‘Pawternity leave’: Paid time off for employees with new pets is increasingly common

A month ago, people in the U.S. were introduced to a strange new word: “pawternity.” Like maternity or paternity leave, “pawternity” is paid time off from work. Only in this case, it’s for a new pet, not a baby human.

In one of the few developed countries in the world where paid maternity leave is not guaranteed, the idea of getting paid while caring for a new puppy or kitten might seem odd, it’s actually fairly common in the United Kingdom, where roughly five percent of the workforce said they’ve done just that, per Public Radio International.

And now that trend has jumped across the Atlantic to the U.S. In February, the Scottish brewery BrewDog announced their pet parental leave program for employees with a new animal at home. As the brewery is set to open a location in Ohio, it will be the first company in the U.S. to offer such a program and made headlines from USA Today to Forbes.

However, BrewDog is not the only company to offer paid time off. Mars Petcare, a multinational division of Mars, Inc., offers 10 hours of paid leave for new pet owners and also allows pet owners to bring their animals into the office, per Business Insider. Another British company, BitSol Solutions, lets new pet owners have a whole week off, according to Metro.

On the other end of the spectrum, bereavement days for owners whose pets have recently died has also been increasing in the U.S. Four American companies have formal policies in place to give workers paid time off when an animal dies, while several others, including ice cream maker Ben and Jerry’s, have informal understandings that allow employees to take the necessary days off, per KPIX.

Companies offering these perks argue that they are more than just nice things to do. Rather, they actually make for better, more productive employees. Pets very often make people healthier, happier and stress-free, per U.S. News and World Report. And given that more than half of U.S. employers offer workplace wellness programs and the costs that come with loss of productivity due to stress and illness, advocates say it’s actually in employers’ best interests, per the New York Post.

“I believe the morale of staff definitely improves and they actually want to work harder for you,” BitSol Solutions owner Greg Buchanan told USA Today.

Advocates also say that while pets, especially cats, can be fine when left alone for hours at a time, it often takes time to build up to that point. Some veterinarians recommend leaving the pet on its own for just a few minutes at a time before working up to longer periods.

This story was originally published March 23, 2017 at 5:52 PM with the headline "‘Pawternity leave’: Paid time off for employees with new pets is increasingly common."