2023 survey by the Pew Research Center showed that almost two thirds of Americans own a pet, and half of them consider their pet a part of the family.

PHOTO: depositphotos

Salaries vary around the globe, and so too can the amount of paid leave that employees are entitled to. Many countries impose a legal minimum of days off per year, with holiday time and sick leave covered, and while some employers stick to the bare minimum, others look to improve on it.

As employers seek to recruit and attract the best talent, increased paid leave is often leveraged as a perk. Additional paid time off for specific reasons - be it bereavement, maternity/paternity leave, or compassionate leave - means employees don’t have to use their precious and well-earned holiday leave, making a job offer or a company a lot more appealing in the eyes of candidates.

In recent years, we’ve seen a trend of pet-related benefits emerging, to the delight of pun and pet-lovers alike. Some American companies began offering partial cover of pet insurance, or subsidizing the cost of online vet calls. Perhaps the most interesting of all these developments has been “pawternity leave”, or pet leave, which enables employees to take time off to care for a sick pet, or help a new one get used to its new home.

The stats on pet ownership in America make for an interesting case to the contrary. Almost two thirds of Americans own a pet, and half of them consider their pet a part of the family, akin to a child, according to a 2023 survey by the Pew Research Center.

Although most employers may consider pet leave as an extra headache they could do without, some who have pets themselves are more sympathetic of the special relationship between animals and their owners. After the death of her cat, Maud, Samantha Brooks, owner Taro Financial, a financial-services firm in Colorado, took two days off to grieve. On her return to work, she instituted a pet-bereavement leave policy for her employees, providing up to three paid days off to mourn the loss of a pet, on top of their regular paid time off.

There are cases to be made on both sides of the debate, with some recognizing the value and importance of allowing paid time off to care for pets, while others see it as an unnecessary luxury that should be further down the agenda. The outcome of the proposed bill in New York will be interesting, with the potential to set something of a precedent for other US states, and eventually other parts of the world.

- With the help from Patrick Conroy ir Silvija Aksiutinaitė

The people who are currently entitled to take such leave are most definitely in the minority for now, but members of New York City Council have tabled a motion that would allow all non-governmental employees in the city to apply their sick leave to their pets. So instead of looking after themselves, they’d spend the time catering to their pets’ medical needs.

The New York City councilman who proposed the bill, Shaun Abreu, says promoting pet ownership and improving the mental health of New Yorkers are its objectives. The bill wouldn’t grant additional paid time off for pet-owning workers but it would extend the city’s existing sick-time laws, meaning sick time can be used when the pet rather than the owner, is unwell.

While pet-owning New Yorkers would no doubt be pleased should the bill go through, employers are less likely to rejoice. News of the bill has sparked discussion on how many different types of leave employers can or should be expected to offer, with some seeing pawternity leave as a bridge too far.

People walk their dogs in Manhattan during cold weather in New York City, U.S., January 5, 2025.

PHOTO: Scanpix/REUTERS/Adam Gray

The need for veterinary services in Lithuania has increased significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic.

SOURCE: Lithuanian State Data Agency

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