Meet Deefa, a bundle of fun and joy owned by Kayleigh Brown from Wilson Browne Solicitors’ Leicester office.
Why are we leading with a picture of a pet you may ask? There is renewed debate regarding whether companies should offer leave for new pet owners, referred to as ‘Pawternity’: it is just like maternity or paternity leave but for a new pet.
Pet adoption rose during the pandemic and a reported 3.2 million pets were bought during lockdown. In the UK, it is estimated that 12 million (44 per cent) of households have pets, equalling about 51 million pets.
The benefits of having a pet have been long touted. The traditional ‘nuclear family’ of mum, dad and children is no longer applicable in many instances and such a set-up is not for everyone. For many people, their pets are their family.
As a response to the pandemic, most organisations have introduced homeworking and hybrid working policies and/or revisited their flexible working policies. With many organisations having retention or recruitment difficulties, other offerings are being considered – ‘pawternity’ being one.
Proposals include allowing an employee one or two weeks’ paid leave when adopting a new pet so they have time to bond with and acclimatise them to their new home. Some schemes may also allow the employee to bring their pet into the office.
One obvious question is the definition of ‘pet’ in this context, which is likely to apply to canines only. However, the options are limitless and can be designed to suit the business.
Christmas is seen as a time when pets are often bought as presents so it may be that more organisations look to offer Pawternity in 2022.
To find out more about Pawternity schemes or simply reviewing your current ‘family friendly’ policies, contact the employment team at Wilson Browne Solicitors.
Oh, and in case you were wondering about the name Deefa…it is derived from “D for dog”.
n This article is written by Hazel Taylor, a paralegal in the employment team at Wilson Browne Solicitors in Northampton.
