Yes, you read that right – Paw-ternity leave! You will not find this word in any dictionary, but it is a new pet-friendly idea that’s catching-on in the U.K.
Few companies in the U.K. are now offering paid time-off (paw-ternity leave) to their employees, to help them take care of their newly adopted/bought pets. The leave can be as short as two hours to as long as two months, depending upon the pet’s need and the company that’s giving the leave.
A pet is family too
Ask any real pet lover and you’ll learn that every proud pet owner believes that their pet dog/cat is a part of their family. In fact, some even call themselves pet parents. They treat their pet dogs like their own children!
Paw-ternity leave
Greg Buchanan, the owner of small tech-support company named BitSol Solutions in Manchester, England, has warmed up to the idea of Paw-ternity leave and even offers it in his own company. He is a proud owner of two dogs – a Chinese hairless crested, and a standard poodle. He allows one week’s paid leave in his company!
“Recently, one of our engineers took paw-ternity leave. He adopted a dog from a relative who had suddenly passed away. Obviously dogs suffer quite a bit with separation anxiety and putting it into a new environment definitely affects it, so that dog needed to be integrated into a new home.
He also added
“We take it on a case-by-case decision. If somebody’s asking for time off for a goldfish, no, no — then it’s not quite what we set out for. If you do give time off for paw-ternity leave, you are limiting the number of people available to you, however, I believe the morale of staff definitely improves and they actually want to work harder for you.”
Would You Like This To Happen In India Too?
Comment below if you think this should happen in India as well!