The pain and grief over losing a pet can cause stress on an individual and some companies in the United States are starting to recognize this. Workers are allowed to take time off from work for pet bereavement at software companies like VM Ware and Maxwell Health, Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants and pet insurance firm Trupanion, and depending on the arrangements within the company, these breaks are paid.
There are vacation days and sick days, and now companies are also offering "pet bereavement days." There's no law to back this directive just yet, but these companies understand that their employees aren't their best when a beloved pet has just died. So, they are given days off.
"We allow people to actually do that grieving process and just, just be able to heal. I think you need closure when you lose a pet, and it's important to have the time to do that," Trupanion's Dani Khan said. The company provides for one day of paid pet bereavement leave.
Hotel chain Kimpton, which has been recognized as one of the pet-friendliest places to work for in America, offers three days paid pet bereavement leave. The other companies provide flexible days off so that the bereaved can come to terms with the loss.
"It's really very, very difficult to function, and if you can't function, you certainly can't function at work, and you're really not the person you were before," pet counsellor Janet Zimmerman said. "You need the time to get back to some sense of normality."
A study suggests that it actually takes an individual to recover from the death of a companion pet within six months and that this is a "relatively common human response to death" even if it pertains to an animal. The attachment or relationship that pet owners have with their animals is a significant part of their lives and in some cases, the grief can turn to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The most vulnerable ones are those who look to their pets as children.
Meanwhile, aside from pet bereavement days, these companies also provide allowances for employees whose pets might require more care and attention due to treatments and operations. Workers can even bring their pet to work so that they can watch over them during the work day.
"This should absolutely be the norm for many businesses if not all," said Erica Lee, who availed of her pet bereavement day off. She said it mattered that her company allowed her to stay home for a day so she can talk about pet loss to her young son.
