ANA to offer employees leave for up to 2 years

ANA will introduce in April a sabbatical system that will allow its employees to pursue personal interests such as studying for up to two years, company officials said Tuesday, as travel demand plunges amid the coronavirus pandemic. The airline's move, unprecedented in Japan in terms of length of the leave, comes as ANA tries to curb labor costs, having furloughed many cabin crew members due to the virus spread. Around 15,000 ANA pilots, and cabin and ground staff will be eligible for the new sabbatical system to pursue goals that necessitate long-term planning such as studying abroad, obtaining qualifications and working temporarily at other companies, they said. While the leave will be unpaid, the company will provide 200,000 yen for those who within fiscal 2021 start their sabbatical of more than one year. The airline will cover employees' social security contributions during their absence that can last at least one month. Those taking the sabbatical can choose from several options of length -- up to five months, one year, 18 months and two years.<br/>