Most companies now have generous leaves and allowances for new parents, but Swiggy has taken things up another notch.
Swiggy has introduced special leaves and benefits for ‘pet parents’, or employees who have their own pets. The announcement was made on National Pet Day. Swiggy calls its policy a ‘Paw-ternity Policy’, which aims to offer comprehensive support to the companies employees who are pet parents.
“At Swiggy, we continually strive to create a workplace culture that values and supports our employees in every aspect of their lives,” said Girish Menon, Chief Human Resource Officer at Swiggy. “With the introduction of the Swiggy Pawternity Policy, we are extending our commitment to inclusivity by recognizing and honoring the unique responsibilities of pet parenthood,” he added.
Full-time Swiggy employees who have pets will get several new leaves. This includes a new pet or adoption leave, in which employees welcoming a new pet will receive an additional paid day off, in addition to their annual leave entitlement. Swiggy says that this leave aims to give pet parents the time they need to help their new companions settle into their homes.
Swiggy employees with pets will also be able to utilise their casual or sick leave for routine vaccination of their pets, or accompanying a sick or injured pet to a veterinary appointment. Swiggy will also offer bereavement leave in the event of the death of a pet.
Swiggy has been known for its employee-friendly policies. In 2022, the company had announced a permanent work from home policy, in which employees in roles including corporate, central business functions and technology had full freedom to work from home for as long as they liked, and only see their teammates once a quarter at their base locations. Swiggy also has maternity and paternity leaves, and even leaves for IVF treatments and miscarriages.
But Swiggy might be the first major company that’s gone ahead and given leaves to pet owners. This might be a response to changing trends — urban Indians aren’t having as many children as they used to, and India’s fertility rates are rapidly declining. Instead, many young couples now choose to have their pets, and can devote large amounts of time and money into ensuring their well-being. And Swiggy is probably ahead of the curve with its pet-parent leave — following its lead, it’s possible that such pet leaves become commonplace in India’s corporate landscape in the coming years.