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UK cat and dog owners use about a quarter of their sick days to tend to ill pets
Jonas Vincent / Unsplash
Pet owners, be honest — have you ever called in sick when it was actually your furry friend who was unwell?
You might have heard parents complaining that they had to take sick leave for a poorly child, but according to a survey by Animal Friends pet insurance, pet owners take it one step further.
The research found that a third of UK workers have skipped work to take care of their animals.
The company surveyed 2,000 British workers, and found that 42% of them had lied to their boss about being ill when it was actually a pet they were looking after.
People in Birmingham were the biggest culprits, with over 50% admitting to playing doctor to their fur babies.
Animal Friends
Men were more likely to own up, with 63% saying they would opt to tell the truth, compared to 54% of women. However, women were also more likely to leave their sick pet at home than men.
The younger generation were the most reluctant to leave their sick pets, with 40% of 18 to 24 year olds saying they had taken time off for that purpose. This was compared to just 18% of people over 55.
Rather than take holiday to look after ill pets, dog and cat owners said they used nearly a quarter (23%) of their sick days on pet-minding.
However, rather than making them feel guilty, about a third of people polled thought it should be a company policy to give time off to look after sick pets, because it can be costly otherwise.
The average pet owner pays about £75 a year on dog sitters, and if poorly pets are left at home alone, there may be a lot of mess to clear up at a steep cost.
And it appears that attitudes could be changing. Several companies in the world now offer "pawternity leave" when their employees get a new puppy, so your boss might be more compassionate than you'd think about you taking time off when you have a poorly pet in the future.
See Also:
These are the 10 most common excuses people use to get out of work early
How to stay on your boss' good side during New York City's commuter 'summer of hell'
SEE ALSO: 3 companies that give staff paid time off when they get a puppy
