Ever heard of Pawternity leave? Pawternity leave offers employees time off to bond with a pet and bereavement time when an employee loses a beloved companion animal.
With employers having a hard time finding and keeping good workers, human resource experts say smart companies should include it among their benefits. Millennials now make up the largest segment of the workforce, and they are also the age group most likely to own pets.
Companies that provide pawternity leave usually offer between one and three days for pet bereavement. Others also offer time off or a remote work option for new pet owners so they have time to help the animal get used to a new environment. Some businesses limit time off for bonding only to those who adopt their pet from a shelter or rescue.
The majority of companies only offer the benefit for traditional companion animals like cats or dogs while others are happy to give you time off to bond with your new iguana.
Pawternity leave is just one of the pet-friendly benefits companies offer to entice workers. Some allow you to bring your pet to work, offer doggy daycare, or even subsidize pet insurance.
Scioto County Daily News is the first company in the area to offer pawternity leave benefits to employees. Publisher Mark Craycraft says the benefit fits right in with the company’s mission. “Since the very start, we’ve been passionate about assisting those who are most vulnerable. Our focus includes helping children and pets. It is not unusual for our ‘seasoned citizens’ to refer to their pets as their new children.”
He says he hopes employees will use the benefit. “It is important to lead from the front. All of our wonderful workers are welcome to make use of this opportunity. I would be delighted to throw puppy showers for our team members. My dedication to our team extends to assisting them should they experience the death of a beloved companion.”
Brandy Horner-Ratcliff, the rescue coordinator for the Scioto County Dog Shelter, was delighted by the animal-friendly ideas. She said, “I think it’s a good thing especially since a lot of pets now are being used as therapy dogs. It usually takes a dog 3 days to decompress from shelter life, 3 weeks to start learning a new routine. The 3 day bonding time is the most important because they are just getting out of a noisy shelter environment and learning to bond with the family.”
When it comes to bereavement, she said “A lot of people are like me and their pets are their family. I think there should be a mandatory 3-day bereavement after you lose a pet to death”
Keeping a great team productive and happy requires empathy and compassion, according to Craycraft.