Canon lets its employees leave early to have sex

I’m of two minds about this:

TOKYO, Japan (CNN) — Even before one reaches the front door of Canon’s headquarters in Tokyo, one can sense the virtual stampede of employees pouring out of the building exactly at 5:30 p.m.

In a country where 12-hour workdays are common, the electronics giant has taken to letting its employees leave early twice a week for a rather unusual reason: to encourage them to have more babies.

“Canon has a very strong birth planning program,” says the company’s spokesman Hiroshi Yoshinaga. “Sending workers home early to be with their families is a part of it.”

Sure, the company can do whatever it wants, and I’m all for high employee morale. But I’m also for being able to afford the good stuff without selling a kidney.

Any chance Canon can make this unpaid leave?