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The death of a pet can be as distressing as the loss of a human loved one to some.

All employees are entitled to 'time off for dependants' - a spouse, partner, child, grandchild, parent, or someone who depends on you for care. This is a reasonable amount of unpaid time off to deal with unforeseen matters and emergencies involving a dependant, including leave to arrange or attend a funeral.

And Acas - the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service - says writing paid compassionate bereavement leave into a contract can be a major support to employees, and have a long-term positive impact on their relationship with employers.

But while a pet is not seen as a dependant, they are dependant on their owners and often a part of the family. Research by the charity Blue Cross found that half of all pet owners had to take time off to deal with their loss as they were too heartbroken to work.

Blue Cross offer free pet bereavement support to help deal with all forms of pet loss, and it helps 600 people a month.

Tracie McGrory, Blue Cross Pet Bereavement Support Service Manager, said: "Pets are part of the family and losing one can be devastating.



"Taking compassionate leave for family is obviously very understandable, but when it comes to our pets, sadly many people don't realise the deep emotion losing one can bring about.

"If you've had a pet with you for a long time, then losing them through anything from death to theft or them running away can take its toll on concentration - meaning you're not at your best in the office.

Emily Merdith, HR Manger at leading recruiter Acorn, said: "More and more companies are offering their employees time off to deal with the loss of a pet. Employers are recognising that in some cases the loss of the pet can be a distressing time and that time away from the workplace may assist people in getting over their loss.

"Employee wellbeing is very important here at Acorn where we review these situations on an individual basis; being flexible and accommodating in these scenarios helps maintain morale and employee engagement."

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Alex Christen, an employment solicitor at Cardiff based Capital Law, said: "Employees are entitled to take short periods of unpaid leave in order to deal with emergency situations, such as making arrangements for a sick child.

"However, while employers may want to extend this right to cover a wide range of circumstances, from a legal standpoint the right to compassionate leave is limited.

"There is no legal right to time off following the death of a family pet. We would not recommend extending compassionate leave to cover pet bereavements or illnesses as this could lead to abuse of an employer’s policy and an increase in pet related absences."



Looking after new additions

Research by Petplan earlier this year found that one in 20 owners had been allowed time off to look after a new pet - dubbed 'pet-ernity' or 'paw-ternity' leave.

Greg Buchanan, who owns Manchester based IT company BitSol Solutions, allows his employees three weeks’ paid leave when a new four legged friend arrives.

He got the idea after his partner Steph took off nine months off work to settle the couple’s own dogs - longer than many news mums take in maternity leave.

Greg said: "The first few weeks of a dog moving to a new home is a really important time, especially when get are puppies.

"I don’t have kids myself but I do have dogs and I understand how much they mean to people.

"I find being flexible with my staff when it comes to their animals makes them loyal and hardworking.

"Pets are like babies nowadays so why shouldn’t staff have some time off when they arrive?"

Petplan's Isabella von Mesterhazy insisted the trend was a step in the right direction.

She said: "The rise in new pet owners taking paw-ternity leave indicates that people recognise the importance of settling in new pets with the right support and care.

"The early days of a kitten or puppy’s life are a vital part of the pet’s early development – especially for them to become a proper part of the family."