can result in mental fatigue, difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, and impaired problem-solving abilities. Therefore, taking time away from work provides a greater opportunity for rest, relaxation, and better sleep, which can help to unclutter the mind and create more mental space, reducing the likelihood of overwhelm.
• Benefits for the Body – work pressures can see a spike in the stress hormone cortisol, which is a similar feeling that one would feel when in danger. Because the body is unable to distinguish the difference, an increase in the stress hormone actually results in the suppression of the immune system to allow the body to channel its energy to fight or flee from the non-existent danger that it thinks is present. Making time to relax on vacation can help to reduce these levels of stress hormones, allowing the immune system to recover, overall reducing the chances of getting sick.
• Benefits for the Soul – it can seem a bit silly, but taking time to reconnect with oneself can be another great benefit of taking time away from work. We frequently refer to this mental ‘happy place’, and taking time off work can create the space for employees to internally reflect about what it is that truly does bring them joy and nourish their soul.

There are many more ingredients to the recipe for a happy employee, but taking that time for yourself to rest, relax, and rejuvenate is up there as one of the most important. Employers should therefore consider following in the footsteps of Yu Donglai when it comes to his commitment to fostering happiness at work … and maybe it’s worth considering if Unhappiness Leave is something that would benefit your workforce, too.