Blowing Water | Single people get a raw deal at work. But there are signs of change in mainland China
- Discrimination against singles is often not intentional, but companies often expect them to work for longer or cover holidays for married colleagues
- So well done to Dinglan Experimental Middle School in Hangzhou, with its ‘love leave’ policy
It is so invigorating to see workplace discrimination against single people finally being addressed, at least partially, at one school in eastern China.
Discriminatory practices against single people in the workplace are often not intentional or personal, as it is somehow normal for companies to expect singles to work longer hours or cover holiday shifts for married employees and those with children. In all fairness, singletons will often stand in for married colleagues who want time off, so it seems fair to assume this is the case for all single people.
But Dinglan’s progressive love leave, or what I prefer to call “singles’ leave”, has inadvertently highlighted the subtle but prevalent discrimination faced by unmarried people at work.
Single people seem to have dropped off the human resources radar when it comes to leave benefits. There are maternity and paternity leave allowances in the workplace, and some companies even have wellness and birthday leave. But when it comes to single employees, there is none that celebrates singledom.
