Here is good news for all the pet lovers who want to spend time with their pet when the pooch is sick but can’t do it because of their job.
Workers could soon be entitled to compassionate leave if their pets fall ill.
In Victoria, the move has received union backing as some pet-friendly companies have already executed the policy. Ivana Stachowicz, from Melbourne, says earlier this year she made a heartbreaking decision to put down her 10-year-old pooch Tia after she fell gravely ill and now she is still dealing with this grief.
Ms Stachowicz told Seven News: ”It’s been really hard to process and find comfort,”
”There’s no real follow up of how people are going.”
In Australia, 62 per of households own a pet and it has one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world.
”As trade unions, we will always stand in solidarity to support working people who are fighting for things that are important to them,” secretary Luke Hilakari said in a statement in Daily Mail Australia.
”For many people, pets are dear loved ones and losing them can be emotional and traumatic.”
”We understand why some people will need time to grieve the loss of a pet, and bosses should show compassion and decency to support them to do that.”
Last year in Australia, Melbourne educational technology company Versa Learning became the first workplace to introduce leave for staff to care for sick pets.
”The policy includes two days for pet bereavement leave, five days to care for a sick or injured pet and two days to help new pets settle in into the new homes,” reported Daily Mail.
”Many of our employees with pets consider them an important part of the family and would be devastated if they died or were injured,” Verso chief executive Colin Wood told the Maribyrnong Leader at the time.
”Our new policy recognizes this and means they will not need to worry about work at an already difficult and stressful time.”
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