Activists in France are calling on employers to give animal owners the day off to mourn the death of their pet.
Workers currently receive paid leave by law after the death of a close relative, but there are no provisions for animals, and owners are now lobbying to be allowed to grant compassionate leave if their beloved pet dies.
Data has revealed that a staggering 68 per cent of pet owners consider their creatures part of the family, sparking a debate on BFM TV on Monday that garnered strong opinions.
One recruiter said that if such a policy were implemented, it would help retain Gen Z workers across the country.
This year, the Society for the Protection of Animals, France’s oldest animal welfare charity, began offering its staff an extra day of leave following the death of a pet.
Animal owners in France are asking employers to give them a day off if their pet dies. In the photo: dog grave with candles and a red rose in a pet cemetery
A cat sits on a monument at the Cimetiere des Chiens, a pet cemetery established in 1899 in Asnieres-sur-Seine, a suburb of Paris.
“This applies to every one of our 750 employees, whatever their animal companion,” said Jacques-Charles Fombonne, president of the charity.
‘The animals around us contribute to our well-being and balance.’
In response, one debate listener joked about buying “hundreds of goldfish” so he could claim several days off.
Currently, only a limited number of employers have official animal bereavement policies, including Wamiz, a pet advice site in Paris, and SanteVet, an animal insurance company.
But Jonathan Gozard, a recruiter in France, said all employers in the country should follow suit, as such attractive plans would attract the best candidates for jobs.
“Generation Z is very receptive to these types of benefits,” he added.
She suggested employers explore seeking tailored support for their staff rather than devoting all their time and resources to deciding how many days off to offer for each type of grief.
“It is in the employer’s interest to allow people to take the necessary amount of bereavement leave, whether it’s one day or 10 days, because we have to remember that the employee is selling us their productivity,” Gozard said.
The recruiter went on to state that any sensible employer will provide the necessary individual psychological support, as this will also benefit you.
The Animalist Party, a political party focused on animal rights, campaigned during the 2022 parliamentary elections to enact a 24-hour paid break after the death of a pet into law.
But he failed to obtain any seats in the National Assembly, so the proposal never got off the ground.