Chinese supermarket chain Fat Dong Lai introduced a unique employee benefit called “sad leave,” granting workers 10 days off annually when they are feeling down.
Key points:
- For incidences of sadness or burnout, employees are encouraged to file a “sad leave,” which managers cannot reject.
- Fat Dong Lai has garnered attention for its work culture and benefits, demonstrating its commitment to employee well-being and enrichment.
The details:
- “Everyone has days when they are sad, that’s human nature,” Yu Dong Lai, the company’s chairman, told the Strait Times. “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.”
- According to Yu, his workers already have up to 40 days of annual leave, in addition to a five-day shutdown during Chinese New Year.
- They also maintain a standard work schedule of seven hours per day, five days a week, which starkly differs from the notorious 996 culture observed in some Chinese companies, where employees work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week.
- Fat Dong Lai, which first opened in 1995, is renowned for its customer services that includes aid like blood pressure measurements, handbag maintenance and pet feeding.
- Additionally, the company provides up to 5,000 yuan ($690) financial compensation for workplace grievances to employees, such as customer insults or threats. Recently, the supermarket also made headlines when it announced that all employees would be sent overseas on holiday to either Europe or Japan.
