[Snacks]

Would you? Have you? Is it a little over the top?

My cat is very ill with kidney failure and I had to take a day of to care for him I come back to work to hear comments about how lame it was for me miss a day for an ill pet

I run my department, have tons of vacation pay, and my employee's can work on their own so missing work really only effects my work load.

It just irritates me that because it's a pet, and not a 'child' their care is not important

Rant Off. Thank you.

 

[binary visions]

If it's your vacation time, you take it however you want. Screw 'em.

And if they can't understanding wanting to care for your sick animal, screw 'em x2.

 

[Heidi]

I think it's ok. People get off to take their kids to the dr's and such. My pets are my kids!

 

[Biter]

I would, for sure. The people who would say its lame probably don't have pets.

 

[Westy]

Never explain why you have to take time off, just explain it as personal business, vacation or illness.

 

[urbaindk]

Tell them to piss off. Would they rather your little critter die?

 

[stevew]

I'd tell them to fvck off.

But I've been fired for saying that, so.......

 

[Polandspring88]

A pet is a responsibility just as a child is.

 

[narlus]

my pet rock is ill.

 

[Snacks]

Never explain why you have to take time off, just explain it as personal business, vacation or illness.

I usually just tell H/R it's personal time, but my best friend works with me (Cliffy's god mother) so I called and told her what was going on.

I just pisses me off because at least once a week I have someone calling in to stay home to take care of their kid, which is fine, but I would never call them lame for doing so.

 

[LordOpie]

Never explain why you have to take time off, just explain it as personal business, vacation or illness.

Approved.

A pet is a responsibility just as a child is.

Approved.

 

[sanjuro]

F' em. Just say someone in your family is feeling ill.

 

[dan-o]

Sorry to hear about your cat. Make your minions pay with some tedious project that requires them to work late friday night.

IMO the comparisons b/t pets and kids are crazy. A kid is a human and a dog (or whatever) is just an f'ing dog no matter how much you love it.

My beloved dogs went from my 'kids' to the 'family dogs' ASAP once my son was born. I didn't love them less, just proportionately.

 

[Alfred]

Now that I have a kid, I'll say it's not exactly the same, but if you need off, you need off. I wouldn't bag on you for sure.

 

[DirtyMike]

I will say, Family pets are the same, Specially When your a family such as mine. Where you and your significant other Cannot have children. My dog Keida is as important to me as a child, Yes i have called in to work to take her to the vet, As far as people talking Sh7t about it, screw them, chances are they would do the same, not to mention your the one in charge. Could always have some fun, and make an example out of one of them!!!! Just kidding.... Anyways Pets are important just like children, They just dont live as long.

 

[Upgr8r]

I have to agree. It's your time, how you use it is up to you. Pets may not be people but they are family.

 

[DH Diva]

I'm lucky in that I work for a university and we have that whole family leave act, which includes pets!! So no, it's not weird or over the top. Pets are important parts of people's lives, and if you commit to having a pet, then that includes being there for it when it's sick. Some people understand this, some people don't. I say go for it, it's your vacation/sick time.

 

[I Are Baboon]

My employer offers pet insurance, so I'm pretty sure they would not mind if I missed a day to care for one of my monsters.

 

[kizzi77]

Not only have and would I stay home with a sick pet, but you have to, really. Besides whether or not people think about pets being your kids...you LEGALLY have to take care of an injured animal just as you LEGALLY have to take care of a sick child. If you did not stay at home, you'd have to board you're cat because it was, as you/the vet determined, too sick to be left alone. You have vacation time...so that's what you used it for!

Ignore them.

 

[blt2ride]

It's your vacation time; it's none of their business why you had to miss work. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with taking some vacation time to care for a sick animal. You have to ask yourself this, who's more improtant: your sick cat or some of your co-workers?

 

[jdcamb]

I think if I got called on it. I would be proud to have done the right thing and taken care of my pet. Without hesitation.

 

[Batman]

My dog passed away unexpectedly this Tuesday and I took two days off work. If anyone said anything to me about it not being legitimate time off I'd have a huge problem with them.

 

[kizzi77]

My dog passed away unexpectedly this Tuesday and I took two days off work. If anyone said anything to me about it not being legitimate time off I'd have a huge problem with them.

I'm so sorry. That's soooo sad!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jdcamb]

My dog passed away unexpectedly this Tuesday and I took two days off work. If anyone said anything to me about it not being legitimate time off I'd have a huge problem with them.

And they would have deserved a heart warming chest punch. I find that sometimes thats all it takes for a person to realize they are being a heartless azzhole. Sorry about your dog.

 

[MtnBikerChk]

My dog passed away unexpectedly this Tuesday and I took two days off work. If anyone said anything to me about it not being legitimate time off I'd have a huge problem with them.

I was in college when my dog died. I cried for 2 days. If I was working, I would have called in sick.

YOU GO SNACKS. Hope your kitty has a good day tomorrow.

 

[stevew]

I worked where my first dog died. That uhmmmmm....kinda sucked.

