Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/puppy-leave-debate-work/
“One of my staff has asked for paternity leave because he has a new puppy,” Boxpark CEO Roger Wade posted to LinkedIn in early October. “What do you think?”
No doubt, he was expecting some debate to follow, but what he wasn’t expecting was just how popular this question would prove to be: More than 34,000 people cast their votes in his informal poll, with 2,000 sharing their opinions in the comments as well.
What do you think?
The debate comes after Colombia became the first country to allow bereavement leave for pet owners. However, many countries, such as the US, don’t even require paid paternity leave for newborn babies, much less pets.
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The fight for parental rights and more paid time off from employers has been a contentious one, even before introducing dogs to the equation.
“Not entirely sure he understands what paternity means. But semantic pedantics aside. I think it would be better if companies gave employees x number of days for ‘life events,’” one user posted, which others echoed. Life events such as moving house, family obligations, and, yes, new pets, can be difficult to navigate with the pressures of a full-time job. Fortunately, in Wade’s case, a happy solution was agreed upon by both parties.
“I think he’s playing you,” wrote one commenter, to which Wade responded that “I think he is genuinely concerned about his puppy. We are back in the office. He asked for leave but we agreed he could work from home. Bailey and employee are both happy.” Calling this solution a “win win,” Wade also posted a photo of the pup crashing a team Zoom meeting:
Read more of the debate at Wade’s initial post here!
Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog
