My manager was off today because her dog died on Saturday morning.

[IwishIwasacaterpillar]

Am I being an arsehole to think this is a bit ridiculous?

It seems like it sets a precedent. I have three cats, will I get a day off each time one of them dies ?

I'm sorry to hear that in that case. Everyone deals with things differently and for some people losing an animal is as bad as a human. It just depends on how much the animal means and no one can say another person's feeling are wrong.

Yes, you're being an arsehole.

Yes, you are the AH.
The loss of a beloved pet is very difficult.

Yep, you're an arsehole.

When you’ve gone into work then had a call to say your dog is coughing up blood out of nowhere. Worked on your own pet for hours, spent thousands of pounds and finally had to put an IV in and end his life tell me it’s not going to be traumatic walking out of that into puppy vaccines/ a PTS for a client. All colleagues I know have taken advantage of the policy also

If her taking the time off hasn’t caused you great inconvenience then why even post?
We all deal with things differently.
I didn’t take the day off when my 94YO grandmother died, as she had been in hospital for weeks and her death was expected.
When my 14YO dog, who had been my constant companion through some awful life experiences, including a horrible divorce, was suddenly ill and needing to be euthanised I took the day off work. Annual Leave.
I felt his loss far more than some elderly aunts and uncles I hadn’t seen for years.
Grief doesn’t have a league table. It’s not for anyone to say another person shouldn’t be upset.

I would likely take a couple of sick days🤷‍♀️

I am a bit surprised that manager was allowed the day off. I know more than one person who wasn’t allowed to take the day off for funeral of a parent. But I guess if you say in the morning that you’re not coming in then they can’t make you come in

I love my pets, but bloody hell, that's quite extreme. How will she manage when her parents die?

No absolutely not.
I love my dog.
I was heartbroken when my last dog died and still feel it now over 18 months later and even though I have a new one. Who I’ll also be devastated about when he dies. My dogs are my life and I am not apologising for the pain that I feel when I lose one.

Indeed you are an arsehole. Have some compassion.

will I get a day off each time one of them dies?

I'd be thinking it absolutely does set a precedent and be willing to argue if I didn't get the same. So if anything this is good news for you!

Of course you don't know if it's paid leave or not. If unpaid or she's taking AL, it's no more inappropriate that taking time off for anything else - her business.

If she's getting paid sick leave it's a bit more unusual but if she's otherwise rarely ill perhaps she feels she's entitled to it, given all the people who pull convenient sickies whenever the footy is on, weather is nice, or before a bank holiday/have constantly dying family members/call in whenever they have a slight cold/expect paid leave when they're kids are ill, etc.

Why do you know why she's off?

My boss would laugh in my face if I suggested taking time off for a dead dog. And rightly so.

I was heartbroken last year when both our elderly cats died within three weeks of each other. One of them was like no other cat I’ve been owned by and I was very upset for weeks. It never crossed my mind to take time off work.

I think traumatic is a bit of a stretch but like I said previously im not a pet person so I will never understand this.

3 days off for a dead lizard…..sorry but this made me howl 😂and yes I’m very much a pet person xx

I think it’s ridiculous but many many dog people are like this. My manager cried today when I asked how her Christmas was, because her dog was put down over Christmas. It was so awkward.

My own relatives thought they should get paid time off work when the family dog was put down - it’s not a child!! Still 6 months on, one member is still crying daily over it.

Sorry for your loss and you are clearly a biger person but I am with @youalright

Your poor manager has probably spent the entire weekend in floods of tears. Completely appropriate to take a day off to compose herself and face work tomorrow.

If she's had the pet since it was a puppy, that's likely between 12-14 years, perhaps even longer. That is a lot of love and a good probability its seen her through some shitty times. The lack of compassion from some people is unreal. I always remember a friend rolling her eyes at a colleague who was having a hard time with a very recent pet bereavement until the friend realised that the dog owner had had her pet for 6 years longer than the friend had had her son, at which point she was pulled up short and started to understand why it was so painful. Have some empathy. Losing a cherished dog / cat is very, very hard.

I think for some people, especially someone with perhaps underlying poor mental health, losing a beloved dog could be Earth-shattering. For others, it might not be, but we all deal with things differently.

I doubt she took the day off to take the piss.

This really just shows a lack of emotional maturity.

Some people love their dog more than their parents - one persons grief isn’t paramount to another’s no matter who has died.

The colleague was trying to show empathy to that poster - it’s not about comparison or who’s situation is “worse”.

Did anybody ask you to apologise?!

just don’t compare it to somebody losing their mother or a child or similar…

YABU I don't mind someone taking a day off to grieve - regardless of whether its an animal or a person, grief is all the same and people will react differently.