Heartbroken? Take time off with ‘heartbreak leave’

BEING heartbroken is one of those most painful experiences we all have to go through in our lives.

At times it can be more painful than a physical wound.

But being heartbroken most often means paving the way to inspire themselves.

While some tend to deal with heartbreak with work, a company decided to give their employees time to grieve, to cry and move on.

Take a day off and mend your broken heart

In 2023, Cebu Century Plaza Hotel introduced a five-day paid heartbreak leave for their employees who are dealing with breakups.

The heartbreak leave was introduced by their CEO Ricardo Dublado and is based on his own experience. 

Working with a broken heart takes a lot of effect when it comes to our productivity–causing an impact that negatively affects their work due to emotional distress. This was discussed in a study from the University of Minnesota where it was seen through the 44% of people who are going through divorce. 

Earlier this year, a member of the House of Representatives came to offer a solution by filing a bill that grants unpaid heartbreak leave to both government and private sector employees. 

House Bill 9931, or the “the Heartbreak Recovery and Resilience Act,” was proposed by Cagayan de Oro Rev. Lordan Suan with the bill aiming to give employees time to deal with emotional turmoil due to breakups. 

In his explanatory note, he comes to explain that studies are revealing the substantial toll breakups take on individuals on how it affects their emotional and mental well-being. Because of these effects it leads to decreased productivity, absenteeism, and higher healthcare costs. 

“Recognizing this reality, the bill acknowledges the legitimacy of emotional distress stemming from personal life and offers crucial support during this challenging time,” Suan said. 

In his proposal, he proposed several heartbreak leaves that vary according to age brackets. The number of heartbreak leaves per age area is listed below: 

• one heartbreak leave in a year for employees aged below 25
• two heartbreak leaves in a year for employees aged 25 to 35 and
• three heartbreak leaves in a year for employees aged 36 and above

Older employees are given more heartbreak leaves as the majority of them come to juggle complications with family relationships or financial dependence. 

The bill also mandates the Department of Labor and Employment and the Civil Service Commission (CSC), along with the collaboration with mental health professionals, to develop and disseminate evidence-based resources that navigate heartbreak and the emotional well-being of government offices, employers, and employees.