Luckily for me, actually, I was still a kid, and my parents were able to take a few days from calling me at school after each dog’s death that would allow me to so that I could take the time to grieve. While those days didn’t completely heal my sadness, they did give me some time to reflect and get myself back into middle school.
Unfortunately, if you’re an adult, you won’t be able to get your mom or dad to call and let you know if you lose a pet. The pain you feel when you lose a beloved pet doesn’t make it any easier as an adult, either.
With that in mind, shouldn’t employers allow pet owners to spend this sad time away from work?
1. some employers set aside time to mourn their pets
Smaller companies may have more lenient and understanding policies, such as my previous employer, so some people may need time off as a personal day or vacation day. Sadly, some grieving pet owners may be embarrassed that coworkers or employers may view their pain as silly or juvenile and therefore ask for time to grieve excessively.
2. Do larger companies offer pet bereavement policies?
So what do we do? Dog owners and grievance counselors agree that a leave of absence is necessary, not only to properly injure your pet’s loss, but also to regroup so you can be a competent and contributing employee. Janet Zimmerman, a pet loss counselor, was quoted by CBS Miami as saying, “It’s really, really hard to function, and if you can’t function, you certainly can’t function at work, and you really weren’t that person before. You need time to regain some sense of normalcy …… This is definitely the norm in many, if not all, businesses. “
3. What if you need time to work it out
If you are not in a work environment that is open to this, the Humane Society offers tons of advice on how to deal with this type of loss. We are taking pet grief seriously and have tons of resources. While not all companies are aware of pet bereavement policies, it is hoped that the few that are now offering leave will be a groundbreaking step in the right direction.
Do you think employees should have time to mourn their pets? Let us know in the comments below.
