After Zayn Malik Leaves One Direction, Heartbroken Fans Ask for Time Off of Work Would you give an employee compassionate leave to mourn the departure of pop star Zayn Malik?
By Kate Taylor
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Last week was a tough one for One Direction fans, as Zayn Malik departed from the famous boy band. But was it challenging enough to merit time off of work?
Hundreds of employees requested compassionate leave following Malik's announcement that he was splitting from One Direction, reports the Telegraph. Compassionate leave, or bereavement leave, is typically taken when a member of an employee's immediate family dies or suffers a life-threatening illness or injury.
Manchester-based employment law firm Peninsula told the Telegraph that around 480 employers had called the company helpline seeking guidance on how to react when staff requested compassionate leave in the aftermath of the One Direction bombshell. The firm has instructed employers to refuse leave requests – unless the employee is directly related to Malik.
Still, even looking at Twitter, it's clear that Malik's departure took a toll on fans' mental health.
*calls boss* I have to leave work early today. "Are you sick?" No, but Zayn left One Direction and i'm fucked up.
— Sloane ? (@de_scensus) March 25, 2015My manager just asked me if I wanted to leave work early because I was so sad about Zayn leaving 1D ?????
— Taylor Lawrence (@T_LAWZ) March 25, 2015Is "zayn left one direction" a legitimate excuse to leave work early?
— brenda. (@LikeRawrNStuff) March 25, 2015Can I leave work early because Zayn has quit one direction
— Louise (@louise_claire10) March 28, 2015Hi yes I must leave work today, there has been a terrible tragedy, Zayn has left One Direction. I will be returning never. My life is over.
— ksullmoney (@ksullmoney) March 25, 2015Related: How to Know When to Change Direction
Even at Entrepreneur, coworkers were worried about the well-being of Directioner employees, especially Zayn girls.
Got off an interview with gchats, Facebook posts and Twitter messages sharing the terrible news. pic.twitter.com/GUkak41BdD
— Kate Taylor (@Kate_H_Taylor) March 25, 2015While most One Direction-loving employees managed to soldier on (myself included), entrepreneurs cannot shrug off the economic power of the boy band. Last year, the quintet made $75 million. Products from t-shirts to toothbrushes celebrate the bands as a five-man group. Moving forward, it is still unclear how the loss of Malik will affect the band not only musically, but also in the group's extensive marketing.
Related: Snapchat's Evan Spiegel Has Eyes for Taylor Swift's Record Label
One Direction made $75 million last year. CRYING TEENS MATTER http://t.co/vDwliVwlLS
— Kate Pierce (@Kate_Pierce) March 25, 2015However, One Direction has promised to continue to perform and record new music following Malik's departure. If former bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne can to go back to work after the departure of a much-loved colleague, it looks like Directioners will have to do the same.
Been a crazy couple of days but know that we are going to work harder than ever to deliver the best album we've ever made for you guys !
— Louis Tomlinson (@Louis_Tomlinson) March 26, 2015Related: How One of the Internet's Biggest Viral Stars Turned Her Moment Into Momentum
