A report on the impact of pet illness and death on their owners’ work attendance has estimated that British businesses are losing £18 million a year in lost workforce hours due to staff taking ‘pet sick leave’ either to look after their sick animal or to grieve because their pet has died.
The research, by insurance comapny LV reveals that one in ten dog or cat owners interviewed (11%) said they had stayed at home to nurse a sick pet, while 11% had stayed off work because they were so upset after their pet had died. This translates into 1.1 million pet owners who called in sick last year because their dog or cat was ill or had died, each taking an average of 2.4 days off.
Rather than admit the truth to their employer, nearly a quarter of those who took time off for their pet (24%), told their boss they were staying off work due to their own ill health.
LV= have a pet insurance policy, which includes free bereavement counselling for the pet owner as standard. LV= is also one of the few insurers that will insure older cats and dogs, with no maximum age limit.
Belinda Hall, counselling services manager at Medicals Direct Group, which runs the helpline on behalf of LV=, said: “The pet bereavement counselling service is designed to assist pet owners come to terms with the loss of their animal. Callers can access the service at any time of the day or night and their call is completely confidential.”
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