Heartbreak Leave Included! The “Solid Private Life” System

Hello.
I am Yamashita from Public Relations.

SUNNY SIDE UP has a unique (?) system called the “32 Benefits.”
In this post, we will introduce the “Solid Private Life” system, which allows employees to take “Love Match Leave” and “Heartbreak Leave.”

The “Solid Private Life” System

A system that allows employees to take various special leaves to enrich their private lives. These include Filial Piety Leave, Birthday Leave, Love Match Leave, Heartbreak Leave, Wedding Anniversary Leave, Child’s Birthday Leave, Divorce Leave, Summer/Winter Leave, Paid Leave, and other special leaves.

Using leave to go on trips

While we have standard leaves like summer and winter breaks, we also have some unusual ones like Love Match Leave and Divorce Leave. Quite a few people take advantage of Wedding Anniversary Leave and Filial Piety Leave. (When I was a new employee, I used to think I was too busy to take time off…)

A while ago, “Heartbreak Leave” became a hot topic.
Our company also has Heartbreak Leave, which allows for one day off, and we were interviewed about it…
After the broadcast, opinions on the internet seemed to be divided.

In favor…

■ It’s interesting that they have Heartbreak Leave! I think it’s a wonderful company.
■ I feel like they truly value their employees.

Against…

■ As a professional, taking time off just because of a heartbreak is soft.
■ Can’t they separate their private life from their work!

“Heartbreak Leave” was institutionalized based on employee feedback, and it was realized with the following perspective from our president.

“I believe that experiencing a great love and a heartbreak so deep that you cannot work is a positive for one’s life. A life without setbacks is boring, isn’t it? The experience of heartbreak should also be useful in your work. Therefore, the company supports the romantic lives of its employees, and even if you become unable to work due to heartbreak, we will acknowledge it! However, you must bounce back in one day. We are still a company, so we won’t be too soft! (Laughs)”

Personally, I feel as follows:
“Even if you take a day off and sleep after a heartbreak, you can’t just bounce back!! It probably takes months to become positive and think, ‘I’ll show them!’ or ‘Time to move on!’ (Laughs). I do think staying busy with work helps distract you, and I understand people saying it’s soft for a professional to take leave for such a reason, but honestly, there are heartbreaks so devastating that you feel like your life is over and you can’t move. So, in the end, I would use Heartbreak Leave. I’d use it to flip the switch and force myself to recover…”

I believe there are pros and cons regarding special leaves, including Heartbreak Leave.
According to the “General Survey on Working Conditions” conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in 2013, the percentage of companies with special leave systems such as “Refreshment Leave” or “Volunteer Leave” was 57.9%.
The percentage had increased slightly from the 2012 survey.

Regarding Heartbreak Leave, “Chikara Corporation” (Chuo-ku, Kobe), which operates hair salons, is well-known, but it seems likely that many more companies will introduce unique leave policies in the future!

As a professional, I am happy to see more options for working styles.
We need to come up with even more unique leave policies too!