Should you have pet-friendly policies?
A survey by Sainsbury’s Bank indicates that nearly one in six employees are adjusting their work schedules to care for their dogs, such as by modifying their working hours or working from home more regularly. Are there any statutory rights in this area? If not, what are the options?
Employees have no statutory rights to time off to care for pets or arrange veterinary treatment, even if they see those pets as “dependants”. Likewise, there is no statutory right to bereavement or compassionate leave where a pet dies, regardless of how upset an employee might be. You can therefore insist that any time off be taken as paid annual leave - although do be aware that an employee may simply go off sick with depression for a period of time in circumstances of pet bereavement.
However, the Sainsbury’s Bank survey shows that many employees are seeking to balance the demands of dog ownership with their work commitments and so this may be a priority for them when looking for new employment. Therefore, if you are to attract and retain new joiners who are dog owners, you might need to consider:
- highlighting any flexible working arrangements that may be available for a role, such as hybrid working or flexitime
- putting in place pet-friendly policies, such as paid or unpaid leave for employees who get a new puppy or rescue dog, pet bereavement leave, allowing staff to bring their well-behaved dogs to the office on certain days, arranging discounted pet insurance, organising dog-friendly social events, etc.
Related Topics
-
Payment deadline for corporation tax
-
HMRC targets undeclared consultancy income in the medical sector
HMRC is writing to people working in the medical sector where information supplied by private healthcare providers suggests that consultancy fees may have been omitted from their tax returns. Recipients have 30 days to check their position and respond. What should you do if you get a letter?
-
MONTHLY FOCUS: BUSINESS AND AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY RELIEF: WHAT DO THE NEW IHT RULES MEAN FOR YOU?
The inheritance tax treatment of businesses and farms changed fundamentally from 6 April 2026. The amount that can qualify for 100% business property relief and agricultural property relief is now capped, potentially leaving families with a significant tax bill for the first time. What has changed, and what should business owners and farmers be doing about it?
This website uses both its own and third-party cookies to analyze our services and navigation on our website in order to improve its contents (analytical purposes: measure visits and sources of web traffic). The legal basis is the consent of the user, except in the case of basic cookies, which are essential to navigate this website.