 

[erikkellison]

While a pet is not the same level of responsibility as a child, and pets rarely merit a day off of work, it is your right to use your time off for whatever you please, be it ill child, ill pet or simply illin'. I went back to work once after calling in sick, with a sunglasses tan around my face. Only time I ever called in sick to be anything but sick. Never admitted anything, but still got a hard time from coworkers. If you make it obvious why you need off, be prepared for the consequences, even if it's some prejudiced people poking fun for something not on their list of "accepted reasons to be away from work." But when they do give you crap, ask them if it's better to take time off for caring for a sick animal, or recovering from a self-induced hangover? I'd vote "caring for sick animals" anyday.

 

[Alfred]

Actually when I shod horses for myself I lost a dog. I left him at the barn, since he couldn't go backside at the track. I came back and he was gone. I had him 5 years or so. I spent two days driving around looking for him. He was a pretty well known cow dog at a lot of sale barns so I always figured someone stole him. I hope they tried to give him a bath.

*That resulted in a dog bite every time. uch:

 

[Snacks]

I was in college when my dog died. I cried for 2 days. If I was working, I would have called in sick.

YOU GO SNACKS. Hope your kitty has a good day tomorrow.

Thanks I got to visit him this afternoon held him for about 15 min. He has started getting irritated with the other cats in the hospital:redhot: so we're hoping that's a good sign.

For those that say pets aren't the same as kids....Yes, I agree but when pets are all you have, they are your kids:love:

 

[Serial Midget]

I had to put my oldest pet down last month - I did not miss work or rearrange my schedule, just not something I would do. Sounds crappy but I used a pet service for the vet visits and made the final decision by phone from 80 miles away. Hopefully I won't go to hell.

 

[laura]

I worked the day I put TN's 13 year old cat down. He only lived with us a short while and all I did was cry in the walk-in all day. If my pets became sick and needed my attention I would take off work. But no one I work with would know why. Most of the people on my floor are childless by choice and animal lovers so I don't think it would be an issue but it's still none of their business.

sorry about your cat.

 

[jonnynails]

Yeah, the corporate world is just a bunch of mother f***ing bull**** sometimes. I have a dog with epilepsy and have had to take off time when he has had a seizure that he is not coming out of(that is a pic of him in my avatar). Then I get that same tone from work as you did. It's like what the F am I suppose to do let him die. If your kid was having a seizure would you leave him/her and go to work. I have a good boss, but the rest of the co-workers want to make someone look bad to make themselves look better. Sometimes I wish we could take it back to high school and just beat the **** out of the corporate a$$ kissers:nuts:

I say you are completely justified in staying home to take care of your cat. Sorry to hear about the illness.

 

[MudGrrl]

I find it amazing that people who have children can't seem to understand what a pet means to people.

I was once told it was rude to equate pets to children. I think exactly opposite. I love my critters. I love them a lot. How is that rude?



And yeah, I would have just told everyone who gave me a hard time to fck off. It was leave. It was your leave. It's not like you're asking for leave contributions so you can extend you Paris vacation.....


people are heartless.

 

[robdamanii]

I find it amazing that people who have children can't seem to understand what a pet means to people.

I was once told it was rude to equate pets to children. I think exactly opposite. I love my critters. I love them a lot. How is that rude?



And yeah, I would have just told everyone who gave me a hard time to fck off. It was leave. It was your leave. It's not like you're asking for leave contributions so you can extend you Paris vacation.....


people are heartless.

 

[TurnerGrl]

I'm very fortunate that a lot of people in my office including upper management are extremely pet friendly. My 8 year old black lab got critically ill in January and not only did I take most of the day off to get him to the vet, I wasn't even docked the time since I am salaried and my boss knows that I often come into work extra early or on the weekends. Jake had to be hospitalized that night and then for the next week and a half I re-arranged my schedule at work to drop him off at the vet every day since he was too unstable to stay home alone. My co-workers said zero negative things and in fact went out of their way to ask how he was doing.

We are responsible for their well-being and to hell with anyone that tries to call you out on it or doesn't understand what your pet means to you.

Snacks, I hope your cat has a full and quick recovery. And Batman, I am so sorry for your loss. I bawled all night when Jake was in the hospital not knowing if he would survive (to top it off, it was my 35th birthday...worst birthday EVER!) My two labs are most definitely family to me. Sheesh, even my mom even sends her "granddogs" cards in the mail...

 

[waterlilli]

Well for what it is worth I admire you for caring. Too many people just do not get it your pet is yours to love and it depends on you! Plus why go to work when you are upset/crying/worried the whole time, I would be useless at work if it were me. Hope kitty feels okay.

 

[LordOpie]

You shouldn't tell and more importantly, employers shouldn't ask -- not that this was the case, but my former employer asked what time off was for and why. Seems wrong. I can understand the argument that if two people ask for a day off, the company can't give both, the one with the better reason should get the day off... eg. doctor's appt. vs playing golf.

 

[ChuMaiWang]

Any time I call in I just tell them, “I need to take a personal day today; I will use some of the 500hrs of sick time that I have “saved” up.” If they were to ask, I would just tell them that it is personal.

I do hope your pet gets better.