Internet search giant Yahoo Japan Corp. said it would begin allowing senior employees to take up to three months of leave on one month's pay starting from Friday.

The "sabbatical system" is aimed at allowing employees to review their careers and working styles, and boosting morale, company officials said Thursday.

Employees who have been with the company for at least 10 years will be able to take two to three months off and return to their original positions.

Yahoo Japan employees are allowed to accumulate up to 70 days of paid holidays and will be able to combine them with the sabbatical system so they can be paid throughout the three months.

Yahoo Japan President Manabu Miyasaka vowed last April to launch the sabbatical system under an initial plan to provide unpaid leave of up to 12 months. But the company has concluded that such a long period of leave is unrealistic, the officials said.