Recently, a study revealed that employees in Malaysia are the second unhappiest in Southeast Asia.

While Malaysia may not have initiatives to address this issue, a businessman in China is taking steps to reduce unhappiness in his workplace.

According to a report by Business Today, Yu Donglai, a Chinese retail businessman and founder and chairman of China's retail chain Pang Dong Lai, has introduced 10 additional days off for his employees, which he calls 'unhappy leave.' These days are meant for employees to use when they're feeling down, angry, or upset.

"I want every staff member to have freedom," he said. "Everyone has moments when they're not happy, so if you're not happy, do not come to work."

Yu Donglai emphasized that the purpose of the 'unhappy leave' is to allow employees to choose when they need time off to rest and relax outside of work. To ensure employees can take these days without hindrance, he has made it so that his administration cannot deny requests for unhappy leave.

His initiative has been praised, especially considering that 65% of China's working class has reported feeling unhappy and tired at work due to low wages, complicated interpersonal relationships, and the glorification of overtime culture.