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.

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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.

Related: How to Know When to Change Direction

Even at Entrepreneur, coworkers were worried about the well-being of Directioner employees, especially Zayn girls.

While 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

However, 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.

Related: How One of the Internet's Biggest Viral Stars Turned Her Moment Into Momentum

Kate Taylor

Reporter

Kate Taylor is a reporter at Business Insider. She was previously a reporter at Entrepreneur. Get in touch with tips and feedback on Twitter at @Kate_H_Taylor. 

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