BURYING a cat in a force 9 gale on dark January night is a brutal business.
Deed done, it’s inside to remove the wet clothes and have a warm cup of tea. Or even something stronger. Purely to numb the grief you understand.
I’ve had a few pets over the years and they have all sadly passed away at some point. Even a tortoise which is quite remarkable as I thought it was impossible to outlive a tortoise but he obviously wasn’t a very good one.
Dealing with the loss and the snots and tears of children as a result are all part of life’s rich tapestry.
But did I ever think of taking time off work next day to grieve? No and neither do millions of others.
However, a young woman from Glasgow has just launched an online petition calling for employers to recognise pet bereavement as an official thing.
Her dog was put down and she couldn’t face her shift in a sandwich shop the next day.
Fair enough. Her employer, not unreasonably, said she could have the day off if she could get her shift covered. She couldn’t and lost her job.
Now she’s cried foul and her petition is now backed by more than 19,000 like minded souls who have clearly lost all perspective.
Launching the petition, she wrote, and I quote: "a family pet (in my case my dog) has just as much importance as a human family member. "
Really? How does she advocate that this would work - would any compassionate leave be judged on the type of pet that has passed away.
A couple of days for a goldfish, a fortnight for a cat and up to six weeks for a floppy eared spaniel? Where do pets such as stick insects, canaries or moonfish fit in, given they are all pretty impossible to get emotionally attached to.
Obviously all employers have a duty of care to their employees and must treat personal matters with sympathy, cut them some slack and provide support. Suffer a trauma and it is right that time away is granted as a matter of course.
However, employees also have a duty of care to their employers. It’s a two way thing. As in the case of the woman with a dog, take an unauthorised absence and you are at risk of disciplinary action.
A business can’t make money without staff but people can’t make money either without an employer.
Losing a pet is tragic but to try and get pet bereavement enshrined in law is a total nonsense.
The excuses by chancers are endless ‘my goldfish died last night so I need a fortnight off’.
Rather than launch a petition the sandwich shop employee should have done what we have all considered at one time.
Pull a sickie.
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