Half of this group of workers lies to take PTO

For pet owners with jobs, occasionally missing work to care for their animals is a matter of routine. So is lying about it. Nearly half (46%) of working pet owners in a recent survey said they usually gave 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 also 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 loses (or must make up) two workdays a 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 falli…

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