Not all is not good when China is mentioned.
After many years of repressed life as a communist country, the Chinese have seen to it that they develop and progress in many ways.
Looking back, when I attended the Fourth International Women's Conference in Beijing in 1995, I witnessed the "closeness" of ordinary citizens. They had a stark attitude towards foreigners. In a mall, sales persons insisted we talk to them in Chinese and smirked and sneered at anyone speaking in English.
Perhaps the global conference and recent developments served as eye openers that when I swung back sometime after the pandemic, almost all I met at the mall were welcoming, smiling, and spoke in — no matter how broken — and understood the English language.
They seemed happier.
Unhappy Leave
Early this year, Yu Donglai, a retail store chain owner, introduced a revolutionary management policy that was emulated and replicated in other Asian countries though, initially, it sparked confusion.
During the Supermarket Employee Week in February 2024, the tycoon made a surprise announcement incorporating in his stores' policy the "Unhappy Leave".
"Not happy, do not come to work!" Yu Donglai said in his address. He believed that focus on the Mental Health of his employees is paramount in productivity.
It is not only due to personal concerns the unhappy emotion of employees is hinged at.
Yu Donglai expounded that "the policy humanizes the workforce by treating unhappiness as a natural part of life."
Increased Productivity
Yu Donglai expressed his counter to the Chinese culture of instituting long working hours. He believed that mall personnel should work for a maximum of seven hours, have weekends or days off, and be privileged with perks.
China has a notorious encompassing policy of enforcing 9 to 10 hours of daily work, six days a week. And this has been acceptable for a long time.
The new policy lets a worker go on leave if feeling "unhappy." He or she could take a maximum of 10 days at their discretion, not needing the approval of the supervisor nor having to justify his emotional or mental state.
Yu Donglai's concept was not just to increase productivity but moreso to better the work-life balance and boost employee morale.
Denial Is A Violation
Employers could not say "No."
"If you're not happy, don't come to work!" Yu Donglai told employees in the six-day event aimed to promote the development of the China's supermarket sector. “I want every staff member to have freedom. Everyone has times when they’re not happy, so if you’re not happy, do not come to work.”
This ground-breaking management policy stunned the industry as Yu Donglai justified that he wanted employees "to freely determine their own rest time, and for them all to have sufficient relaxation outside work.
“This leave cannot be denied by management. Denial is a violation.”
The “unhappy leave” idea was greatly supported in social media but not so much by certain industry players.
Culture Condemned
According to a 2021 survey on workplace anxiety in China, more than 65 per cent of employees feel tired and unhappy at work.
Main sources of employees' anxiety at work and negative emotions, according to respondents, were due low wages, complex interpersonal relationships and overtime culture.
Sometime in March 2023, Yu Donglai condemned the culture of Chinese bosses who pressed for longer working hours for such a minimum wage rate.
Calling the culture “unethical," Yu Donglai said this is also an exploitation that employees lose opportunities for growth.
India Follows Suit
To address India's similar situation, Human Resources specialist, Aditi Gupta, proffered that the policy be adopted in his country to address mental health concerns in the workplace and create a healthier work environment.
Mental health is just as important as physical health, Gupta averred.
On the general outlook, Yu Donglai's initiative has given employers much to consider.
Gupta enumerated that this policy primarily promotes mental health awareness and inspires employees to acknowledge their feelings and to seek help when needed.
At the same time, implementing this could prevent burnout from escalating in the face of excess workloads, expectations, and pressure. They could take time off when overwhelmed with work.
Given this privilege to take a break when needed enhances worker's commitment to work. If employees feel they are valued, trust and loyalty follows. When morale is up, retention at work is assured.
Caveats and Challenges
While some argue that the unhappy leave could be taken advantage of, organizations must, of course, establish guidelines and ensure open communication between managers and employees.
Providing resources and support for employees to address their mental health concerns, is a great boost.
Access to counseling services, wellness programs, and training for managers to recognize signs of distress among their team members are concerns employers must prepare for when the policy is replicated in their organization.
No one need be unyhappy at work.
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