A new addition to PTO: Heartbreak leave

• Key insight: Discover how "heartbreak leave" signals normalization of emotional-health as a workplace benefit.
• What's at stake: Employee retention and employer brand risk if benefits lag evolving mental-health expectations.
• Expert quote: Escalera says acknowledging personal crises improves culture, trust and productivity.
• Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review

Breakups can be brutal, but do they warrant PTO? Employees think so. 

One in three workers believes "heartbreak leave" should be offered to help those struggling with the wrong side of romance, according to a survey by online career platform Zety. The same number say they have already taken time off for this reason, bringing to light a potentially overlooked area of employer support.  

And while leaders might be quick to say vacation or sick leave already covers this need, there's an advantage to employers offering it on its own, says career expert Jasmine Escalera. "This helps to normalize the fact that what happens in your personal life does affect your career," she says. 

The survey makes this overlap clear, with respondents saying their breakups had negatively affected everything from engagement and focus to problem solving and punctuality. Pointing to her own experience of navigating a divorce, Escalera notes that her employer at the time acknowledged the impact on her as a person, as well as on her work, and suggested she take time off to heal.   

"That's a really great way to boost culture, trust and productivity," she says. "It's a way for you to show your employees you care, and then for your employees to come back and say, 'Wow, I was treated really well. I care even more now, too.'"    

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Potential benefits of heartbreak leave

Younger employees — 47% of Gen Z and 45% of millennials — were especially likely to say they'd take time off following a breakup, according to the survey. Still worth mentioning is Gen X, one third of whom would call out, too. The data also showed that more men than women — 36% compared to 28% — would opt to be absent. 

Escalera explains that, because younger generations have become extremely vocal about mental and emotional health support in the workplace, a benefit like heartbreak leave would make an employer stand out to talent. 

"[For] younger generations of employees, these things matter so much," she says. "We're talking about a group of professionals who always had access to Instagram and Tiktok, so they know exactly what workplace trends they should be advocating for."      

Beyond permission to take time off, an empathetic benefit like heartbreak leave gives employees permission to admit when they're not OK, regardless of the reason. If 'heartbreak leave' isn't listed as a standalone offering, leaders can still emphasize that emotional challenges like breakups are grounds to take some time away. When this comfort level exists in a company's culture, the individuals, teams and business are better for it, says Escalera. 

"It gives your team members the ability to support you in a very different way, and for you to [do the same," she says. "Talk about a new level of collaboration, cohesion, availability and productivity — to be able to be there for our team members, and for them to be able to be there for us, really showcases teamwork in a whole new way." 

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Tying in other benefits and accommodations

Along with time off, some survey respondents said they would appreciate the ability to work remotely, have flexible hours, minimize meetings and adjust workloads while managing a split. 

This is also a situation where benefit leaders can communicate — or ensure team leaders know about — about other existing offerings, such as counseling services, financial help or legal advice, that might help. For example, in the case of divorce, an employee may need to revise insurance forms and consult legal representation.  

"This is a great [moment] to remind employees, 'Hey, we have opportunities for you to engage with someone who can help you with your finances, or to engage with mental health resources — things that sometimes employees just forget exist," she says. 

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By combining empathy-based benefits with supportive leadership, companies can provide a well-rounded approach to caring for employees when life takes a hard turn. 

"We all go through these experiences, and we all have challenging times with them, so we should be conscientious of giving this to employees," Escalera says. "Companies that care about your needs are the kinds of companies that are going to get the most out of their employees."