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.

Sorry, what?
No.

I had to take A level exams whilst my dad was dying a painful death from cancer.

The world waits for no one.

Years ago I phoned in sick with my part time student job at Unwins, the day my childhood dog died. I went and got stupidly drunk at the pub and my temporary boss saw me. I got fired, but then he was a horrible man! Luckily the area manager knew that this was very out of character, found out why and offered my job back.

I think people should have a day, even if just one day because it flipping hurts. When my last cat died I didn't eat for 4 days and cried a lot. Never had that problem with human relative deaths but in my book, animals are miles better.

I think people would take advantage. I had a member of my team take a day off cos their partners guinea pig had died!!

I think it can really depend on the circumstances. I had one day off for my horse and most of a day off for one of my cats, but in both instances they were unplanned and relatively traumatic and much of my day was taken up with dealing with an emergency situation, rather than me taking time because I was grieving. I went back to work the following day as normal and in both instances my boss was understanding, and I was very grateful for that. My most recent cat was planned and I took annual leave, I don’t feel it would have been reasonable to expect any other form of paid time off.

Then take a day unpaid leave.

So sorry. That must have been really tough.

I've given my staff leave for pets dying before. Not part of company policy and not official. But I'm not sure company policy can or should account for all possibilities and things need to be done on an as needed basis.

I took the day when my dog was put to sleep and it never occurred to me or my manager that I would need to take that as annual leave or put it in the HR system - but I’m in a senior position working from home and plenty of flexibility so I feel lucky for that. I was absolutely devastated spending every last second with her until the vet arrived then spent the rest of the day crying my eyes out, I’d have been no good! Pretty sure I was working the next day as it was a good distraction but cried every time anyone asked me about it, and for a good while afterwards too.

As a manager I’d never think to tell someone to use annual leave on the day, but I do think if they wanted to take further time off it’s reasonable to expect them to use annual leave.

Thank you

My employee took 10 days off when her dog died. I wasn't amused at the time excessive time taken but wasn't a lot I could do to make her come back 🤷🏻‍♀️🙄

A member of my team has recently taken two weeks compassionate leave following the passing of her very elderly dog.

I understand that she was devastated, I love my own dog desperately, but I think two weeks was excessive, particularly as we wfh and are not customer/client facing. I still can’t believe our boss allowed it.

I only got 3 days compassionate leave when my Dad died, including for the funeral which I had to arrange plus sorting the will etc. GP refused to sign me off sick as they thought I looked fine. So that was that, I had to get on with it.

I presume to support the partner? But, yeah, amusing for you!

If you need more, than it would have to be annual leave, or sick leave I suppose. Op is asking for a type of special leave for a dog, and my point was we barely get much for actual human beings.

I’m clearly messed up as I went to work the same day that my mother died. It was expected although not as soon as it was.

My horse died unexpectedly in traumatic circumstances (unsurvivable injury). I was in between jobs as I’d recently relocated and was waiting to start my transfer. I intended on getting a temporary job for a few months whilst I waited but I ended up having to have 4 months off. Had I been working, I would have had to go off sick. I was experiencing severe flashbacks and panic attacks, agrophobia…Two and a half years on and I still have regular flashbacks where my stomach drops and my
blood runs cold.

You just can’t predict how grief will hit you. That horse was my life for a decade, everything I did revolved around her, and I expected that to remain so for another decade at least. I even moved 200 miles to give her a better life so to lose her so soon after was beyond devastating.

Where do you draw the line? Dogs, cats, goldfish, your grannies hamster?

For pets if you need time off take annual leave (save some till end of year each year for emergencies) or self certify and take sick leave.

Rough isn't it? I have an aunt in hospital with stage four cancer currently and we just don't know when (it's not if) it will happen. So I will use my five days of leave that I roll over each year because my parents are also in their late seventies. I would hope that my employer would be kind if I needed more, but I also know what is in my employment contract and no one owes me anything. If it wasn't enough I would ask to take a bit of unpaid leave - I can barely afford it - but I work for a charity, it's not remotely sustainable for people to take unpaid time off for a significant time period.

The thing about having a dog, a really lovely dog is that it makes you realise that work and lot of the stuff that goes with it really is utter bullshit.

But as previous posters have already said, you can't take annual leave at a moment's notice.

I do totally agree with you that pets are like family but where do you draw the line? What if you had a neighbour you adored who died? Its very tricky but i’d say better to try and go into work and let it be a distraction (they may send you home early anyway).

You could think up hundreds of scenarios for compassionate leave but we have to be realistic that the employer needs someone doing the job so compassionate leave has to be kept for only when its absolutely needed.

I’d try and save a few annual leave days if you can. Even with kids and trying to cover as much of the school holidays as possible, I still always keep 1 day in case its needed.

YABU and ridiculous.

Honestly, most people only get special leave for parents/spouse/children so no, not for a pet

@Pamcakey Not messed up at all. I completely hear what you are saying.

I've lost five babies didn't get 'leave' for any of those.

I’ve been ‘fortunate ‘ in that dogs being pts has been outside of term time. However, the horse was pts on a work day and the head refused to give ma paid day off. Fair enough, I suppose, but I was cross at the time, given my excellent attendance record. Made me think I should have phoned in sick.