Harper Collins India Gives Employees Paid Time Off if They Get a Pet

April 7, 2017

Getting a pet requires effort and time, which is why Harper Collins India decided to grant their employees something called “pawternity” leave.

According to Huffington Post India, employees who just adopted a dog, a cat or any other pet are entitled to five working days of “pawternity” leave. This new regulation will be implemented starting this year.

Although this kind of leave may be unheard of in India and other parts of the world, many companies in the West are already granting this kind of privilege. By giving employees “pawternity” leave, the company hopes it will promote responsible “pawrenting”.

Chief Executive Officer of Harper Collins India, Ananth Padmanabhan, said that they want to give their employees a good work-life balance, which includes taking care of their pets.

“Pet children need as much attention [as human children], if not more. We don’t want colleagues to worry about the number of leaves they have before deciding to start a family,” said Padmanabhan.

As bonus, those who find it hard to leave their furry pets at home can bring them to the office, according to Mashable. The company provides designated pet friendly areas for these “furbabies.”

Subhashree Das, who works as a digital marketing manager for Harper Collins India, just adopted a puppy and was pleased to find out about this new regulation.

“I became the first employee to experience it, and it allowed me to be there for Luna, when we got her, without feeling torn or worried about work. It was such a comfort,” said Das.

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