Got dumped? You can now take ‘heartbreak leave’ and mourn your ex on company time

Going through a breakup, a divorce or separation of sorts is not an easy thing to deal with. Moreover, the whole process becomes more challenging for an individual as they lose focus and interest in their work and daily tasks. But in most cases, one has to power through, even if they are feeling sad. However, to give some time to heal during this difficult time, several companies in the Philippines are introducing "heartbreak leave." Employees can either take paid or unpaid time off work to recover and feel better after going through a breakup, as reported by Indy100.

The employees of Cebu Century Plaza Hotel in the Philippines can take a five-day paid "heartbreak leave" after breaking up with their partner or while going through a divorce. The company started the initiative in 2023. Moreover, the employee can take leave once a year and only if the breakup is with a different person each year. The CEO, Ricardo Dublado, implemented the policy based on his personal experience. Other organizations in the country are also catching up with the new trend. Even a parliamentary bill was proposed in February of 2024. It would allow any worker experiencing heartbreak to take an unpaid leave of up to three days.

"Studies reveal the substantial toll breakups take on individuals, affecting their emotional and mental wellbeing, leading to decreased productivity, absenteeism and higher healthcare costs," Congressman Lordan Suan told Financial Review. Many companies try to offer benefits that allow employees to deal with their personal lives better. These can include mental health days, flexible work options and counseling services. Other companies might offer heartbreak leave under the umbrella term of "well-being days." The concept mostly became popular during the pandemic to allow employees to take care of their well-being and to look after their families as well.

Some companies continued with such leaves even after things started going back to normal. Adobe offers up to six mental health days a year, while Virgin Money offers five days. Effel Santillan, human resources manager at Harbor Star Shipping Services in the Philippines, revealed that workers can take the heartbreak leave and keep their reason a secret. "At the end of the day, the manager takes responsibility," Santillan pointed out. PwC, a signatory, specified that they don't have a special leave policy for divorce, but they offer working arrangements that help people during big life events. "Everyone's situation is unique, so we actively listen to our people to understand their needs," Anne Hurst, the firm's inclusion lead, remarked.

"Our goal is to create a supportive environment that helps our people balance their personal and professional lives." A study by the University of Minnesota found that 44 percent of people felt that a heartbreak had a negative impact on their work. However, a poll conducted on 1200 people by People Management on LinkedIn revealed that 46 percent of people felt that employees don't need to have a heartbreak leave.

"I'd much prefer to see organisations offering an ongoing listening ear, empathy, understanding and the flexibility to vary the way people work, as and when they need it, while going through the stages of grief – for example, start later, finish earlier, work from home, use holidays and use compassionate leave," Dominique Nally, human resources consultant at OneHR, told the outlet. On the other hand, Mallory Conboy, former assistant director of human resources at Shangri-La Group, expressed, "If staff are given paid time off, or even unpaid time off, just let them take it. No one needs to know what is happening in that person's personal life."