Time off work when your dog passes

[Arabiannights01]

I just think that I love my dog more than most humans and when it is her time to leave, I will be a distraught- mess for a while, I don’t think work will want a sobbing mess in front of customers. There should be a system where you get some kind of compassionate leave imo.

What a vile comment.

When my ex partner (we had separated 6 months before) of 30 years died I wasn't allowed a day off to attend funeral, I had no annual leave left as I'd taken what I had to help care for him. I was told I could have half a day off without pay or take a day out of next year's holiday. I chose to take a full day off without pay, their reason was he's not direct family. When my dog died I just told them I was poorly and didn't go in for rest of the week, then said my dog had passed away on the weekend.

No, you're being ridiculous OP. People want time off work for absolutely everything now.

This is what happens when you humanise dogs 🙄

I tell my team to take whatever time they need off when something bad happens. Same as for illnesses. The ones who would take the p are the same ones that will be on/heading onto pips as they have that mentality. The hard workers take the time they need and come back better for it. One had 6 months off for a miscarriage. One had a fortnight off for a divorce. If discretion is applied consistently it’s fine with the rest of the team. I’m senior enough to rearrange my diary to suit. I took time off for my pets deaths.

I mean people are barely allowed time off for human death let alone animals. Take a sick day if you have to.

I think annual leave for the death of a pet. Bereavement leave is only for nearest family where I work. Partner, parent etc

What line of work are you in? You're very generous, but I am wondering how you can afford this, and the overall impact?

if you really are too grief stricken to work effectively, you get signed off as not fit to work. But incorporating compassionate leave for pets into policy is a nonsense.

Bullshit. It's nothing to do with humanising dogs at all. It's about loving and caring for our fellow creatures. Humanising doesn't come into it.
I'd hate for my dog to be like half of the so called humans on this thread.

I think time off should be allowed but it should out of your annual leave. Imagine if everyone had time off when a pet died.

You would use annual leave, if you didn't have any left it would depend whether your company allows unpaid leave, otherwise I'd just bullshit, say I had the flu and not turn up for a week.

I took a week AL when my cat had an operation as I wanted to be there for him in recovery. Fortunately, I wasn't working when he eventually died because I was beside myself for months. People don't get it if they aren't animal lovers.

What a terrible state the world is in, that people love their pets and grieve when they die.

<sarcasm font>

My colleagues wife died in a RTA. He came into work the next day telling everyone he wanted the distraction.

A colleague was off for a month when her dad died.

I was in deep shock having found out 24 hours before my DH died that he was dying. I didn't go back to work for a few months, but I was self employed.

I think we all deal with grief differently.

I know I will be crushed when my dogs die. I suspect I'll need time off.

@Arabiannights01 hoping our manager is human and understands that we are one of many animals on this planet and that a dogs death means no less than a humans death.

Yes to time. No to pay.

Why? I don’t have kids so I don’t claim parental leave. It’s a benefit that you only get if it actually applies to you.

Sorry to hear about your partner.

I took no time off at all initially when I lost my baby at 16 weeks. Was told he’d died at about 7.30pm and was in court the next day, fortunately a straightforward case I already knew with a lovely opponent. Gosh how much you want to hug people who are just nice without even knowing what’s happened! Then had the baby on the Friday/Saturday with complications, back to work Tuesday to Thursday then had leave booked anyway the following week.

Interestingly, the bill to allow leave for losses before 24 weeks is only just going through this year, so it rather jars to be talking about pets. But I do also appreciate it’s not a race to the bottom.

I’m pretty sure the Petcare arm of the business I work for allows bereavement leave for when you lose a pet, but they also give you leave when you get a pet too! I don’t work for that part, but I was a mess when my 17 year old cat had to be put to sleep, and my boss told me to take the rest of the day off, then allowed me to be camera off in meetings the next day and take as many breaks as I needed.

Absolutely agree with you OP! I took time off sick when my cat died, I was so devastated I couldn’t work. If I had a company I would give compassionate leave for this!

You can’t plan when your pet dies and most companies need you to book annual
leave in advance. This clearly isn’t the answer.

I would have liked a day or two when my dog was pts. I turned up for work the next day, expecting to work at my desk in the office. I was happy to cope with spreadsheets/invoices/sales orders etc. However my boss thought it was a good day to send me out doing sales calls to customers! Take my mind off it they said. I got through the first meeting, but the second was a disaster. I completely broke down and made a right show of myself. Fortunately the purchasing manager in the meeting was a real ‘dog person’ and was an absolute star, he even arranged for someone to drive me home. Four days later a rather sizeable order landed on my desk, and we did a lot of work together after that.

That's a ridiculous comparison.

Why do people insist on comparing kids and pets, there is no comparison.

We’ve had all sorts of animals over the years — dogs, horses, cats — all deeply loved, and we’ve sadly lost our fair share too. I’d never think to take a day off work when one passes. Of course, I’d be sad, but I’d still show up. I just don’t believe it’s a company’s responsibility to provide leave for that.

I feel if you need more than the day of actual passing then it should be annual leave sick leave etc.

however I do feel that the day the pet is put to sleep (particularly in an emergency etc) should be given as a paid day off.

I’ve personally had an employer state I was unreasonable to take my cat (who was actively seizing) to the vet to be put to sleep as I was due in work and “anyone can take it”. I feel anyone should be allowed time with a pet to say goodbye and these kind of emergencies can’t be planned. People who aren’t necessarily ‘animal people’ need to have more compassion for those who are.

also as an aside, I really disagree with the comment about “who’s to say it’s a beloved old dog or a two year old cat” my cats are both 2 and are my whole entire world. If anything happened to him I’d be devastated and there is no way I wouldn’t be with them if it did.