Aussie’s leading bank to grant paid pet bereavement leave to staff

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), Australia’s largest retail bank and the country’s 6th largest by revenue, is proposing to grant a 2-day paid ‘pet bereavement leave.’

According to local media, the company already grants 2 days off annually for pet-related emergencies.

The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) does not mention such pet-related time off in its labor rights guidelines. Australia’s 2009 Fair Work Act allows workers to claim leave on the death of an immediate human family member only, although ‘pawternity’ or ‘furternity’ leave is a reality in some companies.

Australian law firm Hive Legal introduced 1 day of pet-related leave for its staff in late 2021. Similarly, Brisbane’s BrewDog brewery and Melbourne’s e-learning provider Verso offer paid leave for employee pet emergencies. In the US, Rover and Trupanion also provide similar paid leave to their employees.

Productivity 

A survey from Mars Petcare in late 2022 found that 96% of employees felt confident asking for sick leave for a child, but only 63% felt confident requesting leave for their sick pet.

Nearly 8 out of 10 (77%) reported reduced productivity with an ill pet, while 67% didn’t believe they would be granted time off to care for their pet. 

The survey also revealed that 38% of pet parents would ask for a sick day if their pet was not feeling well, while 18% would use annual leave.

A 2021 survey conducted by OnePoll in partnership with Banfield Pet Hospital concluded that 37% of employees said their company offered pet bereavement leave. Additionally, more than 4 out of 10 provided paid leave for new pet owners.