Should employees get paid time off to take care of their pets?

Owning a pet while working full-time is extremely hard. It’s a big responsibility as your dog will need constant love and care. So, keeping a pet in your home will require a lot of scheduling and will take your time.

There might be hurdles along the way, such as what happens when your beloved pet falls sick. You have a full-time job; how will you take care of them?

Well, this issue is somewhat causing a big problem across the world. Some people think employees should get paid time off to care for sick pets. Others disagree.

While paid sick leave law isn’t settled or common, let’s see what the debate tells us.

Does anyone offer paid leave to care for sick pets? 

You might be thinking that it’s an impossible situation. Typically, sick or paid leaves only work for individuals and, in some cases, close family members.

But there isn’t any practical example or a statement saying you can get paid leave for your pet’s illness. Most companies don’t include pets under their paid family leave rules.

However, a woman working at Sapienza University in Rome made headlines after asking for paid leave because her dog needed surgery.

She said her dog is her family and needed to be there when a family member needs her. She wasn’t given paid leave just like that.

But after quite an argument, she finally convinced her employer to change the rest to a paid one. Of course, she had help from the Italian animal advocacy group.

The moral of the story, other people in the world already get this benefit. And these cases are increasing dramatically, especially in Britain.

Does paid leave to care for sick pets happen in other places?

According to the New York Times, some companies have started integrating the policy as part of their family and medical leave coverage. Employees at those companies can take sick leave to care for their beloved pets.

Scottish company BrewDog allows a paid leave of one week for every employee who adopts a puppy. Isn’t that great? Other than that, several American companies now offer bereavement days if an employee’s pet dies.

Considering this, the integration of this paid leave system for your sick dog everywhere might now be far away. Let’s hope for the best.

Which American companies offer paid leave to care for sick pets? 

According to ABC news, many American companies set pet policies. The Kimpton Hotel had a soft spot for pets from the start. So, it’s no surprise they offered paid leave for up to three days for hourly and salaried employees.

While some companies didn’t specify any policy like that, they have devised ways to help the employees deal with the issue. A software company VMware now allows their company to take leave to take care of themselves or their family, where they included pets as well!

Another pet nutrition company Mars Petcare allows paid leave for those who have lost their pets. The company also offers to leave to add another pet member to the family.

Many other companies don’t offer any official statement but grant any leave if the employees need them.

What do statistics say about paid leave to care for sick pets?

As it turns out, many UK employees take sick leave to care for their beloved furry pets. A recent survey of 2000 employees shed light on the matter. 42% of people took sick leave because of their pets and weren’t honest with the company.

Others have been truthful, but 63% were men, and 54% were women. Even though they deceived their workplace, Brit’s ever-growing love shows how crucial it is to get paid leave for sick pets.

In most of these cases, they either couldn’t find anyone to look after them, or the sitter was way too costly.

In these circumstances, it’s only fair to get the leave. Leaving your pet unattended during sickness is nothing but animal cruelty.

However, there are other issues with the paid leave system. Not every person is honest, and many might take false leaves even though they don’t have a sick pet at home.

Should employees get paid leave to care for sick pets? 

It’s still a debate whether employees should get paid leave. However, I think the initiative is necessary. With time many people are eager to get a pet or adopt a puppy.

It’s a beautiful thing to do, and a full-time job shouldn’t come in between that. There might be some dishonest people among the crowd, and companies should ensure that the process is transparent.

If you have a full-time job and want to adopt a pet, then, by all means, go ahead. Don’t let these small hurdles stop you from getting the love and affection of a pet. You work hard, so why not reward yourself with a canine friend?

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