When a Pet Dies, Are You Allowed to Miss Work?
A co-worker of mine recently experienced the worst part of pet ownership. She awoke on a Sunday morning to find her dog had passed away. She took him to the vet and took care of everything that needed to be taken care of. When she returned home, she found herself alone and without a pal to greet her at the door for the first time in 11 years.
Obviously this was going to be a very difficult time for her. Knowing this, she promptly called into work and said she wouldn’t be in for a while because her pet passed away. Word got around to everybody at the office. Some were sympathetic, and others smirked at the excuse for missing work. “Because of a pet?” they would say. “I lost my Dad and was at work the next day!”
This situation brings up a good question. Should people be allowed to miss work because of a the death of a pet? I believe different people may need time to recuperate when a loved one passes away, regardless of whether the loved one is an animal or a human. Some people may be a bit closed to their pets than others. And why not? Pets are usually with their owner for a large amount of time through their lives.
There always seems to be a group of people that doesn’t get it, though. Some people have never owned a pet. Others have owned pets but don’t care for them properly and couldn’t care for their own mother. These are the people you’ll need to lie to. So maybe when you call in sick when Buster passes away, you might just want to lie and say “I have the flu.” instead. It may save yourself from the drama of the 50% of the world that doesn’t seem to get it.
7 Comments
the oracle
October 25th, 2009
at 1:07pm
Trying to be funny, I’ll say ‘only if they were claiming it on their taxes’.
Seriously, people respond to things differently. Some people never awaken to that fact. That is why there should be, at every job, time that can accumulate for PTO, with no excuses needed. And those who take the time off should maintain the no excuses needed policy, with no excuses offered.
Gary Bing
October 25th, 2009
at 6:59pm
My car broke down and my boss told me I hadn’t used any sick days before when he wasn’t even with the company. Since he never saw that I hadn’t used any going back 5 years he said ” Just use a sick day, and if anyone gives you guff about it just say ‘ i had eye trouble and couldn’t see going to work. ” I’ve used that for a good laugh and actually never to return to even pick up my last paycheck before the company went out of business. Most REAL employers have a thing called personal days so you don’t feel obligated to disclose the gory details.
Buffet
October 26th, 2009
at 2:09am
The ones who “don’t get it”? – What they’ll get, is drilled in the face, at their first sign of NOT expressing their deepest sympathy! I don’t have to be “allowed” to do anything! My sincerest condolences to your co-worker.
Rebecca
October 26th, 2009
at 10:23am
In the Western world we don’t deal with grief as they do in the Eastern world, this includes grieving for relatives that pass away. We expect people to “get over death” straight away so the quarterly budgets can be put together or the year-end audit completed. I say take all the time you need, if you can. Who cares what co-workers say. They will not understand the love you had for your pet — most people don’t.
Chair
October 26th, 2009
at 10:56am
I think you should be allowed to take personal days when your pets passes away. You need time to grieve. But lots of people don’t get that….
JFK
October 26th, 2009
at 6:53pm
In my company you got three personal days per year — you could use those for whatever you want. And if you needed to call in for something; that’s what they were for. But if your out for work a week ’cause of unexpected death of your pet msybe try getting a new one but don’t expect too much sympathy. Why am I even writing this.
Jim
January 7th, 2010
at 2:32pm
Pets, like people, are INDIVIDUALS. You cannot ‘replace’ one dog or cat with another, and suggesting that someone do so is the height of insensitivity and cluelessness. Further, good owners form very close bonds with their pets, animals that love us unreservedly and without judgment. Anyone who didn’t experience great loss at the death of such a close companion could only be an unfeeling jerk, and shouldn’t EVER own a pet in the first place.