“I’d love to travel overseas.”
“I want to spend quality time with my family again.”
Have you ever found yourself thinking that—but wondering whether taking an extended break from work in Japan would really be possible?
ZenGroup’s paid leave policy gives employees the flexibility to decide when to take time off. Whether they are planning an extended vacation, traveling abroad, or visiting family, employees can use their paid leave in the way that works best for them.
With team members from around the world, there is no single “right” way to take a vacation. Our paid leave policy supports a range of lifestyles, travel plans, and family needs.
We’ll introduce ZenGroup’s flexible approach to paid leave and share how several team members make the most of their time off.
1. A Different Approach to Paid Leave
Turning Japanese Public Holidays into Flexible Paid Leave
ZenGroup takes a different approach to the Japanese public holiday calendar.
As we serve customers around the world, Japanese national holidays are regular business days for us. Instead, employees receive an equivalent number of paid leave days.
This allows employees to decide for themselves when to take time off, making it easier to plan extended vacations, travel abroad, or visit family.
2. How ZenGroup’s Employees Spend Their Time Off
“I Took A Six-Week Journey Across the Mediterranean”
Before joining ZenGroup, M.K. had heard from friends that it was a company where taking extended vacations was easy. After joining, M.K. was surprised by just how many people actually were using their vacation days.
“I was surprised by how many people actually take extended vacations. Since many of my teammates are from overseas, there’s a shared understanding that taking a long break is completely normal.”
Before departing, they prepared for the trip by reading eight books about the region, organizing their responsibilities, and completing a thorough handover to the team.
The message from their teammates before the trip was simple:
“Go enjoy every minute of it!”
After returning, M.K. came back feeling motivated.
“After experiencing that support myself, I want to be the person who helps my teammates enjoy their own vacations too.”
“I Took Nearly a Month Off To Go Back Home” – Visits with Friends Abroad
Before joining ZenGroup, W.J. worked in an environment where taking extended time off came with many limitations.
One of the biggest surprises after joining was seeing that vacations lasting several weeks—or even longer than a month—were not unusual.
W.J. spent nearly a month back home over the Christmas and New Year period, enjoying quality time with family. Because Christmas is not a public holiday in Japan, being able to celebrate it as they always had felt especially meaningful.
In addition to returning home, W.J. has traveled to destinations including South Korea and Hong Kong to visit friends they met through ZenGroup, creating lasting friendships and memorable travel experiences.
Before taking extended leave, W.J. carefully adjusts schedules and plans work well in advance to ensure a smooth handover. After returning to the office, W.J. also enjoys sharing omiyage with colleagues:
“It’s a fun way to share a little bit of the culture from the places I visit while also embracing Japan’s wonderful omiyage culture. Everyone gets to try something new, and it always sparks interesting conversations around the office.”
Returning to Europe to Spend Time with Family
For employees who live far from their home countries, visiting family often isn’t something that can be done over a long weekend.
When travel time and costs are involved, being able to take an extended vacation makes a meaningful difference. Like many people, Tobias, who is originally from Europe, thought that taking long vacations in Japan would be difficult.
About once every two years, he takes around three weeks of leave to return to Europe and spend time with family.
Before taking extended leave, Tobias makes sure that any outstanding work is completed and hands over ongoing tasks to his management team. While he still keeps an eye on important notifications in case something urgent specifically requires his input, he knows that day-to-day operations are in good hands.
“I am truly grateful to work at a company that encourages a healthy work-life balance, and I am already looking forward to my next adventure.”
Wrap up
At ZenGroup, extended vacations are made possible not only by our paid leave policy, but also by teammates who support one another.
That means preparing your work before taking leave.
It means encouraging teammates to fully enjoy their time away.
And when you return, it means supporting someone else’s vacation in the same way.
Because of this culture of mutual support, extended vacations aren’t treated as exceptional—they’re simply part of everyday life at ZenGroup.
Our flexible paid leave policy is just one example of how we support different ways of working.
If you’d like to learn more, be sure to explore the other stories on our Careers Blog.
