Chinese firm offers 'sad leave' to employees for better work-life balance

Monday blues after a relaxed Sunday is a real thing for employees. Carrying underwhelming energy, people still go to work after the day off. However, a company in China believes in providing "sad leave" to their employees whenever they feel down and do not want to work.

The Chinese supermarket chain Fat Dong Lai will grant 10 "sad leaves" in a year to their employees, and their manager has to approve them, as reported by The Straits Times.

Chairman Yu Dong Lai, who established his first store in 1995, said that it is human nature to be sad sometimes.

"Everyone has days when they are sad, that’s human nature," he said.

The chain since started has been expanding and now has 12 outlets in Henan province. Yu Dong Lai also believes that when an employee gets to have "sad leave", they can be happy that the company understands them and is providing support.

"But interestingly, when they have this 'sad leave', they can feel happy once more. This means that they sense the company’s understanding and support, and get a taste of work-life balance," he told the publication.

The supermarket chain is also called the 'Haidilao of supermarkets', which refers to the hot pot chain that offers customers a luxurious service; similarly, Fat Dong Lai provides blood pressure checkups, handbag maintenance and pet feeding.

Fat Dong Lai already gives 40 days of annual leave to the employees, with additional five days off during the Chinese New Year. The employees here work 7 hours a day and 5 days a week; contrary to the typical work culture of working from 9 am to 9 pm and 6 days a week.

The company's offers don't stop here. On April 5, Fat Dong Lai made headlines as the media reported that all employees would get a chance to travel overseas for holidays - while management-level staff would be going to Europe, subordinates would get to visit Japan.

Additionally, the employees get 5,000 yuan (Rs 57,689) for grievances including threats or insults from the customers, the report said.