It seems like there are so many things for employees to be quiet about in the past few years. The “hush and quiet trends”—symptomatic of the disconnect between company culture and employee needs—have made it hard for workers to know what to say out loud and what to keep to themselves.
The quiet quitting, hushed hybrid policies, mental health days and productive theater could soon become dinosaurs of the past now that “unhappy leave” policies are a real thing, gaining momentum in the workplace.
The trend began when a Chinese supermarket chain, fed up with inhumane work hours imposed on employees, started offering up to 10 days of “unhappy leave” each year. No detailed explanations. No manager approval. The policy is designed to eliminate the stigma of taking a mental health day off from work and to help employees cope with the demands of work pressures. Ultimately, the goal is to improve employee mental health and well-being which impact workplace morale, job engagement and productivity.
Is The ‘Unhappy Leave’ Trend A Band Aid?
According to Hogan Assessments, “unhappy leave” policies have become a new solution companies have engaged in to alleviate workplace disengagement by allowing employees to take time off when they feel unhappy or stressed. But Hogan emphasizes that these trends in the U.S. are symptoms of a disconnect between company culture and employee needs—revealing deeper organizational challenges that underscore the growing issue of employee dissatisfaction that many organizations have failed to address.
“The ‘unhappy leave’ policy reflects a continued trend towards emphasizing the importance of mental health at work,” explains Ryne Sherman, chief science officer at Hogan Assessments. “By providing employees with the time needed to be in the appropriate mental state at the office, the unhappy leaves aim to reduce workplace accidents caused by mental overload, personal conflicts in the workplace and to increase productivity by ensuring a workforce that is operating at maximal capacity. As this is a relatively new concept, there is not much empirical evidence evaluating the effectiveness of unhappy leaves on these outcomes.”
The increased prominence of this trend, Hogan says, indicates escalating frustration among workers who, despite being employed, feel so unsupported that they consider taking extended leaves or resigning. Hogan suggests that companies focus on understanding the underlying psychological needs and stressors driving these trends that showcase workplace dissatisfaction.
Four Effective Ways To Address Unhappy Leaves
Instead of merely reacting to trends like “unhappy leaves,” Hogan advises companies to take a more strategic approach, citing one solution as the utilization of personality data. “With the data from personality assessments, organizations can create work environments that align with employees’ values and motivations, preventing dissatisfaction before it becomes a major issue.”
- Tailor development to the individual. “Understanding individual strengths and values is crucial for increasing engagement. Employers can boost engagement by creating personalized development plans that align employees’ roles with their career growth, supported by data from personality assessments.”
- Hire according to values. “To retain top talent, organizations should ensure their hiring processes seek candidates whose motivations, preferences and values align with the company’s. By prioritizing alignment between employee values and organizational values, companies foster a culture of engagement. Selection processes should focus on candidates whose values overlap with those of the organization, making it easier for them to engage in their work, integrate with their teams, and support corporate initiatives. Assessing for values alongside personality can significantly enhance employee engagement.”
- Monitor managers. “Poor management can severely damage employee engagement. Behaviors such as blaming others or ignoring team concerns must be addressed promptly. Employees with bad managers often experience a diminished quality of work life, with many admitting to crying at work, often due to problematic management. In contrast, employees who describe their managers as calm, organized, skilled at listening and business-focused are three times more likely to be engaged.”
- Provide clear communication. “CEOs must craft and communicate a vision that resonates with employees’ values. When a CEO successfully communicates an appealing vision, employees are more likely to align their personal interests with organizational goals and actively work toward achieving them.”
Hogan points out that organizations that fail to address these issues holistically will continue to face evolving dissatisfaction trends among their workforce. Investing in data-driven solutions like personality assessments, Hogan concludes allows companies “to tackle these issues at their core, fostering sustainable engagement and retention.”