For pet owners with jobs, occasionally missing work to care for their animals is a matter of routine. So is lying about it.
In a recent survey, nearly half (46%) of working pet owners said they usually give their boss a cover story when taking time off for their pet. Nearly a quarter (24%) said they had called in sick when it was really their pet who was under the weather.
Others invented family emergencies (14%) and personal appointments instead of telling their bosses the real reason for their absences.
More than 20% of respondents said they would look for a new job if they were refused time off for a pet emergency. A whopping 84% said they would support a law letting workers use paid sick leave to care for a sick pet.
MetLife Pet Insurance contacted 1,009 “working pet parents” for the survey, finding that the average working pet owner misses (or must make up) two workdays per year due to a pet’s health.
The bigger issue, however, may be why so many pet owners feel guilty enough to cover up a perfectly understandable reason for taking PTO.
Surveys show nearly half of U.S. workers don’t take all their paid time off every year—often because workplace hustle culture, fear of falling behind, pressure from management, and other factors make them feel guilty about it.
Half of employees surveyed said they are nervous about asking for time off, including 61% of millennials, and 76% said they wish their employer would do more to emphasize the value of PTO.
Workplace experts argue that employees don’t owe bosses specific explanations for taking official paid time off that’s included in their benefits. It’s a debate that reemerges around other excuses bosses might consider on the bubble, like celebrating big movie or video game releases or cultural events (like taking off the Monday after the Super Bowl or Academy Awards).
For workers already reluctant to take time off, asking for a day off to care for a sick dog or cat may feel even harder to sell. Until employers make it clear that taking PTO doesn’t require justification, some pet owners may keep finding that the easiest way to care for their animals is to pretend they are the ones who are sick.
