A lawmaker from the House of Representatives filed a bill seeking to grant unpaid leaves for single employees experiencing heartbreak.
Cagayan de Oro 1st District Rep. Lordan Suan stressed in the bill the importance of relieving unmarried individuals over social pressures.
House Bill 9932 or the Singles Well-Being Leave Act will grant unpaid leave every February 15 for single employees.
“While Valentine’s Day celebrates love and affection, for single employees, it can be a minefield of social pressure, loneliness, and commercialized reminders of their relationship status. All of these factors significantly influence their mental health and, consequently, their productivity at work,” Suan said in the bill.
“Studies have shown the negative impact of Valentine’s Day on single individuals’ mental health, with magnified feelings of loneliness, stress, and pressure to conform to societal pressures. Offering a day for self-care and emotional processing mitigates the negative effect on work productivity,” the lawmaker added.
An employee needs to file for the leave 48 hours before availing it.
Suan said other countries are already practicing similar benefit.
“The proposed measure also aligns with the growing global focus on mental health in the workplace,” he added.
“Importantly, potential concerns about employer burden are minimized by the single-day allowance and the self-declared nature of the leave,” the lawmaker explained.
The bill allows one day unpaid leave for those under 25 years old, two days unpaid leaves for 25 to 36 years old and three days for 36 years-old and above.
“To qualify for heartbreak leave, employees must provide their employer with a signed statement confirming the dissolution of their romantic relationship within the past thirty days,” Suan said in his bill.
