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If you’ve ever skipped work or showed up late because you woke up with a hangover, you’re certainly not alone. Most companies frown upon employees using that as an official excuse, but one IT firm in Japan is embracing it with open arms in an attempt to lure in new workers.
There’s historically been a spike in the number of people who skip work on the Monday after the Super Bowl, and I don’t think it’s a huge stretch to assume most of them are dealing with the repercussions of pounding beers and other adult beverages during The Big Game.
You probably need to do some soul-searching if you routinely miss work or find yourself struggling to make it through the day because you’re dealing with a hangover. With that said, plenty of people who are normally able to drink fairly responsibly still find themselves facing an unenviable situation when they wake up on a workday thanks to the occasional weeknights where things end up getting out a little out of hand.
It goes without saying the first rule of skipping work with a hangover is not telling your boss you have one, but a Japanese company is rowing against the current on that front by offering its employees some amnesty if they’re greeted with one in the morning.
According to The Daily Mail, Three Ring Co, an IT company with around 60 employees based in Osaka, is attempting to set itself apart by offering workers “hangover leave” that allows them to come in a few hours late to deal with the symptoms that come with being overserved the previous night.
The company’s CEO acknowledged the approach is being harnessed to try to attract younger workers fresh out of college and compensate for the relatively low monthly salary the company is able to offer (around $1,450 per month). The office environment also has the potential to contribute to those hangovers, as workers are encouraged to take advantage of the beer tap and bar filled with various spirits while they’re on the clock.
Japan is far from the only country known for a fairly robust drinking culture, but the hangover policy will certainly be very attractive to the sizeable segment of a population with a reputation for hitting the bars very hard to unwind after they clock out (a habit inextricably linked to its infamously high-pressure work environments).