Lovelorn staff at a Japanese marketing company can take paid time off
 
    Lovelorn staff at a Japanese marketing company can take paid time off after a bad break-up with a partner, and more "heartache leave" on offer when they get older.

    Tokyo-based Hime & Company, which also gives staff paid time off to hit the shops during sales season, says heartache leave allows staff to cry themselves out and return to work refreshed. "Not everyone needs to take maternity leave but with heartbreak, everyone needs time off, just like when you get sick," CEO Miki Hiradate said.

    Staff aged 24 years or younger can take one day off per year, while those between 25 and 29 can take two days off and those older can take three days off, the company said.

    "Women in their 20s can find their next love quickly, but it's tougher for women in their 30s, and their break-ups tend to be more serious," Hiradate said.

    Hime & Company staff can also take two mornings off twice a year as "sales shopping leave", so they can race to stores to hunt for bargains.

    "Before, women could take half-days off to go to sales, but you'd have to hide your shopping bags in lockers by the train station," Hiradate said.

    "But with paid leave, we don't have to feel guilty about bringing our shopping bags to work, and we can enjoy the best part about sales shopping -- talking about our purchases afterwards."

    日本一家營銷公司日前規定，員工失戀后可享受帶薪假期。而且隨著年齡的增長，這種“療傷假”會增多。

    這家位于東京的“姬會社”還在促銷旺季為員工提供了購物假。公司稱“療傷假”能讓員工在痛哭之后重振精神回到工作崗位。該公司的首席執行官平官美吉說：“并不是人人都需要休產假，但如果失戀了，無論誰都需要休息，就像生病一樣。”

    該公司規定，24歲及24歲以下的員工每年有一天的失戀假；25歲至29歲的員工可享受兩天失戀假；29歲以上的員工可休假三天。

    平官美吉說：“20多歲的女性失戀后能很快開始另一段戀情，但對于30多歲的女性來說就沒那么容易了，所以她們的失戀往往更嚴重。”

    姬會社的員工每年還可享受兩個上午的“購物假”，在此期間員工可去商場搶購打折商品。

    平官美吉說：“以前，女性可以請半天假出去購物，但之后又不得不將購物袋藏在地鐵站的衣物柜中。”

    “有了帶薪假期，大家就不用為把購物袋帶到辦公室而感到心虛了，大家還能分享購物的最大樂趣——比如評論一下買到的寶貝。”

    Vocabulary:

    lovelorn:失戀的