At any given time, there is a movement for paid leave from work for one reason or another, and for reasons with varying degrees of merit, whether it's medical leave, maternity leave, or bereavement. Some companies even offer paternity leave. When such options exist, the cause evolves for longer paid leave. In the end, the common theme here is a sense of entitlement to being paid not to work.
But there's a new cause that's reportedly gaining steam in corporate America: pet bereavement leave.
"As pet ownership rates soar, a 2023 survey Pew Research study found that 62 percent of Americans are pet owners and nearly 97 percent of these consider pets as part of their family," reports Axios. "And a little over half (51 percent) also say they are as much a part of the family as a human member."
Well, duh.
You couldn't find someone more sympathetic than me when it comes to the issue of pet bereavement. Last July, I had to say goodbye to my sweet pup, Zuzu. I don't doubt that many non-pet owners don't understand how pets indeed become part of the family, or how, when they leave us, it can be devastating. And, as our own Stephen Kruiser can attest to, it doesn't get easier with age.
"A recent study found positive consequences of pet-friendly practices for workers' well-being, including a license of bereavement following a pet death," explains Axios. "Additionally, companies that have included this benefit have improved employee morale, retention rates, company loyalty, and less stress, according to a recent literature review."
I don't doubt that this is true, but I still have a hard time accepting that this is something that ought to be universal. Like all paid leave policies, the potential for abuse is obvious. Should you be entitled to paid leave when it's time to flush the latest fish in your tank down the toilet? Is a pet tarantula on par with a pet dog?
Let's not pretend that this issue isn't complicated. Still, paid pet bereavement leave has its advocates.
“It’s a great way to signal to the new generation of workforce to show that you care about them beyond their job titles and that you understand that life outside of work impacts them at work,” CEO of Directorie and author of "Pets are Family,” Erika Sinner, told Axios.
Related: Saying Goodbye to My Sweet Pup, Zuzu
Related: Now I Know: Losing a Pet Doesn't Get Easier With Age
Believe me, I get it. But the problem is that at this rate, there will always be something new to add to the list of things that people will want and expect paid time off for, which isn't good. As I'm sure most people who run businesses that offer various types of paid leave benefits find out, their employees will use those various leaves even when they don't apply — even if it means they lose ten grandparents over the course of five years.
When businesses start to separate paid vacation, paid sick, paid bereavement, etc., crafty employees find a way to use them. Don't insult me by claiming that they don't.
There must be a better system.
Currently, paid time off for anything doesn't apply to me anymore. I did have an office job before joining PJ Media, and the system we had there for paid leave was simple: you had a set amount of paid time off each year depending on how long you were at the company. You accrued hours towards that time every week, and you could use it for anything: vacation, illness, bereavement, doctor's appointments, etc. You generally weren't allowed to use more than the hours you'd banked, but depending on the situation you may have been allowed to. Unused hours carried over each year.
Would we have like two weeks of vacation, plus bereavement, plus medical leave, plus fill-in-the-blank leave? Sure, who wouldn't? But the system generally worked. I was rarely sick, but I used my paid time off (PTO) for vacations, appointments, and bereavement as well.
More often than not, I had PTO hours to spare each year, and they carried over. The system largely worked, and it effectively discouraged people from abusing the system because it forced people to prioritize what they used PTO for. Private companies can, of course, do what they want, but there is clearly a better way to handle paid time off for employees than creating new benefits for people to abuse.
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