Almost one in 20 workers in the UK has been given paid time off to look after their new pets and help them ‘settle in’.
A few companies there are offering new pet owners the so-called “paw-ternity leave”, according to new research by pet insurance provider Petplan.
The benefit period can be as short as a few hours to a couple of months, depending on the pet’s needs and the company offering leave.
In addition to having statutory maternity and paternity leave, employees are granted the time off in addition to their standard holiday allowance.
One of the first companies to introduce the policy was Mars Petcare.
It allows employees 10 hours paid leave when they buy a new pet.
The leave can be used to carry out training, attend vet appointments or simply spend more time with a new animal.
The company’s HR director, Kate Menzies, said: “We know how important it is to take an animal into your home, and we want to enable and ease responsible pet ownership for our employees.
“Dogs and cats are at the heart of our business and our policy is designed to embrace a culture that is passionate about pets,” she added.