5 surprising types of leave you never knew companies allowed

While the most common types of leave include bereavement, sick, maternity, and annual leave, some countries and organisations offer unusual types of leave that fly under the radar.

Pang Dong Lai, a company in China, has introduced “unhappy leave” to promote a healthier work-life balance.

Yu Donglai, the company’s founder and chairman, allows employees to request an additional 10 days off, recognising that everyone has bad days.

Employees can set their own rest times, and denial of such leave is considered a violation.

In a democracy, protests are a common way for people to express their disagreement with government policies.

Some companies in Silicon Valley, California, allow time off for protests. For example, Facebook permits staff to take time off to participate in pro-immigrant protests, ensuring that foreign workers are not penalised for missing work.

Sometimes you just want to stay in bed and relax. Duvet days are unscheduled workdays that can be taken without advance notice, unlike sick days, which require a medical reason.

These days allow employees to unwind, recharge, and prioritise self-care. The concept was introduced in 1997 by August One Communications, a British public relations agency.

Pet-owning employees often need time to adjust to a new pet or to grieve the loss of one. “Pawternity” leave allows employees to take a few days off work or work remotely during this period, making the transition or loss easier.

Life leave allows employees to have side hustles and pursue life outside of work. Ernst & Young introduced life leave in 2019, offering employees six to 12 weeks of unpaid time off for activities like travel, relaxation, or part-time work.

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) also offers three days of paid life leave but recently reduced employee sick leave from 15 to 12 days, replacing the difference with life leave.

CBA’s life leave can be used for any reason, provided employees have fewer than 20 days of annual leave remaining.

Menstrual leave is a policy allowing women to take paid or unpaid leave due to menstruation.

This policy has existed for decades in countries such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Indonesia, following demands from unions in the 1920s. Countries like Zambia and Spain also adhere to this policy.