Can you imagine getting time off from your job after welcoming a new fur baby into the family? Well, if you are employed at Nina Hale in Minneapolis, that is a reality for new pet parents.
It’s called furternity leave, and it consists of a one week paid leave from the office to take care of a new dog or cat. “This is kind of a no-brainer,” said Allison McMenimen, a vice president at the company, Nina Hale, who helped devise the new policy. “The idea of offering benefits that just help keep employees at the office, that’s over.”
And the Nina Hale isn’t the only company to follow this pet-friendly office philosophy. An Italian company recently gave a woman paid time off when her dog became sick. And employees at mParticle receive two weeks of paid pawternity leave when they adopt a rescue dog or an exotic pet, such as an iguana.
“For a lot of people, their pets are their children,” said Ms. McMenimen, who is also considering getting a pet. “Our employees are at all different stages of their lives.”
Do you think this will become the standard in the workplace?
