Pet wellness expert Itch has launched a campaign to encourage employers to offer a bereavement leave policy for working pet owners.
The policy encourages employers to give paid leave for employees if a pet dies. Itch says it has taken the steps to make it easy for workplaces to implement the policy by providing a helpful guide for employers on their website.
The campaign is inspired by the efforts of Emma McNulty, who in 2019 petitioned for the introduction of pet bereavement leave after she was sacked from her job for calling in sick when her dog died.
Itch is picking up the mantle and launching a drive to inspire national change to ensure pet owners are treated with sensitivity over a subject which is often misunderstood and sometimes even mocked.
As a nation, it seems we are suffering great loss when a beloved pet dies, with more than half (58%) of pet owners thinking the death of a pet is just as hard to deal with as a human one.
Even though there is no legal requirement to give people time off when a pet dies, nearly three quarters (74%) of people in the UK think employers should have a policy in place to help owners going through pet bereavement.
Nearly half (45%) have not told an employer when their pet died, but for those that did, more than one in 10 (13%) said their employer showed no sympathy, 9% actively made fun of them or bullied them for being upset and 6% even laughed at them during their time of need.
LOSS
Robin Grey, Itch panellist, counsellor, psychotherapist and author of ‘Coping with Pet Loss’, said: “As humans, our experience of loss can be profound and touch us in ways that we did not expect. We may need time to mourn, and, in some cases, it can feel like we will never recover.
“For many of us, our pets are a valued member of the family and therefore the death of one can seem like one of the hardest losses. There is hope, though. By examining ourselves and our own grief, it is possible to see that this often-unpredictable loss can draw us closer to others that have shared the same experience.”
Andrew Pinnington, CEO at Itch, said: “Here at Itch, we know that pets are like family to our employees. Therefore, our benefits include paw-ternity leave when an employee gets a new pet, a gift for the new family member, birthday treats for pets and even time off to volunteer with pet-related charities. The death of a beloved pet can impact us in ways we are not prepared for, so we took action to include paid time off within our benefits.
“Now we are encouraging other businesses to implement pet bereavement policies within their workplaces, with the goal of helping facilitate sensitive conversations and ensuring that grieving employees feel as comfortable as possible.”
Visit the Itch website for more information on how to introduce a pet bereavement policy at your workplace.
