""I recently had a breakup and haven't been able to focus on work. I need a short break," they wrote in an email that was recently screenshotted and posted to X. Entrepreneur and CEO Jasveer Singh shared the unusually candid request on social media, captioning it: "Got the most honest leave application yesterday. Gen Z doesn't do filters!" (Singh just so happens to be the cofounder and CEO of Knot Dating, a dating app. Coincidence?)"
"Across the U.S., "heartbreak leave" isn't standard policy. Telling your boss you need a few days because a parent is sick sounds reasonable. Admitting you've had a fight with your partner and are currently crashing on a friend's sofa? Not so much. Often, workers might take personal days for such events, but there's certainly no widespread PTO policy around breakups. Yet in other countries, the idea isn't as far-fetched."
"In Germany, employees can take leave for liebeskummer, which translates to "love grief." Other companies allow for heartbreak leave under the guise of "well-being days" or "mental health days." Studies show that our brains register emotional pain in the same way as physical pain, and in some cases, it can even lead to " broken heart syndrome," which literally affects the heart's ability to pump blood properly around the body."
A Gen Z employee requested 10 days off to recover from a breakup, citing inability to focus at work. Entrepreneur Jasveer Singh posted the candid email on social media, drawing millions of views and a debate about whether heartbreak justifies time off. Workplaces typically allow leave for illness or family emergencies, but breakups rarely qualify for formal PTO in the U.S., so employees often use personal days. Some countries and companies provide leave for liebeskummer or offer well-being and mental-health days. Studies indicate emotional pain activates the brain similarly to physical pain and can cause broken heart syndrome affecting heart function.
Read at Fast Company
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