This Cebu Hotel Offers Five-Day Paid Leaves for Broken-Hearted Employees

(SPOT.ph) Ever tried to work while nursing a broken heart? While others tend to dive deep into work, others can find their intrusive thoughts distracting, which affects their ability to focus at work. That's why this hotel in Cebu released a new type of leave for grieving employees so they can breathe and heal: five-day break-up leaves. 

Cebu Century Plaza Hotel's CEO Ricardo Dublado said he came up with this because of a personal experience. Working with a broken heart "isn't easy", and his 30+ employees can relate. 

"Gusto ko kasi ma-feel ng employee ko na they're part of the family. Even with the hardest problems, gusto ko nand'yan din kami [para] sa kanila," he tells SPOT.ph in an exchange.

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How to Avail the Paid Leaves for Broken-hearted Employees

The policy took effect just this January, said Dublado. It's no longer a seasonal leave; it's offered to provisionary and regular employees on top of their sick leaves and vacation leaves.

"Wala naman pinipili si broken heart," he said.

Employees can avail it once a year and only avail this once per person, as long as they can provide evidence that they became a couple and there is evidence of a break-up, he said.

"If the staff avail the break-up leave this year, tapos next year magbabalikan sila tas mag-avail na naman siya, hindi na 'yun puwede."

This will test the integrity and honesty of the hotel staff, said Dublado, as employees that are proven to have lied to avail of the break-up leaves will be terminated. Human resources will validate the claims, he said.

HR will also approach employees who exhibit signs of broken-heartedness, such as erroneous reports, dark eyebags, and distracted while at work, said Dublado.

An employee recently availed the leave after the hotel HR found out the employee had been ordering P3,000 worth of alcohol from their rooftop bar in a span of two weeks, said Dublado.

"Ang HR namin is very Marites naman. Para siyang PI (private investigator)-slash-HR," he said in jest.

Aside from paid leaves, HR will also counsel the staff to help them recover.

"It's about time to show extra love and extra care to your employees. Kasi isang factor na maging successful ang business ng isang employer is because of their people so maybe this time, na sa pinaka-down na moment nila, maging consistent pa rin si buiness kasi at the end of the day, si employee, kung na-feel ang love ni employer, mag-respond din 'yan with love."

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