These 2 Chinese companies give single women employees leave to find love

Beijing, Jan 25: Two Chinese companies, in a move of compassion, have decided to give 'dating leaves' to their women employees aged over 30 to help them avoid the stigma of being tagged as 'leftover women'. According to a report in South China Morning Post, the two firms that are behind a tourist attraction themed on Song Dynasty in eastern China are allowing their single women employees time to "go home and date" as the country is preparing for the Lunar New Year.

Hangzhou Songcheng Performance and Hangzhou Songcheng Tourism Management have notified that the unmarried women in "non-frontline" roles would get an extra eight days of leave besides the normal week-long break in quest for Cupid's strike.

While it seemed to be sensational for many, the idea also aimed at dealing with issues that women in their 30s face in the Chinese society. Such women are seen as 'less preferred' by men because of their age and are called 'leftover women' or 'shengnu'. The country's marriage rate has also slumped since 2013, according to its civil affairs ministry which has seen almost 200 million single adults, The Telegraph reported.

"Women employees mostly work in internal functional departments and some are show performers ... some female staff have less contact with the outside world. Therefore, we hope to give more leave to female staff, to give them more time and opportunities to be in contact with the opposite sex," Hangzhou Songcheng Performance human resources manager Huang Lei was quoted as saying by online news outlet Zhejiang Online. He also said that the employees were pleased with the decision.

A Hangzhou school has also given single teachers 'love leave'

A high school in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, also gave its single, stressed-out teachers an additional two days off every month as "love leave" provided it did not hurt their teaching responsibilities.