Some U.K. Companies Offer Paid Leave When Employees Adopt A Puppy

All parents should be able to take time off of work when they give birth or adopt a child. But, paid parental leave is still hard to come by in the United States. In fact, just 11 percent of American workers in the private sector and 16 percent of government employees have access to paid family leave. Ouch.

If you weren’t already envious of the generous paid leave policies in Europe (many countries give new parents a full year off), you will be now. Companies in the U.K. are now giving employees time off when they adopt a new puppy. Yep, a puppy.

The latest company to jump on the “paw-ternity” leave bandwagon is BrewDog, a craft beer company based in Scotland. BrewDog’s puppy parental leave policy gives employees up to a week off to spend with their new “fur babies.”

“It’s not easy trying to juggle work and settle a new dog into your life, and many members of our crew have four-legged friends at home. So, we wanted to take the stress out of the situation and let our teams take the time they need to welcome their new puppy or dog into their family,” BrewDog co-found James Watt told Elite Daily. “We always want to raise the bar when it comes to offering our staff the best possible benefits; at BrewDog, we care about two things above all else: people and beer. We also just really, really like dogs.”

It’s true, bringing a new puppy into your home does require an investment of time and energy. You’ve got the task of potty training, and you have to make sure they’re fed (while also making sure they’re not chewing on your favorite pair of shoes). Plus, who wouldn’t want to spend a week at home soaking up all of those puppy snuggles?

And just when you think it couldn’t get any better, get this: BrewDog doesn’t want employees to become heartbroken by leaving their furry new additions at home after their paid leave ends. So they also allow new puppy parents to bring their fluffy bundles of joy back to work with them! About 50 dogs have become part of the BrewDog team. Between the craft beer, the paid puppy leave and all of the dogs running around the office, we’re guessing morale is sky high over at BrewDog!

RELATED: Here Are The Costs To Know About Before You Buy Or Adopt A Dog

It’s worth noting that BrewDog takes good care of parents of human babies as well. “We also offer enhanced maternity and paternity pay for two-legged arrivals,” the company said in a statement.

Want to get a job at BrewDog? They’ve got some openings in the U.S.!