Bosses not amused by Zayn fans bunking off

29 March 2015 - 02:00 By The Daily Telegraph

Zayn Malik's departure from British boy band One Direction has caused such consternation among fans that British employers have been inundated with requests for compassionate leave. Malik announced this week that he was leaving the band, prompting a flurry of calls to employment law firm Peninsula, which provides advice on staff rights in the workplace, as employees sought time off to grieve.Alan Price, a director at Peninsula, tweeted on Thursday that "you could not make this up". The firm, based in Manchester, said its help desk had received 480 calls about Malik from employers."In terms of famous celebrities and their impact on employees, Zayn Malik has to go down as a person that has caused the most upset."Social media has certainly been a factor in this, with employees responding with their thoughts and feelings."The reaction is certainly more significant than when Take That split up or when Robbie Williams left the group," Price said.Requests for leave are being submitted by employees of all ages, according to Peninsula, and both male and female employees have been asking for time off."I believe people, employees, have to toughen up," said Price. "Zayn hasn't died . I would advise any employer who receives a compassionate leave request to refuse it." ..

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