There are few things I love more in life other than dogs and beer. So when I saw this article I was delighted! A beer company, called BrewDog, has decided to pay its employees a week of new puppy leave dubbed “pawternity” or “mutternity” leave when an employee gets a new puppy or adopts a dog.
In my adult life I have raised three puppies, and each time I took “puppyernity leave” for the first week the puppy was home. Many clients, colleagues, and even opposing counsel were super supportive (and requested pictures). For those who love pets, especially puppies, they understand how hard that first week can be, and how little sleep you get. Raising a puppy is a tremendously joyous time, but it is also a big time commitment!
On a related issue, many clients have asked me if the various paid sick leave statutes coming up in cities all over the country allow time off for sick pets. My answer has been “not yet.”
So let’s give a shout out to San Francisco, the most liberal city in the US. Come on now. Get on the puppy train. Let’s get some puppy leave ordinance drafted and expand sick leave to include pets. Oh, and while you are at it, make it mandatory to allow pets into all work spaces! Ok, maybe that one can wait. But are you really going to let a beer company based in Glasgow do more for employees (and their canine babies) than a business in San Francisco?
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